Chapter 1
PROBLEM AND IT’S SETTING
Background of the study
The adolescent stage is one of the most challenging stage in human
development when it comes to career-decision making-this is the stage
where a student is planning and preparing himself in a role, he would like to
take part in a community by taking his desired course or job to uplift his
dignity as a person. More so, in this particular stage it is reported to be
associated with positive and negative psychological, physical and socio-
economic inequalities that persist well beyond the youthful age into an
individual’s adult life (Robertson, 2014; Bubic and Ivanisevic, 2016).
According to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) the term youth is describe as a more fluid category
than a fixed age group and it refers to young people within the period of
transitioning from the dependence of childhood to adulthood independence
and awareness of their interdependence as members of a community
(UNESCO, 2017).
Younger children are more likely to offer answers about their ideal career
which may represent their envisioned utopia and phenomenal perception
about what they want to do when they grow up (Howard and Walsh, 2011).
However, as age increases the complexity of career decision-making also
increase, as they get older, they are more likely to describe their career
choice as a dynamic interplay of their developmental stages and the
prevailing environmental circumstances (Howard and Walsh ,2011). One of
the most crucial decisions you will make in your life is selecting a career. It is
about far more than determining what you will do for a living. Through
exploring one’s experience will be consider as a big information towards in
pursuing a chosen career path. Challenges may serve us to stay brave and
continue achieve our goals but it may bring differ effect to other individually.
This is why we want to find out student’s experiences towards pursuing their
career decisions.
The study will focus on the 2nd Year BSED-MATH students in Samar State
University-Main Campus. During their first year in college, these students
experienced the struggles in the new way of learning because of the
pandemic. The researcher also wants to explore what are surrounding
factors that affect to the second-year mathematics major students toward
choosing this career plan. This research study can also be a guide to the
future researchers that will be studying related to the career decisions.
Through understanding the struggles behind their choices in terms of taking
their career, the researcher hopes to contribute to the development of the
students associated with choosing a college course. This study may
contribute in a way that it can help the readers to reflect their selves if those
experiences can affect their life or career decisions.
Statement of the Problem
This study generally aims to determine the influence of surrounding
factors towards mathematics major students’ career decisions. Specifically, it
aims to:
1. What is the demographic profile of respondents in terms of;
1.1 Gender ___Male ___Female _____other’s (Please
specify)
1.2 Age ____18-19 years old ____20-21 years old ____22
years old above
1.3 Relationship status ___single ___married ___Live-in lover
___separated
1.4 Religious Denomination
____ Roman Catholic
____ Protestant
____New Life
____Other’s (Please specify)
1.5 Household Monthly Income
___5, 001.00-10, 000.00/month
___10,001.00- 15,000.00/month
___15,001.00-20,000.00/ month
___20,001.00-25,000.00/month
___25,001.00-30,000.00/month
___30,001.00 and above
1.6 Mother’s Occupation________________
1.7 Father’s Occupation _________________
2 Is there a significance relationship between gender and the factor of
environment to career decision?
3 Is there a significance relationship between gender and factor of
personality to career decision?
4 Is there a significance relationship between gender and the factor of
opportunity to career decision?
5 How the surrounding factors influence the decision making of students.
Hypothesis
Ho: There is no significance difference between the surrounding factors that
influence the decision making of the students.
Theoretical Framework
This section contains theoretical model needed for this research study.
Many theoretical models have been proposed to explain the process of
career development and decision-making. Hence, this theoretical model are
carefully examined to provide enough information to support the study.
Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT)
According to the SCCT, career development behaviors are affected by
three social cognitive process- self efficacy beliefs, outcome expectations
and career goals and intensions which interplay with ethnicity, culture,
gender, socio economic status, social support, and any perceived barriers to
shape a person’s educational and career trajectories (Lent, [Link] 2000;
Blanco, 2011. This clearly emphasizes the complex interaction between the
personal aspirations of young people in their career choices and decision
making and the external influences which act upon them, Carpenter and
Foster (1997). Thus, Carpenter and Foster (1977) postulated that the earlier
experiences and influences which individuals are exposed to form the
bedrock of how they conceived their career aspirations. These authors’
assertion lends support to the tenets of SCCT and they have developed a
three-dimensional framework to classify factors that influence career choice.
Carpenter and Foster proposed that all career-influencing factors derive from
either intrinsic, extrinsic, or interpersonal dimensions. They referred to the
intrinsic dimension as a set of interests related to a profession and its role in
society. Extrinsic refers to the desire for social recognition and security
meanwhile the interpersonal dimension is connected to the influence of
others such as family, friends, and teachers (Carpenter and Foster, 1997).
Conceptual Framework
Personality
Factors
Influencing the
1. Socio- Career Choice
Demogra among the
phic Environment Career-Decision
Second Year
Profile Mathematics
Major Students
in SSU
Opportunity
Significance of the study
This research is made with the aim to provide crucial information and
knowledge regarding the chosen topic on how students make a career
decision-making or choosing BSED-MATH field. Looking into the elements
that influenced their career choices, recent studies or theses, and related
sites needed, this study would be beneficial for the expected importance to
the individuals as follow:
To the students. This study would be beneficial to the students'
object of learning and direct benefactors of the advantages of the study.
They would be more aware of their interests and more certain of what they
want to become in the near future.
To the teachers. The information gathered disclose the possibilities
that the teachers would be able to give appropriate recommendations
regarding the students’ abilities. They also become one of the important
factors in the realization of a student’s goals and vision. This may help them
understand the significance of knowing on how to motivate students in
picking a goal cause for a better future.
To the parents. The research aims to help the parents understand
their child’s endeavor. They would be also innovated to work and support the
teachers in giving assistance to their children. Moreover, they will be
informed the great role they will play in fostering decision making towards
the students’ future and in setting their goal.
To the school administrators. This study would serve as a reading
that will enable them to work with the teachers in helping a student choose
the career path they are about to take. It will also help them in conducting
workshops and seminars in alignment with career decision-making.
To the future researchers. The future researchers would have bases
for conducting researches about choosing a career in college.
Definition of terms
For clarity the term used by the researchers in the study defined as
follows;
Career choice- the broad opportunities that exists for life long
vocations. These vocations are set out in a framework of strategies moving
toward personal goals. Fields of vocational, academic, and sociological
endeavors are explored for the purpose of satisfying personal, economic, and
intellectual goals.
Environment- the complex physical factors that make up our
surroundings (Britannica, 2002), and in turn act upon us. For the purposes of
this study they would include the forces of family, political, social, and
economic issues that both typical and non-typical students may deal with on
a day-to-day basis.
Opportunity- the choices in one’s life which are exposed either in a
subtle or obvious manner. These choices or paths give the individual a
selection between two or more outcomes. The outcomes of one’s choosing
may or may not exceed one’s present abilities.
Personality- a characteristics way of thinking, feeling and behaving
(Britannica, 2002). The personality is the collection of impressions in the
appearance of the student’s body and the impressions believed to have been
made on others, good or bad. One’s personality may embrace attitudes and
opinions that affect the way we deal with interactions of people and, in
particular to this study, the situation of choosing career.
Academic Profile- this refers to the educational background of the
respondents during their senior high school its either STEM, GAS, HUMSS and
TVL.