CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

Introduction
There are lots of known contributing factors why students chooses a certain course. First, maybe

because it is what his or her parents want them to take, second, some may have chosen their course

because it is the course they want to, third, maybe because they based their choice on their family’s

socioeconomic status and fourth maybe because the course they chose is the popular and in demand one.

Nowadays, wherein the Philippine economy is at its peak of increasing, many companies are

already investing in our country and are planning to put up their businesses here in the country. Lots of

jobs are already outsourcing and are in need of employees that are graduates of a particular course that is

in line with their business.

Now the thing is, is considering cultural phenomenon as basis in choosing a college course really

one of the factors that contributes or affects a student’s decision in choosing their college course? How

does this affect their decision? How does their decision affect their academic performance in school?

Throughout the research of the Grade 12- GAS students of PHINMA-Cagayan de Oro College, Puerto

campus, you will find out if cultural phenomenon is really one of the contributing factors in choosing

college course, how cultural phenomenon affects a student’s decision in choosing college course and how

it affects their academic performance in school.

Many researches has been brought about the different factors affecting a student’s decision in

choosing their future profession or course in college. But this research will focus on how cultural

phenomenon affects a student’s decision in choosing his or her college course and its further effects if

considered as basis in taking up a particular course. This will help students more in assessing and

deciding accurately and wisely about their future college courses or professions.
 The researchers decided to study the Effects of Cultural Phenomenon in Choosing College

Course among First Year College Students for them to be able to determine the effects and how it affects

a student’s performance in school. Also, to bring out a clearer picture of how cultural phenomenon affects

a student’s decision in choosing college course. Through this research also the researchers will find out

the reason why cultural phenomenon is a contributing factor in choosing profession among first year

college students from different courses of PHINMA- Cagayan de Oro College, Puerto Campus.

Statement of the Problem

Many students, especially those who are taking up General Academic Strand (GAS) are

undecided and are having second thoughts about what course to take up when they proceed in college.

This research aims to ask if considering cultural phenomenon is a good basis in choosing college course

for their future professions. Specifically, this research seeks to answer the following questions.
 1. How does Cultural Phenomenon affect students’ decision in choosing college course?

2. Did the students considered Cultural Phenomenon as basis in choosing their current courses?

3. How does considering Cultural Phenomenon as basis in choosing a college course affect a

student’s performance in school?

Hypotheses

1. Cultural phenomenon affects a student’s decision in choosing college courses in many ways such

as because a certain course is in demand in their country and even in the whole world, students

decide to take up that course for them to easily get a job after graduation in college. Also, because

a certain course that a student is taking up is what his/her friends are taking up.

2. Lots of students in PHINMA- Cagayan de Oro College are taking up a course merely because

they think it would be a lot easier for them to find a job after they graduate because that course is

in demand nowadays and even in the near future and also because it is the course they think their

budget and their family’s income could afford.

 3. Not all students who are taking up a certain course because it is in demand are doing good in their

studies because, maybe it is really not the course that they wanted to but in contrast to this, there

are still lots of students are doing good in their performance in school because they value all their

parents’ hard work.

Significance of the study

This study will help lots of undecided students especially the incoming college freshmen students

in choosing and deciding what course to take. This study will also determine if considering cultural

phenomenon as grounds in choosing a college course is a good decision or not and how it affects a

student’s performance in school when further considered.

Scope and Limitations

This study will only focus on considering Cultural Phenomenon as basis or grounds in choosing a

college course and how it affects a student’s decision in choosing one and how it affects their academic

performance in school wherein the respondents are going to be the first year college students of

PHINMA-Cagayan de Oro College, Puerto campus, disregarding whatever course they are currently

taking. This study will be conducted at PHINMA-Cagayan de Oro College, Puerto Campus during the

first semester of the school 2018-2019.

Definition of Terms

 Culture- is the social behavior and norms found in human societies. Culture is considered a central

concept in anthropology, encompassing the range of phenomena that are transmitted through social

learning in human societies.

 Phenomenon- a fact or situation that is observed to exist or happen, especially one whose cause or

explanation is in question.

 Contribute- in order to help achieve or provide something.

 Factor- a circumstance, fact, or influence that contributes to a result or outcome.

 Choosing- pick out or select (someone or something) as being the best or most appropriate of two or

more alternatives.

 Profession- a paid occupation, especially one that involves prolonged training and a formal

qualification.

 Quantitative- relating to, measuring, or measured by the quantity of something rather than its quality.

 Cultural Phenomenon- a state wherein students chooses a course merely because it is in demand.
 CHAPTER II

Review of Related Literature and Studies

This chapter contains all the literatures and studies that is related to the current study about

cultural phenomenon in the Philippines and how it affects a student’s decision in choosing a course that

also lead the researchers in forming their conceptual framework.

Foreign

Audit Commission, 1993, “The significance of career choice can be understood by the influence

careers have on an individual’s income, standard of living, status in society, social-contacts, as well as

emotional health and feelings of self-worth. Therefore making suitable career decisions implies less

wastage of resources in education and training.” Choosing career is a very critical one, not just for those

who are financially unstable but also for those who are not because picking a suitable and accurate career

in the very beginning would cost you not so much money, time and efforts. Choosing a profession is not

an easy and straight forward responsibility, due to need for specialization at the workplace (Josephine

Nyamwange, p. 96). Specialization in the workplace is a big help the company because it would only

mean that one is assigned in a particular position because he/she is an expert in that matter, that is why a

student should a course wisely to get that specialization in workplace without feeling dismayed and

disappointed with the chosen career. There are two coagulation pathways called Intrinsic and Extrinsic

factors and according to Nyamwange (2016), that an individual’s personality, interests, self-concept,
attitudes, and cultural identity are factors that are responsible in influencing career choice which falls

under the main intrinsic factor. On the other hand, according to Kerka et al. (2009)social contacts, role

models; availability of resources such as information and finances, globalization, ethnic background, level

of educational attainment, choice of subjects of study and differences in job characteristics are factors that

falls under the extrinsic factor. There are lots of factors that may affect a student’s decision in picking a

course for their future career and not finishing studies is also a factor in choosing careers since nowadays,

employers wants those workers who really graduated in college. Kuh et al. (p. 109) believed that

“Students who cannot discern meaning from their college activities often report academic difficulty or

social isolation, and are at risk of leaving school.” Due to lots of problems and conflicts in life, some

students find it hard to understand the meaning of their college activities, that sometimes is also one of the

reasons why many college students drops out of school or doesn’t continue in college aside of financial

problems. James et al. (1999) has identified a range of factors influencing course preference including:

the reputation of the course among employer; graduate satisfaction from the course; the quality of

teaching in the course; approaches to teaching, learning and assessment from the course including

opportunities for flexible study. A particular course’s reputation to the employers are really important

especially when you have already perceived on what job you are going to apply for in the future, you

can’t get hired on a particular job when the employer is looking for an employee who graduated on a

particular course in order to be hired. Individuals chose career planning to pursue the professional

objectives, getting informed about upcoming opportunities, their results and their timely evaluations. It is

considered to be a beginning in the stages of career choices but still of paramount significance. People

prefer the career that could provide them sound basis for improved standard of living (Cavus, Geri, and

Turgunbayeva; 2015) In the end what matters most in choosing a career is to improve one’s standard of

living, a career that would help improve the standard of living of a student. Hanson (2000) reported that

Student performance is affected by different factors such as learning abilities, gender and

race.Simmons, et al. (2005) concluded that family income level, attending full time, receiving grant aid

and completing advanced level classes in high school having statistically significant effects on
college persistence among first generation college students. Garton, et al. 2000. Ichado (1998) stated that

parent’s constant disagreement affects children emotionally and this could lead to poor academic

performance. Taylor, et al. (1995) showed that parenting style (nature and control) and parental

involvement significantly predicted academic outcomes. In Saudi Arabia, Kritam, et al. (2004),

reported that the family financial support, encouragement and following up have positive impact

on students' performance as measured by their GPA.

Local

“A simple explanation of economic facts of life is seldom enough for the desire to do better for

your children when your parents could do for you go even deeper.” Moneywise , 1985. A student’s

decision will always fall in considering their family’s socioeconomic status and also into considering

what might happen to them in the future if they choose this and that certain course. Considering ones

future in choosing college course will also fall in digging out which course will help in finding a job

easily after graduation.

 According to Dr. Nancy T. Pascual, “It is that in January 2013, the Philippines has 7.1%

unemployment rate, the highest in the countries from the Southeast Asian nations and from which, 16.9 %

of which are college graduates. Misfit graduates are one of the considered reasons why the country has

high unemployment and underemployment rate. The reasons could be either that the produced course of

graduates misfit the demand of the present economy, or the graduates do not poses the characteristics

required by the industries in need.” This shows the relevance of considering cultural phenomenon or the

in demand jobs as basis in choosing college course. Most students wants to have a job immediately after

the graduate in college but some are having a hard time in finding a job because the course they took in

college isn’t fit for what the current economy and industry is looking for.

“What college education can we afford that can make you finish quickly, get a job, and start

helping with family finances? In other words, their concern is not finding guideposts in a career path, but

peso signs that would lead them out of poverty.” Dr. Nancy T. Pascuala, this shows how Filipino students

perceive college education, they tend to think that graduating in college would help them escape poverty

and misery. This maybe also is one of the reasons why there are only a few studies were made in the

Philippines about successful guideposts in career paths because Filipino students do not consider

guideposts as basis in choosing college course but most of these Filipino students consider choosing a

college course that would help them find a job easily, earn money to help their families and have the life

they’ve always dreamed of having. “Given that the Philippines cannot provide enough jobs to sustain an

educated workforce, there are several challenges for career counseling in the Philippines today”, Dr.

Nancy T. Pascuala.

These factors affecting a student’s decision in choosing profession falls into the cultural

phenomenon which entails that a certain person is acting and doing things merely because that’s what

others do. Wherein one can also perceive as a student is choosing a certain course because that is what the

research shows that is going to be in demand today and in the near future that would also mean that
choosing a college course that is in demand today and in the future will help students find a job easily,

earn money, help their families and achieve their life goals earlier.

Conceptual Framework

The independent variables of the study is the Cultural Phenomenon as Basis in Choosing College

course that will determine on what a student’s profession will be in the future and its further effects in the

course of studying. The need to appropriately choose the right college course to be future job ready is

really relevant to halt the increasing rate of unemployment here in the country due to course mismatch.

The focus of the study is to determine the effects of cultural phenomenon as basis in choosing a course in

college on the first year college students’ performance in school of PHINMA-Cagayan de Oro College,

Puerto campus, for the researchers to be able to evaluate the suitability and effectivity of including

cultural phenomenon as basis in choosing a college course. The concept of the study is presented in a

schematic paradigm as Figure 1.

Research Paradigm

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

 Cultural Phenomenon as Future Profession
Basis in choosing
College Course
Academic Performance

Figure 1. Research Paradigm showing the cause and effect relationship between the Independent
and dependent variables.

Chapter 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter provides information on the Research Methodology engaged into this study. This
includes the research design, research setting, and research instrument, participants of the study and the
procedure in gathering the data.

Research Design

This study utilizes quantitative research design to get the statistical data needed from the first year
college students from different courses about cultural phenomenon as basis in choosing future profession.
The research design will help the researchers attain a quantifiable research results and achieve answers
that can be used as a statistical data also.

Research Setting

The respondents of this study are the first year college students from different courses studying in
PHINMA-Cagayan de Oro College, Puerto Campus during the school year 2018-2019. The study is
conducted in PHINMA- Cagayan de Oro College, Puerto Campus.

Research Instruments
 The materials of the study are questionnaires that the respondents are going to answer. Before the
researchers started distributing the questionnaires to the students they primarily asked approval from the
dean and the subject teacher inside the classroom to conduct a survey.

Participants of the Study

Before starting the survey, the researchers asks the Dean of the whole college department first
and the teacher in-charge in PHINMA-COC, Puerto campus to conduct a survey randomly and let the first
year college students of the said institution answer the questionnaire, for the researchers to gather data for
the accomplishment of their study.

Procedure in Gathering Data

In gathering the data, the researchers asks first for authorization from the Dean of College
department in PHINMA-Cagayan de Oro College to conduct a survey inside the school. After attaining
approval, the researchers then starts gathering data by randomly distributing questionnaires that seeks to
earn data that will tell whether considering cultural phenomenon as basis in choosing a course is a good
idea or the other way around. Also to have knowledge on how many students in PHINMA-Cagayan de
Oro College used cultural phenomenon as basis in choosing their current course.