FACTORS OF CAREER CHOICES AS DETERMINED BY EXTERNAL MILIEUS
A Micro Research Paper

Arabia, Lord Mark Anthony M.
Villones, Wilson C.

ED 4 Educational Research and Evaluation
Masilang, Judy Marcia M. 22 March 2012
THE RESEARCH PROBLEM Career choice is an ongoing process, needs in-depth study, and requires much thought as it a decision that affects your future. As you learn new things you get an understanding of what you are interested in, what you would enjoy doing and what will be one of the best paying options. Career planning is a never-ending process as you gain experiences, grow, and improve. You need to give it a thought (Koonar, 2009). And there would always be a time that students will definitely begin to discern their future career. When the students reached this point, they now start to solicit ideas of what course to be selected as an embodiment of their future career. However, though most of them solicit ideas from the people who are learned in a particular discerning situation, they usually end up selecting their own choices (Polistico, 2009). When they fail to choose what their hearts desire, then would most likely shift course and end up the college level doubling the time intended for the particular course.
The purpose of the study is to determine if career choice is really determined by the external milieus to which the students used to live. Furthermore, it seeks primarily to explore the extent of how these external factors could predict students’ career choice. It seeks to identify if such relationship exists in order to draw some guidelines for students.
Since considering various factors and your career goals is important, (Koonar, 2009) this paper will provide primarily reasons why the students select such courses as the embodiment of the career they will be having in the near future. Motivations, hindrances, supports on choosing the career will also be cited as they play a vital role on students’ career choice. This paper will also provide a guide for them to be definite on choosing a particular career which of course is embodied by the course they are about to select. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE This section reviews the related literature that complements the author’s study. The first part of this chapter discusses the following: The Theory of Skinner’s Box and John Holland Theory of Career Choice. According to B. F. Skinner, man is determined by external milieus (Dy, 2004). Genetic structures, environmental structures and external forces and demand determine man. With this idea of the psychologist, we can say that there is the greater possibility that the external environment determines what man would be in the future. This would lead us to say that career choice is also determined by the environment. Let us see an example to illustrate this point. Imagine a rat in a cage. This is a special cage (called, in fact, a “Skinner box”) that has a bar or pedal on one wall that, when pressed, causes a little mechanism to release a food pellet into the cage. The rat is bouncing around the cage, doing whatever it is rats do, when he accidentally presses the bar and -- hey, presto! -- a food pellet falls into the cage! The operant is the behavior just prior to the reinforcer, which is the food pellet, of course. In no time at all, the rat is furiously peddling away at the bar, hoarding his pile of pellets in the corner of the cage. From this theory of B. F Skinner, we can say that career choice, being determined by these factors, is “determined by external forces and stimuli” (Kavanaugh, 2001), eg., a. genetic, biological and physical structures; b. environmental structures: culture, national and ecclesiastical; c. external forces and demands (Kavanaugh, 2001). So on this theory of B. F. Skinner, we can implicitly say that the external factors are what makes a person choose the career of his choice. However, John Holland has his own theory of what makes a person choose the career of his choice. The theory explains work-related behavior – such as, which career choices are likely to lead to job success and satisfaction. It also explains other human actions, like success and satisfaction in school and training programs. It is the best known and most widely researched theory on this topic and is used by most career counselors. (Jones, 2012)
Holland's theory can be summarized in six statements: a) There are six basic types of work environments: Realistic,Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional. b) People search for environments where they can use their skills and abilities and express their values and attitudes. For example, Investigative types search for Investigative environments; Artistic types look for Artistic environments, and so forth. c) People who choose to work in an environment similar to their personality type are more likely to be successful and satisfied.For example, Artistic persons are more likely to be successful and satisfied if they choose a job that has an Artistic environment, like choosing to be a dance teacher in a dancing school -- an environment "dominated" by Artistic type people where creative abilities and expression are highly valued. d) How you act and feel at work depends to a large extent on your workplace (or school) environment. If you are working with people who have a personality type like yours, you will be able to do many of the things they can do, and you will feel most comfortable with them. According to the theory, you want to choose an occupation whose personality type is the same as, or similar to yours. This is most likely to lead to your job satisfaction and success. (Jones, 2012) In summary, you are most likely to choose a satisfying job if you choose one that fits your personality type (Jones, 2012).

HYPOTHESIS
In this study, the following hypotheses are postulated: 1. There is significant relationship between career choice and external milieus. 2. Career choices are mostly determined by external factors

MEASURES In order to accumulate the needed information of the study, the researchers utilized the John Holland’s theory of career choices which we have already discussed in the previous section. We have made use of the freshmen seminarians in answering the questionnaires to determine if external factors shape them to choose their career. It is done in the Oblates of Saint Joseph College of Philosophy. It took place during the second semester in the school year 2011 – 2012. The numbers of students are enough, as perceived by the researchers, to be the measures of the study.

RESEARCH DESIGN
To serve the purpose of a microresearch, the use of bar graph has been utilized. Such is easier to use in determining the authenticity of the hypotheses. The result of the questionnaires would also be included in this microresearch. The result, however, would almost be the same.

PRESENTATION OF RESULTS The data being presented here are basically gained through the help of the seminarians’ answers attained through the survey designed by John Holland.
The following has been the result of the research conducted: | | | | | | | | | | | | xPS | xBS | xC | xB | xE | xP | xL | xH | xA | xM | Seminarian 1 | 18 | 1 | 17 | 15 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 9 | 4 | Seminarian 2 | 6 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 8 | Seminarian 3 | 9 | 15 | 9 | 2 | 13 | 7 | 11 | 14 | 7 | 16 | Seminarian 4 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 19 | Seminarian 5 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 7 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 15 | Seminarian 6 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 15 | Seminarian 7 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 8 | 8 | 4 | Seminarian 8 | 17 | 14 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 15 | Seminarian 9 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 7 | 12 | Seminarian 10 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 15 | 9 | 12 | | | | | | | | | | | | MEAN | 8.6 | 8.5 | 8.2 | 8 | 9.9 | 9.3 | 12.4 | 12.1 | 9.3 | 12 |

Table No. 1

The above data show results of the survey done by the researchers. In Table No. 1, the respondents seem that they appreciate more the career choices which are more common to them such as the Literature (xL), Humanities (xH) and Music (xM). These are also the top three choices of the freshmen students. Since the study of literature, humanities and music are often included in any seminary’s academic curriculum. We could infer that there seems that there is a relationship between the environmental setting and the students’ career choice.

Figure No. 1

In Figure No. 1, Literature (xL), Humanities (xH) and Music (xM) are the top three choices of the freshmen students. Literature (xL) got 12. 4%, Humanities (xH) had 12.1% and the Music (xH) got 12%. Education ranked fourth and Politics and Arts ranked fifth. Other fields Physical Science and Biological Science came next with 8.6 % and 8.5% respectively. Clerical which got 8.2% and Business which had 8% were the fields that had the least number of choice among the respondents. What can be sad here is that it seems that the environment, i.e., the seminary plays a great role for them to choose the career of their choice. Since the entire intellectual field in the seminaries is often focused in these areas, the hypothesis, i.e., there is a relationship between the career choice and the external milieus can be proven as valid.

FINDINGS From the conducted study, it could be found out that career choice is determined by external setting. There is always the potentiality that a student will most likely choose a career which in one way or another has been common to him. The researchers have also found out that a significant relationship could be found between career choice and external milieus.

GENERALIZATION AND CONCLUSION From the research conducted, we could conclude that career choice, in some ways covered in the research, is determined by external milieus. We could infer that B. F Skinner makes sense when he claimed that “man is determined by external milieus” (Dy, 2004). We could infer also that the career choice being an embodiment of man (Polistico, 2009) is also determined by external factors brought about by the external setting. With this in mind, the researchers can now claim that the second hypothesis is also valid. There is really a relationship that exists between the career choice and the environmental milieus. For the freshmen seminarians of the Oblates of Saint Joseph College Seminary, they should consider the following for them to be properly guided when choosing a course: Take time to think about what you like to do; dream and imagine ideal careers. Don't let anyone control your dreams and ambitions. It's never too early nor too late to get organized and begin making plans. (Hansen, 2008). In conclusion, the above two hypotheses are valid. Career choice, as what have been presented in this paper, is determined by the environmental setting. Also, there is a relationship that exists between the career choice and the environmental milieus. However, in the same study, some external factors have not been included. As such, the researchers recommend conducting more extensive researches on such area to validate more exhaustively the claims vis-à-vis career choice and external milieus.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Boeree, C. G. (2006). B. F. Skinner. Retrieved March 17, 2012, from Personality Theories: http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/skinner.html

Dy, M. (2004). Philosophy of Man. Makati City: Goodwill Trading Co., Inc.

Hansen, R. (2008). Quintessential Careers. Retrieved March 27, 2012, from 10 Things for High-School Students to Remember: http://www.quintcareers.com/high-school_critical_issues.html

Jones, L. (2012). The Career Key. Retrieved March 17, 2012, from Holland's Theory of Career Choice and You: http://www.careerkey.org/asp/your_personality/hollands_theory_of_career_choice.html

Kavanaugh, J. (2001). Human Freedom. In M. Dy, Philosophy of Man (pp. 165 - 177). Makati City: Goodwill Trading Inc.

Koonar, K. (2009). Education and Teaching. Retrieved March 17, 2012, from Career Planning For High School Students: http://www.streetdirectory.com/etoday/career-planning-for-high-school-students-wjfal.html

Polistico, A. (2009). A Comparative Study on the Career Choices of the Fourth Year High School Students of the Holy Family Academy and Saint Joseph Institute in Batangas for the School Year 2008 - 2009. Lipa City.