CAREER PREFERENCE OF GRADE 12 STEM STUDENTS IN AMCC –

ILIGAN CITY

A Quantitative Research

Presented to the High School Department

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for
PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2

Norlailah M. Amanollah
Amerah R. Tominaman
Jallilah Alawi
Princess B. Villiantes
Warren John Parantar
Raidoden G. Daison

October 2019
 CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND IT’S BACKGROUND

1.1 Introduction

Youthful students have diverse dreams and interests in life that includes their

career preference. In choosing a career, suitability to the interest of the students is

given importance. Students must know on what degree to pursue in college, one that

interest them and must also fit their abilities so that it will not be hard for them to

choose the right career path and so that they will not regret it in the future. There are

various factors that affect career preferences of senior high school students such as

parental influences, school influences, personal attributes, academic background, and

socio-economic factors. These factors can directly or indirectly affects career

preference of the respondents.

Senior high school students need a lot of professional advice especially when it

comes in choosing their careers. It is in this period, where students will be advised to

prepare for their future worthwhile occupations. Choosing the perfect career that will

fit is one of the most important and crucial decision that every person has to make.

This can be one of the measures whether an individual will be successful in the future

or not. At this stage, self-realization, role try-outs, occupationalexplorations in

schools, and finding the first job is the tentative step for senior high school students.

It is this stage when teenager needs guidance in the proper selection of their

desired career. Where, they will arrive at the right decision considering their innate
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capacities, educational privilege offered to the students and other resources that

society makes available for them to be more efficient and effective (DepEd, 2017).

This research had been done in other schools however, there is no research that

had been done at Adventist Medical Center College (AMCC) regarding this problem.

Therefore, the researchers will try to identify the career preference among AMCC

senior high school students specifically focuses on the Science, Technology,

Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) strand.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Senior high school students of AMCC – Iligan City will share their career

preference in life. Students’ decision making regarding their career preference in life

is affected by their parents' influences, school influences, personal attributes,

academic background, and socio-economic factors.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

To ascertain what are the career preference of senior high school students in

AMCC – Iligan City and to encourage them to choose the best career that fits to their

abilities, this study includes the following objectives:

1.To identify the career preference of graduating STEM students in AMCC –

Iligan City; and

2.To determine the factors that affect the career preference of grade 12 STEM

students.
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1.4 Significance of the Study

As the study deals with the Career Preference of Grade 12 STEM Students in

AMCC – Iligan City, the results will be beneficial to the students, whereas that they

will be prepared choosing their careers, as well as their parents, in which they will be

knowledgeable to guide their child in choosing career that is better for them, and also

to the future researchers that will conduct the same study or have some connections

to this study. This will be beneficial to them, wherein they will be guided in

conducting the same study or connected to this study.

1.5 Scope and Limitation

The scope of the study will cover the senior high school students in AMCC

-Iligan City specifically focuses on the graduating STEM students in terms of their

career preference, and factors affecting their career preference will be included.

Researchers are more likely to use survey questionnaires in gathering data as well

as face-to-face interview if needed.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Career Guidance

A career choice is a decision that most human beings make sometime in their

lives; it is a decision that should be carefully considered since it can affect the rest of

a person’s life (Eyo, 2011). Therefore, the goal of career guidance and counselling is

to allow an individual to explore his or her options (Lazarus & Chinwe, 2011).

Another study done by Edward (2010), which enunciated that career choice is a

complex decision for students since it determines the kind of profession that they

intend to pursue in life.

According to John Holland (2010), individuals are attracted to a given career by

their particular personalities and numerous variables that constitutes their

backgrounds. Students have different likes in accordance to their dreams and future,

that is why in choosing their career, they also check if their chosen career is fit with

their personality.

2.1.1 Gottfredson's Theory

Gottfredson’s theory, occupational aspirations are a reflection of one’s

self-concept. People seek occupations that (a) arc congruent with their self-image and

(b) reflect their knowledge of different occupations. This theory describes that
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students become attracted to certain specialization. According to this theory,

self-concept is the key to specialization selection. Students tend to choose jobs that

are compatible with their personality. The key determinants according to the theory

are one’s social class, level of intelligence and experiences with sex typing.

2.2 Parental Influences

Parents wants the best for their children. They want them to have a wonderful

future ahead so sometimes they decide for the future of their children. This includes

picking the course they want their child to take. In a research done by Tziner,

Loberman, Dekel and Sharoni (2012), they found that the better the parent-child

relationship is, and the more supported the child felt, the more willing the child was

to take career choice advice from the parents. When children or students are treated

as if their opinion matters, then it means that they will be more open to their parents

idea and to take the same profession their parents are into. Dietrich and Kracke (2009)

reported, if adolescents perceive their parents as putting through their own wishes for

the child's future career rather than collaborating with the child in preparing for a

career this may be interpreted as disinterest in the child's plan.

Parents influence career choices in a number of ways, for example, parental

support and encouragement. A study carried in Kenya reflects that when adolescents

require information on topics such as career planning, they consult their parents

(Edward & Quinter,2011).

2.3 School Influences

Career guidance is offered at institutions of learning such as schools, college and

universities among others. High schools are a transition to higher institutions of

learning and the world of work so they have a critical role in assisting students

choose careers (Baloch & Shah,2014).

A study done in Kenyan school by Kimiti and Mwova (2012), reported that

career guidance positively influenced career decision-making, understanding of

careers and career related adjustments about students’ career choices. Moreover, the

study revealed that when students are not guided in their choice of careers, they don’t

know what is good for them or even what they want. Hence, a lack of career

guidance may cause students to make wrong choices and enroll for studies they know

little or nothing about (Kimiti & Mwova,2012). This implies that schools play a

pivotal role in preparing students for future careers.

2.4 Conceptual Framework

The researchers construct the figure below to show the process among the variables use

in the study:

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

Career Preference

Factors affecting
the grade 12 STEM
students:
Survey CAREER
• Parental PREFERENCE OF
Influences Face-to-face GRADE 12 STEM
Interview
• School Influences STUDENTS IN
AMCC – ILIGAN
• Personal CITY
Attributes

• Academic
Background; and

• Socio-economic
Factors

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework of the Study

The independent variable which is the input shows the problem of the study on what will

the researchers shall find out, such as the career preference and the factors affect the grade 12

STEM students of their career choice in terms of parental influences, school influences,

personal attributes, academic background, and socio-economic factors. The career preference

of grade 12 STEM students in AMCC – Iligan City will be determined using survey method

and face-to-face interview if needed in gathering the data of the respondents in regards to the

career preference of the chosen respondents in AMCC – Iligan City.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research Methods

The study anchor to a quantitative type of research. The descriptive survey

research method will be use in gathering the needed information for this study. This

method enables the researchers to interpret the theoretical meaning of the findings

and hypothesis development for further studies. The researchers will give a

questionnaire type of descriptive research method which enables the researchers to

gather information from the respondents coming from Grade 12 STEM.

3.2 Research Locale

In conducting the study, the researchers will get participants from the institution

of Adventist Medical Center College found in Barangay San Miguel, Iligan City. The

researchers will get the career preferences of the grade 12 STEM students coming

from the said school, however not all students from the institution will participate.

3.3 Participants

The study will comprise the students of AMCC - Iligan City, specifically focuses

on the grade 12 Senior High School Students in the school year 2019-2020 with the

course of STEM on their career preference.

3.4 Instrumentation

The researchers will use and provide a survey questionnaires in gathering data.

The researchers will do a face-to-face interview guides, includes data on the personal

attributes of the respondents in terms of socio-economic, and academic factors. In the

preparation of the instrument, the requirements in the designing of good collection

instrument are consider.

3.5 Ethical Consideration

The data that will be gathered will be treated trustworthy. The purpose of the

study will be made clear at the outset and permission through consent form will be

sought. The survey will be conducted under the principle of confidentiality and the

participants will be given a survey questionnaires in regards to this study. Before the

survey questionnaires will be given to the respondents, the researchers will explain

about the study in order for the respondents to answer the provided questions easily.
 APPENDICES

APPENDIX I

Research Instrument

Name(optional):

Section:
Gender: Female Male

General Instruction: Please fill in all the details needed on the blanks provided and
check the box that corresponds to your answer with honesty in regards to the study,
“Career Preference of Grade 12 STEM Students in AMCC - Iligan City.

CAREER CHOICE:

What is the reason that makes you choose that career ?

Is it Parental Influences?

Is it School Influences?

Is it Personal Attributes?

Is it because of your Academic

Or, is it based on socio-economic

If others, then justify below:

Statistical Treatment

To determine the results of the study the formula below will be used as statistical

treatment in terms of percentage.

f
%  x100
N
% is the Percentage

f is the Frequency

N is the total Number of Respondents

100 is a constant value