“Career Preferences of the Fourth Year Students of St. Joseph Academy of Valenzuela. School Year 2009-2010”
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A Thesis Presented to
The Division of Graduate Studies and Research
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The National Teachers College
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In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Arts in Education
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by
Fatima B. Feticio (1:00pm-4:00pm)
March 2010

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page
Acknowledgment iii
List of Figure ix
Chapter
1 The Problem—Its Background …………………………………. Statement of the Problem………………………………………… Importance of Study…………………………………………………. Definition of Terms……………………………………………………. Scope and Delimitation…………………………………………….. Related Literature and Studies…………………………………. 2 Method of Study……………………………………………………….. Instrument and Technique Used……………………………… 3 Presentation and Interpretation of Data…………………. 4 Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations……… Summary of Findings……………………………………………….. Conclusions………………………………………………………………. Recommendations…………………………………………………….
Bibliography
Appendix -- Letter of Request Questionnaire
Curriculum Vitae

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The researcher express her warmful thanks to the following:
Mr. Kim Kirby Colibao and Ms. Charmlin Dayao, for giving inspiring words given Ms. Kathleen Dela Cruz and Mr. Pat Siegfred Lacsamana , for giving suggestions and recommendations
To the family and friends, for their moral support
To the students, who helped in gathering some information.
And finally, to the Dear Lord, who always gives His help, guidance and blessings.

iii

Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM—ITS BACKGROUND

The adolescent in a society is expected to undergo the process of choosing a profession. This choice of lifework is crucial. It determines one’s life style. It defines one’s position in the community. It spells satisfaction or frustration. His choice affects not only himself but the society as well. It is unfortunate the adolescent must make this decision at a time when he is still unprepared to do so. The growing needs and understanding of the importance of making the right career decision is recognized in the Philippines today. The high school senior student who chooses a career makes a crucial decision in his life. This decision may have influenced by a continuing process which started at early childhood. The trend towards giving the youth more and more freedom to make some decision may bring about the number of problems in his choice of career. It is most important that a young person has decide early enough what he is going to do in adulthood and then proceed to prepare himself for the chosen career even when he still pursuing a secondary education. It is at his stage he needs some guidance, since he may be over-ambitious, under-ambitious or even ambitious. The assistance that a high school senior student needs most for the guidance center that provides in-formal services is involved through information about occupations and his potentialities. He needs some kind of overview about his probable vocation. Occasional waste and disappointment are unavoidable. Good counseling can at least direct him along a path that he is not likely to regret having followed when he starts earning a livelihood.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study aimed to find out the career preferences of fourth year students of St. Joseph Academy of Valenzuela, school year 2009-2010 in the relationship between their career preferences of their grades and favorite subject.

Specifically, it ought to answer the following questions: 1. What are the factors that the students considered in choosing their career? 2. What is the relationship of the subject which they excel most in choosing their career? 3. What is the relationship of their favorite subject in choosing in their career? 4. How effective the career orientation activities that the schools provide to the fourth year student?

DEFINITION OF TERMS The following terms were defined based on how they were used in this study.

Career Choice This refers to the specific academic, business or vocational course at the college level which a student may decide to take after finishing hi secondary education.
Career Guidance It is a systematic and planned assistance extended to individuals to help them know, understand and accept their abilities, potentialities, shortcoming and limitations, learn about job opportunities and requirement in the world of work make realistic career choices consistent with the occupational requirement, assume the necessary preparation for the career; and find employment in the chosen career.
Career Preferences The term means the choice of an individual for his job, occupation and position performed during his working life.
Vocation It refers to a person-centered aspect work, the psychological conception of work as the behavior of individual person.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATION

This study was confined to the career preferences of the fourth year students of St. Joseph Academy of Valenzuela in the school year 2009-2010. It ascertained the career orientation activities provided to fourth year students to which these activities have assisted to the students in making their career choices. This study also included their grades and favorite subjects in relationship to their career. The reasons behind the students’ career choices were not included in this study.

RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDY

This part of the study presents the related literature and studies review by the researcher to give adequate background of the topic under this study.
Factors that affects students in choosing their career according to some psychologists A number of psychologist and some educators have considered such factors like interest, parental influenced, home, opportunity, experiences and the way the child was reared. The different views and ideas of psychologists and educators are helpful to the students in a way of giving enlightenment as far as choosing a career I concerned. Moreover, the researcher believes that these ideas, findings and views are in some way related to the present research. Some students got into the course wherein he does not belong or is vocationally misplaced, it is a big problem. The problem of vocationally misplaced person can be trying of frustrating, because the job for him does not possess the necessary knowledge and skills or because he has neither motivation nor interest on the work he has engaged in. The person himself helpless. Sooner or later, he becomes an impotent worker. In this state of affairs, it is not only the institution

that suffers but also the person and his family, the community and ultimately, the country. One reason why an individual becomes vocationally misplaced is because the individual itself was not the one who chose the course he is engaged in. It was the parent or another person who decided for him to take that course. Ordonez reflects some of the misconception affecting wrong choice of occupation affecting wrong choice of occupation such as: Parents want their son to enter the law profession because of social prestige it offers. Parents believe that their son have a fire opportunity to carry on the same business as their fathers.

The influence of parents in choosing career. Munnariz also viewed the fact that after examining Philippine studies on vocational preferences she comes to conclude that parental influence seemed not disregarded along with interest, socio-economic status, service to society and opportunities. It is really a dream for the parents for their son to get in college. They prefer a college degree for their son than a non-degree or vocational courses. According to Camarao, it is common knowledge in the Philippines that most parents desire for their children to have a college degree. Filipino parents would rather enroll their children in a degree courses rather than non-degree programs because of the social prestige the professional degree offered. A throughout preparation for the career choice of the students needs a complete understanding in the world of work, knowledge about his potentialities and situation where he is getting into. According to Isaacson, the livelihood of effective satisfying choice is increased in direct proportion to the extent of their knowledge of themselves f the world of work and any that play vital role in goal setting.

Chapter 2

METHOD OF STIUDY

The descriptive method of research was used in this study which aimed to ascertain the career preferences of the fourth year student of St. Joseph Academy of Valenzuela. The relationship between the career preferences of the students and their favorite subjects and base on their grades. The descriptive method was used because this method involves description, analysis and interpretation of the study, present composition process and phenomena.

INSTRUMENTS/TECHNIQUES

The main instrument used in this study was the questionnaire. In addition, interview was also utilized.
Questionnaire
The main tool in this study was the questionnaire which was administered to the students of ST. Joseph Academy of Valenzuela.

Preparation The researcher read and gathered materials about career orientation.
Validation
The first draft of questionnaire were presented to the adviser whose suggestion and comments were taken into consideration in the preparation of the final draft. To validate the instrument, the questionnaire for the students was tried out to 10 students for a dry run.

Administration Before the actual administration of the questionnaire for the students, the researcher secured permission from the school principal of the St. Joseph Academy of Valenzuela. It was later retrieved and gathered for analysis and interpretation.

Instructed Interview To supplement the data that were gathered from the questionnaire, informal interviewed was conducted to secure additional information from the student- respondents of the St. Joseph Academy of Valenzuela.

Sampling Procedure

The simple random sampling was utilized in the selection of the student respondents if the St. Joseph Academy of Valenzuela. Each fourth year adviser chooses 10 students in random order.. The students were selected through this process were ones who accomplished the questionnaire for students.

Treatment of Data

This research study was utilized various of computations of frequencies and percentage weighted average, and analyzing .
Weighted Average To determined the extent of what career preferences of students, the weighted averages were computed and interprets as follows. Weighted Average Description 4.50-5.00 Strongly Agree 3.50-4.49 Agree 2.50-3.49 Fairly Agree 1.50-3.49 Disagree 1.00-1.49 Strongly Disagree

CHAPTER 3

PRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

Based from the gathered data and information after the implementation of this study, this chapter presents the findings, analysis and interpretation. Tables were used to facilitate better understanding of the findings.
Table 1
Factors that the students consider in choosing their career.
| |W.A |Rank |Description |
|Choice of their parents |2.80 |4 |Fairly Agree |
|In Demand Course |3.46 |2 | Fairly Agree |
|Financial Stability |3.40 |3 |Disagree |
|Personal Choice |4.7 |1 |Strongly Agree |

In table 1.. it shows that “Personal choice” is the most factor that the students considered in choosing their career as it rank 1 with weighted average of 4.7 with the description of strongly Agree. Followed by the “In demand course” with the weighted average of 3.46 with the description of Fairly Agree. While the least in the data is the “Choice of their parents” with a weighted average of 2.80 with the description of Fairly Agree.

Table 2

Subjects were they excel most, which they considered in choosing their career.
|Subject |W.A. |Rank |Description |
|Filipino |3.26 |7 |Fairly Agree |
|English |3.93 |1 |Agree |
|Mathematics |3.16 |8 |Fairly Agree |
|Science |3.46 |5 |Fairly Agree |
|Araling Panlipunan |3.36 |6 |Fairly Agree |
|T.L.E. |3.63 |4 |Fairly Agree |
|MAPEH |3.73 |3 |Fairly Agree |
|Computer |3. 76 |2 |Fairly Agree |

In this table it shows that students were Agree that they excel most in English in with they also considered in choosing their career as it rank 1 with the weighted average of 3.93. Followed by the subject computer with the weighted average of 3.76 with the description of Fairly Agree. While the subject Math were rank 8 with the weighted average of 3.16 with the description of Fairly Agree.

Table 3

The Favorite subjects of the students, which they considered in choosing their career.
|Subject |W.A. |Rank |Description |
|Filipino |3.53 |7 |Fairly Agree |
|English |3.96 |1 |Agree |
|Mathematics |2.08 |8 |Strongly Disagree |
|Science |3.46 |6 |Fairly Agree |
|Araling Panlipunan |3.50 |5 |Fairly Agree |
|T.L.E. |3.86 |4 |Fairly Agree |
|MAPEH |3.33 |3 |Fairly Agree |
|Computer |3. 93 |2 | Agree |

In this table it shows that students were Agree that English is their favorite subject in which they considered in choosing their career as it rank 1 with the weighted average of 3.96. Followed by the subject computer with the weighted average of 3.93 with the description of Fairly Agree. While the subject Math were rank 8 with the weighted average of 2.08 with the description of Strongly Disagree.

Table 3

| |W.A |Rank |Description |
|Inviting Different Schools for the Career |4.26 |1 |Agree |
|Orientation. | | | |
|Inviting successful career men and women as speakers |3.83 |2 | Agree |
|during career orientation. | | | |
|3. Giving 4reference materials on career |3.50 |3 |Agree |
|orientation | | | |
| 4. Writing about one’s vocational plans |3.36 |4 |Agree |
|5. Conducting an aptitude test |3.20 |5 |Agree |

In this table it shows that “Inviting Different Schools for the Career Orientation” is what the school provides for the students for the career orientation as it rank 1 with the weighted average of 4.26 . Followed by “Inviting successful career men and women as speakers during career orientation”, with the weighted average of 3.83. Both of this have the description of Agree. While “Conducting an aptitude test” with the weighted average 3.36 with the description of Agree.

CHAPTER 4

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

From the analysis and interpretation of the data, this chapter now then presents the summary of findings including the conclusions draw from the findings. Recommendations are also forwarded by the researchers in this chapter. On the basis of the data presented, the findings are summarized as follows. 1. What are the factors that the students considered in choosing their career? According to the given data the “Personal Choice’ is the biggest factor which they considered in choosing their career. The least the considered in choosing their career is The “Choice of their Parents”. 2. What is the relationship of the subject which they excel most in choosing their career? There is a relationship on the subjects were they excel most in choosing their career and according to the data that subject is English. While Math is the least subject which they considered in choosing their career.

3. What is the relationship of their favorite subject which they considered in choosing their career? There is a relationship on their favorite subject were they considered choosing their career and according to the data that subject is English. While Math is the least subject which they considered in choosing their career. 4. How effective the career orientation activities that the schools provide to the fourth year student? The St. Joseph Academy of Valenzuela provides career orientations for their students as they inviting different schools for the Career Orientation.

In View of the findings of this study the researchers gives the following conclusions:

1. The students considered their on choice in choosing their career. 2. English were they excel most in which courses related to English subject they were considered in choosing their career. 3. English is also their favorite subject in which courses related to English subject they were considered in choosing their career. 4. The school provides career orientation for the students were they inviting different schools for the Career Orientation.

In View of the findings and conclusions of this study the researchers gives the following recommendations:

1. The student really considered their own choice in choosing their career. 2. The subject which were they excel most and also their favorite subject may take consideration in choosing their carrier. 3. The School should also provide an aptitude test which may serves as their guidelines in choosing their career.

APPENDIX
Letter of Request
St. Joseph Academy of Valenzuela
Karuhatan, Valenzuela City
Mrs. Editha P. Cabrera

Dear Ma’am: A Pleasant Day! This is to request your permission to administered a questionnaire to 50 fourth year students in your school as respondents’ to this study. The undersigned will conduct a study entitled, “Career Preferences of the Fourth Year Students of St. Joseph Academy of Valenzuela. School Year 2009-2010”. We hope that this study will be beneficial to all students concerned. Your favorable action regarding this matter will be highly appreciated. Thank you very much and God Bless! Sincerely Yours, Ms. Fatima B. Feticio

CURRICULUM VITAE

Name: Fatima B. Feticio
Date of Birth: February 13. 1988
Place Of Birth: San Fernando, Pampanga
Civil Status: Single

Educational Attainment
Elementary: Caruhatan East Elemantary School Val. City
Secondary: Maysan National High School, Val. City
College: National Teachers College, Manila

Civil Service Eligibility Passed the Licensure Examinations for Teachers (LET) given in University of the East last April 05, 2009.

Working Experience
High School Teacher (Araling Panlipunan) St. Joseph Academy of Valenzuela present