FACTORS INFLUENCING STUDENTS IN CHOOSING

THEIR COLLEGE COURSE

PSYCHOLOGY AND EDUCATION: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL

2022
Volume: 3
Pages: 2-5
Document ID: PEMJ0
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6994851
Manuscript Accepted:
Psych Educ, Document ID: PEMJ0, doi: 10.5281/zenodo.6994851, ISSN 2822-4353
Research Article

Factors Influencing Students in Choosing their College Course

Shar-In A. Sadjail*, Darwina J. Sansawi, Mona-Allea L. Matolo
For affiliations and correspondence, see the last page.

Abstract
Deciding for a college course to take is quiet challenging for a student due to the many influencing factors or
reasons in the environment that may affect his own preference. This study aimed to determine the factors that
influence the College of Education students at MSU-TCTO in choosing Education as their college course.
Further, it tried to determine different approaches in managing the course they are currently taking at the
college. The result of this study would benefit the administrators, teachers, parents, students, and future
researchers as they gain new insights about the factors that influence the students in choosing their college
course. This study made use of a phenomenological-qualitative study conducted to the selected students at
the College of Education, MSU-TCTO. Interview guide was utilized to gather the needed data. It consists of
guide questions validated by the panel of experts. Data gathered were transcribed, thematically analyzed and
interpreted. Based on the findings of the study, the common factors that influence the students in
choosing Education as their college course were parental discretion/ influences, external influences,
affordability, practicality, personal preference and interest, and socio-economic problems. Moreover, the
respondents’ yielded different approaches and ways to manage the courses they are currently taking at the
College of Education such as self-determination, overcoming fear of subject difficulties, perseverance and
self-confidence, personal preference and interest and developing participation and study habit/skills. In
conclusion, there were several factors that influenced the COED students in taking Education course.
Further, the course they are currently taking were not solely chosen by themselves. The influence of other
people in choosing their course may help or hinder them to succeed in life. Hence, appropriate assistance
must be provided to students such as seminar or conference on career guidance, among others to assist
them with their course placements and help them invest their full potentials.

Keywords: College Course, College of Education, College Students, MSU-TCTO, Tawi-Tawi

Introduction of the major elements that can help or hinder

For many students, deciding for a college course to
take is quiet challenging for some reasons. They must
consider many things when choosing a course that
would lead to a right career path in the future.
Basically, students are driven by their interest, skills,
or expertise in choosing their course preference. A
student, for example prefers to enroll in a certain
course because of his interest, skills, or expertise,
however, with the occurrence of social demands and
trends, he is sometimes compelled to attune his
preference to social needs or demands. They tend to go
for a degree or course that is popular at the time, while
others hindered by their own socio-economic status
hampering them from choosing their own course of
preference. The tendency is that they would just
bargain their courses that can only be afforded by their
own pockets. With rapid social change, there has been
a forceful impact urging students to liberally satisfy
social trends and decide for a faddy course option.
Moreover, the influence of family also plays a
significant role in deciding which or what course that
their children will take. They are the one who shapes
the decision of their children in the college process.
According to Almeida and Pinho (2008), family is one
professional decision.
In like manner, peer influence is also a factor that
affects students’ decision in choosing a course to take
since as a teenager, it is important for them to feel
accepted in a group or society. There are different
effects when a student refers all his/her decision on
his/her peer or friends. Sometimes, friends or peers can
affect one’s decision like for example if most of his
friends will decide to take medical courses such as
nursing, medtech, among others, most probably he
tends to end up taking a degree where they as a friend
or peer wants. Kaneez and Medha (2018) manifested
that majority of students are influenced by
environment and personality factors and not influenced
by opportunity factors.
As an individual being, one is embodied with his own
ability to think and decide on his own but sometimes
because of many influencing factors in the
environment that affect how one decides on things,
student’s right decision on the course he chooses in
college is a must because either small or big, the
amount he exerts on it would shape his life and future.
It remains a fact that the decision you made yesterday
can make a huge impact in your lives today and in the
future.

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Psych Educ, Document ID: PEMJ0, doi: 10.5281/zenodo.6994851, ISSN 2822-4353
Research Article
With these significant issues, the researchers found
interest as these become symbol of substantially
interesting perceptions and reasons. Indeed, survey as
to course preferences of students must be toiled for
purpose of assessment to improve system adjustments
and enhancements.
Research Questions
This study aimed to determine the factors that
influence the College of Education students at MSU-
TCTO, Sanga-Sanga, Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, Philippines
in choosing a course in their tertiary level.
Specifically, it sought to answer the following
questions:
1. What are the common factors that influence students
in choosing Education as their college course?
2. How do they manage the course they are currently
taking at the College of Education?
Methodology
This study made use of a phenomenological-
qualitative research design to determine and analyze
the factors that influence the students in choosing their
course and how they manage the course they currently
taking through interview. This study was conducted to
the selected students at the College of Education,
Mindanao State University-Tawi-Tawi College of
Technology and Oceanography. Using purposive
sampling technique, the researchers selected the
respondents taking Bachelor of Elementary Education
major in General Education and Early Childhood
Education, Bachelor of Secondary Education major in
English, Math, General Science, and Filipino. In
collecting data, it utilized an Interview Guide prepared
by the researchers and validated by the panel of
experts. Student-respondents were interviewed
individually in their most convenient time. A recorder
was used to preserve the data gathered during the
interview. Afterwards, the data were transcribed,
thematically analyzed, and interpreted.
Results and Discussion
The common factors that influence the students in
choosing Education as their college course
Sadjail et al.
Based on the responses of the student-respondents,
there were six (6) common factors that influence them
in choosing education as their college course, to wit:
Parental Discretion/influence. A large number of
students were enrolled in courses which their parents
suggest. They opted to take a particular course out of
their preferences or against their own interest. Parents,
being convinced by present social trends, put strong
conviction in selecting courses for their children
without considering their expertise and interest. This is
one factor that obstructs the interest of students to
perform well in school. On the contrary, there were
some of them who took the chance and learned to
accept the course.
Social or External influence. Influences of friends,
peers and teachers were also among the common
factors for students to opt their course. Especially for
those with unfixed decisions in choosing their courses,
they are likely to influence by their friends and other
people.
Affordability. Education course is one of the most
affordable courses in MSU-TCTO. Many students,
particularly those with low means would shift to
enrolling education course as they find it affordable.
This is indeed the reason of huge influx of enrolment
in education courses. Though students have their own
course preferences, their financial volatility becomes
an urge for them to flock to education courses.
Practicality. Others were thinking of practicality in
choosing for their courses with the massive hiring of
teachers by the Department of Education each year.
People are becoming practical in targeting their course
when reaching college. While several courses are only
lucrative abroad, many students are enticed to develop
interest in education courses that is in demand at the
present time, especially in Tawi-Tawi.
Personal Preference and interest. As early as High
School and Senior High, students have already their
own course preferences as imputed to the own interest.
This influences them to opt for their chosen course of
study rather than being moved by others choice and
suggestions.
Socio-Economic Problem. Most students are
swerving from choosing their own preferred courses
due to their financial capability. Parents’ financial
means or with low social status oftentimes become
significant factor that influence most students to opt
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Psych Educ, Document ID: PEMJ0, doi: 10.5281/zenodo.6994851, ISSN 2822-4353
Research Article
for affordable courses. Subjects requiring expensive
requirements can become a hurdle hampering students’
interest to choose courses in line with their specialties.
Many students would shift from their target courses
due to socio-economic problems.
Managing the course they are currently taking at the
College of Education
Based on the responses of the student-respondents,
there are five (5) ways on how they managed to take
their current courses at the College of Education, to
wit:
Self-determination. In opting for course preference, a
student should be determined. Through self-
determination, students are encouraged to pursue the
course taken despite not their own course preference.
Overcoming Fear of Subject Difficulties. There are
students who show apathy and sort of abhorrence in
taking difficult subjects. As the consequence, they
become panicky and less reactive to their subjects.
Subject requirements are sometimes inevitably a
burden to students. This would become a factor for
students to give up their interest.
Perseverance and Self Confidence. Most students’
survival and success in their courses can be imputed to
their perseverance and self-confidence. In studies,
problems are hindrances to success if not properly
remedied or if a student lacks perseverance in dealing
with study problems.
Diligence and Persistence. Diligence and persistence
are among study behavior that must be developed by
students. This is one helpful way of overcoming
failure subject. A diligent student is always successful
in their educational struggles. Giving much time to
study and devoting effort to persist hardships in course
studies helps a lot in gaining commendable grades.
Developing Class Participation habit/skills. In order
for students to unleash themselves from timidity and
indifference, they must learn to expose themselves
through classroom participation. Indeed, this is a way
of preparing oneself towards achieving good
performance in a class.
Conclusion
Based on the findings of the study, it can be concluded
that there were several factors that influenced the
COED students in taking Education course. It can
Sadjail et al.
further be concluded that the course they are currently
taking were not solely chosen by themselves. The
influence of other people in choosing their course may
help or hinder them to succeed in life. Hence,
appropriate assistance must be provided to students
such as seminar or conference on career guidance,
among others to assist them with their course
placements and help them invest their full potentials.
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Affiliations and Corresponding Information

Shar-In Sadjail
Mindanao State University
Tawi-Tawi College of Technology and Oceanography
Philippines
Darwina Sansawi
Mindanao State University
Tawi-Tawi College of Technology and Oceanography
Philippines
Mona-Allea Matolo
Mindanao State University
Tawi-Tawi College of Technology and Oceanography
Philippines

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