AN EXPLORATORY STUDY: FACTORS AFFECTING THE

CAREER CHOICE OF GRADE 12 STUDENTS AT

FATIMA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

An Institutional Research Conducted for the

English Subject: Research Report

RESEARCHERS:

Precioso, Tristan John L.

Alim, Kea Cassandra N.

Umalla, Trisha Mae N.

Planas, Queen Jay E.

Bituanen, Datualid S.

Cinco, Xander Lance

Hadjiali, Jhonreyl B.

Nicolas, Evalyn D.

Diaz, Elaijha

June 2023

[1]
ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to explore and expound on the factors influencing the career

choices of Fatima National High School Grade 12 students. A survey was conducted to determine

the factors influencing the career choice of grade 12 students. A questionnaire survey was used

to determine these factors. The statistics demonstrate that 94.5% of grade 12 students are

influenced by their particular interests when choosing on a professional path, whereas 55% are

influenced by family, 23.7% by peer pressure, and 34.4% are influenced by experience. According

to the research findings, these factors do have an impact on these grade 12 kids. They should be

conscious of their abilities, life priorities, values, and personalities.

INTRODUCTION

Students must make a vital decision when it comes to their future plans. It may be a

predictor and determinant of their potential amount of wealth, sort of employment, and hence

leaves an imprint on an individual's personality, manners, and attitude. According to the University

of Wisconsin-Stout (2002), three aspects of a student's life influence their job choices:

environment, opportunity, and personality. A misguided professional path can divert all of an

individual's efforts and resources in the wrong direction, which can have major consequences in

terms of time, money, and motivation. The majority of the information used by students in

determining their future careers is based on what they learned as children. A thorough

understanding of the selection and recruiting processes for the desired profession is required for

successful and effective career choice making.

[2]
 Due to the circumstances influencing their selections, grade 12 students are having

difficulty picking their own vocations. The decision, in turn, has a major influence on later-life

professional satisfaction and personal well-being. It is suggested that, when it comes to choosing

a career path, senior high school students require a lot of expert help.

This study elaborated, investigated, and delved deeper into the many aspects that

influenced the course selection of Grade 12 students at Fatima National High School in School

Year 2022-2023. Furthermore, the paper examined the association of these factors with students’

performance. The paper is organized into five sections: the first is the introduction, the second is

the methods, the third is the results, the fourth is the discussion, and the fifth is the references.

However, following the references, there will be appendices introducing the researchers.

METHODS

This study, “An Exploratory Study: Factors Affecting the Career Choice of Grade 12

Students at Fatima National High School” is a quantitative study that was conducted using a

questionnaire distributed throughout the Grade 12 building. We utilized the stratified random

sampling method to determine the sample size for the survey, and there are 3 strands: ABM,

HUMSS, and STEM. We got 19 students for ABM, 53 students for HUMMS, and 18 students for

STEM. We divided it by ten and choose ten student participants in each section of 3 strands. We

used Likert Scale to get the exact perception of each participant and a total of (10) items are

handled to the students (see Appendix A). The questionnaire is divided into four (4) parts:

INTEREST, FAMILY-RELATED, PEER-PRESSURE, and EXPERIENCE, since the researchers

are about to find out the factors that affects the career choice of grade 12 students. This survey

is voluntary, and no personal information was collected.

[3]
 RESULTS

The response rate of the survey that was conducted by researchers is 99.75% from the

questionnaire. The results of the perceptions of students from Likert Scales are listed at the table

below.

Likert Description A B C D Total Interpretation

Scale Rate

5 Strongly Agree 70.5% 39.4% 7.8% 15.5% 33.3% The questionnaires' indicators are

strongly agreed upon by the

student.

4 Agree 24% 15.6% 15.9% 18.9% 18.6% The questionnaires' indicators are

agreed upon by the student.

3 Neutral 4.7% 15% 21.5% 32.2% 18.35% The questionnaires' indicators are

neutral upon by the student.

2 Disagree 0.8% 10% 20.4% 17.8% 12.25% The questionnaires' indicators are

disagreed upon by the student.

1 Strongly 0% 20% 34.4% 15.6% 17.5% The questionnaires' indicators are

Disagree strongly disagreed upon by the

student.

The findings of the study survey revealed which factors influenced grade 12 students'

profession choices. Whether it is a matter of interest, family-related, peer pressure, or experience.

This research evaluates the pupils' experiences and feelings. The results also revealed which

factors were more likely and least to influence the career choices of grade 12 students at Fatima

National High School.

[4]
DISCUSSION

It can be seen in the table that they only agreed that their own interest was the factor that

affected their career choices. There are also others who have made their decision because of

their families and friends, and there are others who agree that because of their experience, it

affected their decision to choose a career. Out of the 33.3% who strongly agreed and the 18.6%

who agreed. (70.5% of students strongly agreed and 24% agreed that their individual and

personal interests influenced their career choices; 39.4% of students strongly agreed and 15.6%

agreed that their families influenced their career choices; 7.8% strongly agreed and 15.9% agreed

that their peers influenced their career choices; and 15.5% of students strongly agreed and 18.9%

agreed that their career choices were influenced by prior experience.) The table also shows that

out of the 90 respondents, 33.3% strongly agreed and 18.6% agreed that these factors really

affect their career choices, while 17.5% strongly disagreed and 12.25% disagreed and states that

these factors doesn’t affect their career choices at all, and 18.35% of the total respondents stated

neutral.

These results are consistent with the other related studies. Indeed (2023) states that

career interests are significant since they represent your choices in the workplace. Job

satisfaction, strategic career decision, job success, motivation, and personal identity are all

advantages of aligning your career with your interests. According to QualifaX (2023), parents

impact their children's degree of education or training; their understanding of work and other

vocations; their views and attitudes toward work; and their drive to succeed. According to Tanishq

Jaiswal (2022), peers provide the assurance that they are not acting alone. Social proof has a big

influence on people's professional choices. Our professional options are frequently limited to

those pursued by our peers. People who rely on their peers to affirm their judgments are more

vulnerable to such blunders. According to EduBirdie (2023), having positive experiences and role

models in certain fields might affect the list of careers we evaluate as alternatives for ourselves.

[5]
One facet of Social Cognitive Career Theory tackles the idea that if we have had a pleasant

experience doing something, we are more inclined to continue doing it.

The findings demonstrated that all of these factors (interests, family-related, peer pressure,

and experience) had a significant impact on these grade 12 students' job decisions. The poll

results are nearly equal, but interests are substantially higher than the other factors. According to

BrighterMonday (2023), a career is something you have to do for the rest of your active life;

therefore, you should do something you enjoy and that offers you fulfilment. Choosing a job based

on your interests can help you to settle in and flourish while overcoming hurdles with minimal

effort. The overall findings of the survey indicated that grade 12 students are greatly influenced

by their personal interests while deciding on a professional path.

Researchers advise these grade 12 students at Fatima National High School to choose a

job to avoid being impacted by all of the factors:

1. Students should be aware of their abilities.

2. They should be aware of their life's priorities.

3. They should be aware of their values and personalities.

4. They can really create a career plan in order to find the greatest job for them and avoid being

influenced by all of these influences, and

4. Learn about the many job choices that are accessible.

[6]
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 APPENDICES

Appendix A

QUESTIONNAIRE

An Exploratory Study: Factors Affecting the Career Choice of Grade 12 Students at

Fatima National High School

Name: ________________________ Grade & Section: ______________

Gender: Male ☐ Female ☐

Direction: For each item simply indicates how much you agree or disagree with the statement
by putting a check in a corresponding box on the right side of each statement. There are no
wrong or right answers. Answer honestly for most accurate result.

Legend:

5 – Strongly Agree 4 – Agree 3 – Neutral 2 – Disagree 1 - Strongly Disagree

A. INTEREST 5 4 3 2 1

I am satisfied with what I am doing in my course.

I am open-minded in terms of learning my course.

I want to learn new things.

I am very interested in my chosen strand.

B. FAMILY-RELATED

My family push me to choose this course.

My family is my greatest inspiration.

C. PEER-PRESSURE
I want to be with my friend anytime and anywhere.
I chose this course because my friends are in the strand that I’ve chosen.
My friends push me to choose this strand.
D. EXPERIENCE
I chose this strand because I’ve already experienced it.

[11]
 Appendix B

PERMISSION LETTER

[12]
[13]
 CURRICULUM VITAE

Umalla, Trisha Mae N.

Blk. 4, Zone 9B, Brgy. Fatima General Santos City

09307439514

[email protected]

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

• Date of Birth: April 19, 2007

• Place of Birth: Blk. 4, Zone 9B, Brgy. Fatima General Santos City
• Civil Status: Single
• Citizenship: Filipino
• Religion: Iglesia ni Cristo
• Gender: Female

EDUCATION

• Preschool: NASA Day-care Centre

• Elementary: NASA Elementary School
• Junior High School: Fatima National High School

ACHIEVEMENTS

• Elementary
- Consistent with Honors

• High School
- Consistent With Honors (SY: 2019 – 2020)
- Consistent With Honors (SY: 2021 – 2022)
- Consistent With High Honors (SY: 2022 – 2023)

[14]
 CURRICULUM VITAE

Hadjiali, Jhonreyl B.

Blk. 32, Employees Village, Bgy. Fatima, General Santos City

09552070335

[email protected]

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

• Date of Birth: January 14, 2007

• Place of Birth: Brgy. Dadtumeg, Kabuntalan, Maguindanao
• Civil Status: Single
• Citizenship: Filipino
• Religion: Islam
• Gender: Male

EDUCATION

• Preschool: Salumping Elementary School

• Elementary: Tamontaka Central School
• Junior High School: Fatima National High School

ACHIEVEMENTS

• Elementary
- Consistent with Honors

• High School
- Consistent with Honors (SY: 2021 – 2022)
- Consistent with High Honors (SY: 2022 – 2023)

[15]
 CURRICULUM VITAE

Planas, Queen Jay E.

Blk. 1, Prk. 20, Brgy. Fatima, General Santos City

09154321556

[email protected]

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

• Date of Birth: January 07, 2007

• Place of Birth: Blk. 1, Prk. 20, Brgy. Fatima, General Santos City
• Civil Status: Single
• Citizenship: Filipino
• Religion: Catholic
• Gender: Female

EDUCATION

• Preschool: Upper Tambler 1 Elementary School

• Elementary: Fatima Central Elementary School
• Junior High School: Fatima National High School

ACHIEVEMENTS

• Elementary
- Consistent with Honor

• High School
- Consistent with High Honors (SY: 2021 – 2022)

[16]
 CURRICULUM VITAE

Nicolas, Evalyn D.

Blk. 4, Zone 9B, Brgy. Fatima, General Santos City

09265933154

[email protected]

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

• Date of Birth: May 11, 2006

• Place of Birth: General Santos City
• Civil Status: Single
• Citizenship: Filipino
• Religion: Roman Catholic
• Gender: Female

EDUCATION

• Preschool: N/A
• Elementary: NASA Elementary School
• Junior High School: Fatima National High School

ACHIEVEMENTS

• Elementary
- Consistent with Honors

• High School
- Consistent with Honors (SY: 2021 – 2022)
- Consistent with High Honor (SY: 2022 – 2023)

[17]
 CURRICULUM VITAE

Alim, Kea Cassandra N.

Blk. 5, Lot 3, Maruz Subdivision, General Santos City

09154329646

[email protected]

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

• Date of Birth: November 03, 2006

• Place of Birth: Cannary Polomolok South Cotabato
• Civil Status: Single
• Citizenship: Filipino
• Religion: Wesleyan
• Gender: Female

EDUCATION

• Preschool: Matutum Christian Learning School

• Elementary: Fatima Central Elementary School
• Junior High School: Fatima National High School

ACHIEVEMENTS

• High School
- Consistent with Honor (SY: 2021 – 2022)
- Consistent with Honor (SY: 2022 – 2023)

[18]
 CURRICULUM VITAE

Diaz, Elaijha

Blk. 4, Zone 3, Brgy. Fatima, General Santos City

09126082346

[email protected]

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

• Date of Birth: May 25, 2007

• Place of Birth: Diagan Hospital
• Civil Status: Single
• Citizenship: Filipino
• Religion: Roman Catholic
• Gender: Female

EDUCATION

• Preschool: Mindanao State University

• Elementary: Upper Tambler 2 Elementary School
• Junior High School: Fatima National High School

ACHIEVEMENTS

• Elementary
- Consistent with Honors

• High School
- Consistent with Honors (SY: 2022 – 2023)

[19]
 CURRICULUM VITAE

Precioso, Tristan John L.

Blk. 1, Prk. 16, Brgy. San Jose, General Santos City

09517627017

[email protected]

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

• Date of Birth: February 20, 2006

• Place of Birth: Blk. 1, Prk. 16, Brgy. San Jose, General Santos City
• Civil Status: Single
• Citizenship: Filipino
• Religion: Roman Catholic
• Gender: Male

EDUCATION

• Preschool: Guadalupe Elementary School

• Elementary: Kibukay Elementary School
• Junior High School: Fatima National High School

ACHIEVEMENTS

• Elementary
- Consistent with Honors

• High School
- Consistent with Honors (SY: 2022 – 2023)

[20]
 CURRICULUM VITAE

Cinco, Xander Lance B.

Blk. 12, 3rd IB, Brgy. Fatima, General Santos City

09462742330

[email protected]

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

• Date of Birth: November 14, 2006

• Place of Birth: General Santos City
• Civil Status: Single
• Citizenship: Filipino
• Religion: Roman Catholic
• Gender: Male

EDUCATION

• Preschool: HOPE Elementary School

• Elementary: NASA Elementary School
• Junior High School: Fatima National High School

ACHIEVEMENTS

• High School
- Consistent with Honors (SY: 2022-2023)

[21]
 CURRICULUM VITAE

Bituanen, Datualid S.

Blk. 8, Zone 6, Brgy. Fatima, General Santos City

09632634753

[email protected]

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

• Date of Birth: October 10, 2005

• Place of Birth: Sharrif Aguak Manganoy, Maguindanao
• Civil Status: Single
• Citizenship: Filipino
• Religion: Islam
• Gender: Male

EDUCATION

• Preschool: N/A
• Elementary: Upper Tambler 1 Elementary School
• Junior High School: Fatima National High School

ACHIEVEMENTS

• High School
- Consistent with Honors (SY: 2022-2023)

[22]