EFFECTS OF COURSE PREFERENCES ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF UP CEBU 1ST YEAR BA PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS (AY 2010-2011)

A research paper submitted to the Humanities Division University of the Philippines Cebu College Lahug, Cebu City

In partial fulfillment of the requirements in Communications II

Researchers: Jedidiah K. Singco Loren Kaye R. Colina

Adviser: Maam Crina Escabarte-Tanongon

March 2011

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT To those who helped make this study possible: We thank the Almighty Father for the strength, guidance, love and courage that He has given us. This research paper is also dedicated to Him, especially because He has provided us with all the intellectual faculties we needed to complete this paper. Secondly, we would also like to show our great appreciation to our teacher in Comm 2, Ms. Crina Tanongon. From the start of the semester, she has guided every step in the process of making this research paper, carefully giving advice and constructive criticism, never ceasing to edit our works again and again until they were presentable. There is no doubt that without her patience and persistence, this study would not have been completed. We would also like to thank our friends: Fritzie, Mishka, Hannah, Mikhaila and many others. We cant thank you enough for your time, effort, help and support. Thank you for being there for us when we needed you, for sharing notes, for the laughter and frustrations that we went through in the making of this study. We are also grateful for both of our parents for all their support most especially when it came to our financial needs. Thank you for your never-ending love, care and moral support. Lastly, we would like to thank the people who helped us in this study, for our respondents who gave us their time in answering our questionnaires and kuya in the internet caf who reminded us of our margins and format every time we needed to print our papers.

ii

RESEARCHERS PROFILE Loren Kaye R. Colina is the eldest daughter among the four children of Eric and Lucia Colina of CCF Compound Canduman, Mandaue City. She was born on the 13 th day of February in the year 1994. She spent her preschool in Tisa II Elementary School when she and her family were still living in Capaculan Tisa, Cebu City. Her elementary years were spent in Tisa II Elementary School, CFI Coop Learning Center (now known as Lyceum of Cebu) in Kalunasan, Cebu City, and Canduman Elementary School in Mandaue City. In her grade 6 year, she became a part of the schools representative for the district and division Press Conference as a feature writer. It was also in this year that she joined the soccer team, and began to discover her talent for this sport. She spent the first year of her high school in San Isidro Parish School in Talamban, Cebu City and was the secretary of the Performing Arts Club. Her remaining years in high school were spent in Cebu Mary Immaculate College, also in Talamban. She passed the UPCAT and pursued BA Psychology in the University of the Philippines, Cebu. In the near future, she wants to pursue Culinary Arts. She also wants to travel all around the world and work with famous people in the culinary business.

iii

Jedidiah K. Singco was born in the year 1993 on the 12th day of October. She is the eldest and only daughter of Joselito Singco and Vivian Singco. She spent her preschool years in St. Clares Learning Center in Tayud, Consolacion, Cebu. Her elementary and high school years were spent in Cebu Mary Immaculate College as a scholar, where she was class valedictorian both in elementary and high school. Having passed the UPCAT, she currently pursues a BA Psychology course in the University of the Philippines Cebu College. Her hobbies include reading fiction and writing stories, but her primary interests are playing the piano and listening to classical or instrumental music. She dreams of pursuing a music degree in the Conservatory of Music in UP Diliman, and of being able to perform someday in Carnegie Hall. She is also a member of the organization Youth for Christ (YFC), and sometimes plays the piano or guitar with the music ministry during YFC camps or gatherings.

iv

ABSTRACT This study examined the factors affecting the course preferences of first year BA Psychology students and the effects of these factors on their academic performance. It also studied how the students grades affected their course satisfaction, and observed if academic performance was correlated with some students decision to shift to another course. The descriptive type of research was used, coupled with qualitative data to allow for a flexible approach. The study was guided by the Self-Determination Theory of Motivation by Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan, which served as the theoretical framework. The studys findings revealed that the most common factor affecting the students course preference was personal interest in the course. This was followed by parental influence and the belief that BA Psychology was a good preparatory course. The findings also showed that students who had a higher academic performance were more likely to choose their course based on self-determined factors, such as personal interest in their course. Those who had a lower academic performance were more likely to choose their course based on factors which were not self-determined. The study also revealed that those who had a higher academic performance had a higher level of satisfaction for their course compared to those who had a lower academic performance. Lastly, no correlation was seen between academic performance and the desire to shift to another course, because too many personal factors could be involved in this kind of decision. The decision to shift to another course could possibly be attributed to other surrounding influences such as the school environment or the students peers.

The researchers have concluded that it is necessary for the student to choose his/her course based on self-determined factors such as personal interest in the course, in order to have a higher academic performance. This in turn leads to a higher level of satisfaction for ones course. Thus, the students college learning experience becomes a positive and optimistic environment which is conducive to proper improvement and development.

vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii. RESEARCHERS PROFILE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii.- iv. ABSTRACT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v.-vi. LIST OF FIGURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix LIST OF TABLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .x. CHAPTERS Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Rationale of the Study. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Statement of the Problem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Significance of the Study. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Review of Related Literature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Study Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Theoretical Framework. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Conceptual Framework. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Operational Framework. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Methodology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Research Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Respondents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Research Instruments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Data Processing and Analysis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Presentation, Interpretation, and Analysis of Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
vii

Findings, Conclusions And Recommendations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Findings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Conclusions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Recommendations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 BIBLIOGRAPHY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 APPENDIX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

viii

LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1.1 Theoretical Framework. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Figure 1.2 Conceptual Framework. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Figure 1.3 Operational Framework. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Figure 2.1. GWA of the Respondents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Figure 2.2. Personal Interest Ranking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Figure 2.3. High School Teachers and Counselors Ranking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Figure 2.4. Parental Influence Ranking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Figure 2.5. BA Psychology as Good Preparatory Course Ranking. . . . . . . . . . . 37 Figure 2.6. Only Course Passed in UPCAT Ranking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Figure 2.7. Belief that Course Easy Ranking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Figure 2.8. Others Category. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 40 Figure 2.9. Influential Factors, Parental Influence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Figure 2.10. Influential Factors, Peer Influence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Figure 2.11. Influential Factors, Personal Interest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Figure 2.12. Influential Factors, Financial Situation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Figure 2.13. Influential factors, Belief that Course is Easy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Figure 2.14. Influential Factors, High School Counselors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Figure 2.15. Influential Factors, High School Teachers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Figure 2.16. Respondents satisfaction of BA Psychology as their course. . . . . . . 51

ix

LIST OF TABLES Page Table 1. Respondents expectation and satisfaction level of their GWAs (Group A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Table 2. Respondents expectation and satisfaction level of their GWAs (Group B) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Table 3. Whether the respondents want to shift their course (Group A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Table 4. Whether the respondents want to shift their course (Group B) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Rationale of the Study Jesse Barber, a college student enrolled at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, initially took up Sports Communication as his course during his freshman year. As it turned out, taking up this course ended up as a bad idea and Barber had to drop out after his first year and transfer to a different college. According to him, he had no interest in what he was studying, and his grades gave a clear indication of that. Eventually, although it took him a couple of years and more than one college transfer, he was able to find a course that suited him well, one that he finally graduated in: Computer Science. This course was finally labeled by Barber as something that I truly liked and excelled in. This incident, presented by Jonathan Whitbourne (2002) in his online article The Dropout Dilemma, illustrates one of the biggest issues involved in going to college: choosing a college course. A huge number of college freshman are confused on what course they should be taking up for college (Gardner & Jewler, 2000). In fact, many have shifted from one course to another before they finally graduated. Gardner and Jewler also present a variety of factors that can be attributed to this indecision, such as the introduction of more advanced lessons compared to high school lectures, family expectations, peer pressure, and the allure of a certain course although the student does not even possess the skills or aptitude for it. The other factors examined in the study include financial limitations, the influence of guidance counselors, and personal interest of the student himself/herself in taking up the course.

xi

In this age where the world has become very competitive, people need to ensure that they can survive, and the easiest way of guaranteeing that is by securing their future through a good career. A good career means more chances of employment, and having a secure job means that one has a steady income. Of course, a guaranteed way to gain a career is to study in college. However, with numerous courses available, many college students fail to choose the right course for themselves. Some are propelled to take a certain course because they believe that it will bring them financial stability in the future. Some are forced to take a course because it is what their parents want. This issue on parental influence is particularly addressed because of the complications it presents: not just on the student, but on the parents themselves. In fact, college students who allow their parents to choose their course for them end up dissatisfied and unhappy at some instant in their lives, to the point that some of these students eventually go back to college and pursue their own ambitions this time (J. Deese & E. Deese, 1957). Thus, the time, money and energy spent on the previous course has merely gone to waste. Basically, the researchers chose this topic because of the question it poses in the arena of college education. This study is also conducted on a local scale, firstly because there is a need to explore the attitude of Filipinos towards selecting the proper course for the student, taking into consideration his/her personal interest, capabilities and skills. Based on previous personal experience, the researchers have encountered college students who claim that they were forced into a course that they were not really interested in, because of a variety of reasons which will eventually be expounded in the study.

xii

Secondly, the effects of these reasons towards the students academic performance should be examined, so that a correlation can be made between the two variables. The importance of choosing a college course properly can then be weighed based on the results. Statement of the Problem This study aims to examine the factors affecting the course preferences of first year BA Psychology students and the effects of these factors on their academic performance. It seeks to address the following main objectives: 1.) To identify the most common factors affecting the students course preference 2.) To examine how these factors affect their academic performance based on their first semester General Weighted Average Two secondary objectives will also be investigated: 3.) To find out in what way the students grades for the first semester reflect their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with BA Psychology as their course 4.) To determine if academic performance is correlated with why some students end up shifting into another course Significance of the Study The researchers aim to provide answers to these objectives, and in doing so help students improve academic competence, develop employability skills and choose a college course for the right reasons. This study will be a significant endeavor in promoting proper planning and choice of career in college students. It will be most beneficial to students entering the tertiary

xiii

level of education, as it will provide them with an idea of what they should consider best before taking up a course, to ensure that they will have a good academic performance. By understanding the students career considerations, parents will also learn to consult with their children on the course to be taken up, instead of imposing a course that the son/daughter has to follow regardless of their personal interest in the course. Moreover, the study will be especially helpful to the University of the Philippines Cebu students, seeing that they are the respondents of the study. It would greatly contribute to their career aspirations and help them make more guided decisions on what to plan for their future. UP Cebu then, as a whole, can develop a learning environment that encourages students to study something which will suit each of them and bring out the best of their potential.

xiv

CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE This chapter contains varied sources which relate to the research study, and at the same time provide a background for the research topic. These sources were collected from both the university library and reputable websites on the internet. The subject matters of these reference materials were associated with the research studys issues: course choice in college, the factors influencing this choice and the factors influencing academic performance. Every year, many high school graduates attempt to get into different universities and colleges in the country to advance to the tertiary level of education so they can prepare for a proper career in the future. Calvert Jr. and Steele (1963), assert this by stating that a college education is important economically (because it is one thing employers look for in their employees in order to make sure their companies flourish) and socially (school boards, organizations and agencies for example, usually appoint college graduates as their leaders or their representatives). Through this, college training develops a person both academically and personally. Yet in the process of planning a college education, one of the biggest issues always comes up: choosing a course. To understand this issue, we first have to look at things taken into consideration when planning to go to college: understanding ones motive for going to college, and then choosing what university to enroll in. After these is where choosing a course comes in, which is not easy to do, because a lot of factorsfamily pressure and guidance counseling includedinfluence this decision, and these factors need to be analyzed.

xv

Going back to the start of the college application process, students are aware of the benefits of a college education, and these learners have a wide variety of reasons for trying to get one. Hettich (1998) says that when one decides to go to college, he or she always has certain motives for doing so, and these motives are classified as either intrinsic or extrinsic. To put Hettichs thought into other words, ones motive for going to college might be centered on ones self, or it can be centered on other factors such as the people and environment around him. Once the student has decided that he/she does want to go to college, he/she then starts making decisions about how to go about his/her college life. With the vast array of choices presented in the world of college, decision-making becomes very important. Thagard (2001) stresses the significance of decision making by explaining that one cannot make the right decision by purely relying on either gut instinct or on systematic models on decision-making presented by psychologists and the like. Thagard explains that to attempt making the right choices, decision-making should come in three levels: decision as intuition, as calculation, and as coherence. The first of these important decisions that the student will have to make is selecting which university to enroll in. According to the American Educational Guidance Center (2000), there are three certain guidelines one needs to follow in the process of deciding where to go for college. Firstly, one should avoid finalizing a college choice without investigating other universities first. This includes colleges that the student is already familiar with and those which he/she doesnt know much about. Secondly, applying for a particular college just because ones friends are planning to go there must also be avoided at all costs. Thirdly, it is best for the student to let himself/herself be

xvi

accompanied by trusted people, such as family, when exploring the different universities, so he/she can readily consult other opinions rather than only his/her own. Lastly, the AEGC also avers that discussing his observations and options with his/her family and/or a counselor is also useful to maximize the information gathered so far. After choosing a university, another essential thing to consider in planning for college is choosing ones course. Choosing the right course is important because it determines ones future career. But first, the word career must be defined clearly. Based from Guralnik, (as cited by Drummond & Ryan, 1995), a career can be defined as an occupation or profession which one trains for or pursues as a life work (p. 214). Calvert Jr. and Steele (1963), stress the importance of sensible career planning: College training, however, must be properly harnessed to be of value. A college degree does not of itself provide the necessary vocational direction. College graduates frequently flounder, changing jobs and direction, with consequent personal and financial dislocation. As the opportunities increase, so do the chances of making a wrong choice. The wider the choice of jobs, the more important career planning becomes (p. 7). Fredrickson (1982) supports Calvert by saying that planning a career is crucial both for a person and his community. Career planning is useful in a person because it shapes much of his life, according to him. He says that it also benefits the community, because the community thrives on its members who use their abilities to foster growth within, and to answer to the communitys needs. Sadly, a lot of career planning is done without thorough knowledge. Fredrickson phrases it this way: Would you buy a used car after just walking around it and kicking the

xvii

tires once or twice? Certainly not. You would want to know something about the history of the car and its mechanical condition. But kicking the tires is what many people do in making the most crucial decision in their lives: that of choosing an occupation (p.1). Calvert and Steele (1963), on the topic of vocational objective, also emphasize the importance of choosing a career for the choice will eventually affect the individuals life largely. Decades ago, people strove to fulfill only the most basic needs: food, clothing and shelter. But now, humans also need satisfaction from a sense of service, and professional status (p.17). Calvert and Steele also advise that students who plan on maximizing their professional education should already be aware of their career goals during their early college days. Usually, this process of choosing a college course is subjected to many factors, related to the person involved and his or her interests (Gardner & Jewler, 2000). These include the individuals interests, skills, aptitudes, personality, life goals and work values (p. 197). Robert Hoppock (1977) presented a few guidelines that served as the framework of his theory on occupational choice: 1. The occupation that we choose is the one that we believe will best meet the needs that most concern us. 2. Information about ourselves affects occupation choice by helping us recognize what we want, and by helping us to anticipate whether or not we will be successful in the contemplated occupation.

xviii

3. Occupations are chosen to meet needs. Every individual has many needs. Some of them are essentially physical such as, the need for food, rest and shelter. Other needs can be more properly described as psychological in nature, such as the need to maintain contact with others, and to feel a sense of success or accomplishment (p.5). There are also other theories on the various bases for ones career or course decisions. Edwin Herr (1968) explains that there are several models of decision-making that add insight to the process of college-choice (p.64). The first is the trait and factor model, which involves an individual matching his characteristics with a career choice which requires the traits he possesses. The second model is founded on an economic principle, which assumes that the student selects a college which will maximize his gain and minimize his losses (p. 65). These gains and losses do not necessarily have to be financialrather, they are subject to the individuals personal views. The third model or the social structure model concentrates on the limits presented by a persons social class (especially those who are not in the upper classes of society), concentrated on the lack of knowledge on educational opportunities available to the individual. This is mainly because the person can also gather only a little supportive information from his community. The fourth model is the information processing model, where the person is overwhelmed with a wide array of choices and information, and as a result, makes an impulsive choice without truly weighing the factors properly and thinking them through. Herrs last model is the need reduction model, which assumes that a person already possesses an image of himself, or a concept of his interests or personality. The

xix

individual then applies this image of himself when choosing a college career to make sure that it compliments his interests. However, a lot of new students are confused when deciding what course they should take up in college (Gardner and Jewler, 2000). In fact, a lot of students have tried shifting to another course before they finally graduated. Gardner and Jewler also explain that many factors cause this uncertainty, such as the students being presented with vast and more advanced fields of study compared to high school, family or peer pressure, and the allure of a certain course because of the benefits it offers, although one lacks the interest, understanding, and/or propensity for it. A related study on choice of college course was conducted by Carla Camille Faustino Basa- Martinez and Odinah Navasquez Sagun (2002), entitled Factors Affecting the Choice of Mass Communication as a Course Preference Among Mass Comm Students in Cebu City. Their study aimed to find out the various reasons why Mass Communication students from different schools in Cebu took this particular course. They also wanted to determine if ability, interest, social, fallback and economic factors affected the decision to take up Mass Comm. Basa-Martinez and Sagun employed the Correlational Survey design, coupled with random sampling. The respondents were first asked to answer a 4-part questionnaire, and were afterwards divided into focus groups to probe for more details that could not be answered by the questionnaires alone. Their results showed that majority of the students decided to take up Mass Communication primarily because it was where their skills and abilities lay. They were aware of their capability in this field, although it wasnt really what they wanted to take.

xx

The study also revealed that the students did not have sufficient knowledge about the course as most of them just want to be seen on television and apparently believe that taking Mass Communication will lead them to that dream (p.14). Basa-Martinez and Saguns study is related to our own inquiry because it seeks to find out the possible factors that affect students decisions in selecting their college course. However, their study is limited to exposing these factors, without mentioning how the factors affect the students taking up the course. This is where it differs from our study, because our study also wants to learn how these factors affect the students academic performance. Another related study was also conducted by Chona Taghoy (1994) entitled Factors Affecting The Choice of Nursing as a Career Among Freshmen and

Sophomore Students at the University of San Carlos Cebu. Her study aimed to determine the different factors affecting the course choice of freshmen and sophomore nursing students. Taghoy used a questionnaire in a checklist form as her main research instrument for gathering data. The questionnaire was made up of two parts; Part 1 asked for personal information and Part 2 dealt with the factors influencing career choice. The students were asked in Part 2 of the questionnaire to check the factors that influenced them in their choice to take up nursing. Afterwards, they were again asked to rank the factors according to the degree of influence. She also provided a space for the Others category for answers not found in the checklist. The results of her study showed that the students choice of career was based on job-related factors. They were aware that if they took this course, they would have a

xxi

secured future. The factor that also ranked as the number one factor that determined the course of the student was rendering service to fellowmen. The study also stated that Instead of being influenced by parents and peers, students, today, take a course for practicalitys sake. They look for a course which can guarantee them a future, a profession that helps uplift their personality and leads them to a future with opportunities (p.36). This study is comparable to our own because it also deals with the factors that influence course choice of college students. However, Taghoys study is different because it did not classify its factors according to what kind of motivation they were. The variables considered in her study were also appropriate for the nursing profession, which is viewed as a particularly lucrative career especially in the Filipino culture. The variables considered in our study are different, to match the setting of the UP environment and the theoretical framework. If the results of the aforementioned studies revealed that students chose their course based on their skills and the need for a secure future, there is one other pressing factor: family pressure, particularly parental pressure. Parents sometimes expect too much of their children (J. Deese and E. Deese, 1957), and this can result to problems especially if the childs grades in college have considerably lowered compared to the ones he/she usually received in high school. J. Deese and E. Deese (1957) also state that as a result, the parents might demand the student to do better, although they usually arent aware of the academic and social pressures their child is also facing at school itself.

xxii

J. Deese and E. Deese (1957) point out further that another predicament is between students and their parents happens when the parents decide a college course for their child that mirrors their aspirations. Sometimes, these parents do not understand why their child wants to do something that doesnt follow their footsteps, as J. Deese and E. Deese seek to point out here: The engineer who cant understand why his son is taking courses in art and music, the artist who is horrified by his daughters enthusiasm for economics and accounting, the physician who insists that his son follow a premedical curriculum, the lawyer who is upset because her daughter has no professional aspirations, the mother who is shocked because her daughter wants to be an electrical engineer are all cases in one point (p. 8). College students who allow their parents to choose their course for them end up dissatisfied and unhappy at some instant in their lives, to the point that some of these students eventually go back to college and pursue their own ambitions this time (J. Deese and E. Deese, 1957). Yet in the light of recent studies, not all parents impose this kind of attitude on their children. A journal article shared a study conducted in Chapel Hill, North Carolina by J. Taylor, Harris and S.Taylor (2004), parents are aware of the extent of their influence over their children on the process of choosing what college course to take. When asked to rate their views on their influence, 38.5% said that they do not possess that much authority on their childrens career decisions. A larger number of parents, 45.4%, deemed they should have little or minimal influence instead. The remaining 8.1% were the only ones who emphasized that they should have a huge part on their

xxiii

childrens career choice.

These outcomes tell us that most parents look at career

decision-making as something which they havent got much control over. Other factors which influence students career decisions are also guidance counselors. In his Principles of Guidance, Jones (1963) defines guidance as the assistance given to individuals in making intelligent choices and adjustments (p. 7). It is stated that every person has the freedom to choose his path, yet his capability to choose is not as inherent as this freedomit must also be cultivated properly. Jones further expounds that guidance plays an important role in the development of this ability to make choices. It avoids making decisions for people, but instead trains them to learn how to make good choices independently without needing help from others. A study conducted by Richard J. Light, (as cited in Gardner and Jewler, 2000) asked students from Harvard University what characteristics they sought in academic advisors. The results showed that males wanted an advisor who was knowledgeable about the facts or someone who could give them outright suggestions they are then free to accept or reject. Females, on the other hand, prefer academic advisors who take the time to truly examine them and listen to their concerns on a personal basis. On the subject of guidance counseling, a graduation dissertation entitled Role Perceptions, Actualizations and Expectations Among Administrators, Counselors and Teachers in Relation to the Guidance Programs of Secondary Schools in Cebu City (1974) by Veronica Tallo proved to be insightful. Tallo used the descriptive survey method with a 3-part questionnaire, a 52-item checklist, and a few open-ended questions. The respondents were administrators,

xxiv

counselors and teachers selected on the basis of the existence of a structured guidance program in their respective schools. Her studys findings revealed that school counselors expected to be engaged in the performance of the service role and share in the discharge of coordinating functions and supportive roles (p.6), which extremely differs from the principals and teachers, who believe they should deal with administrative roles and supportive tasks, respectively. Tallo then suggested that school counselors should present a clear-out definition of roles they carry out in their job. These findings are helpful because they give a concrete idea of what school guidance counselors expect of themselves and their job, especially because guidance counseling has its own role to play in career guidance for high school students soon to take up college. Of course, it still raises questions such as, How huge then is the impact of guidance counseling on course preference? There is still another issue concerning the college life of the student, however, and that is continuity of his college education. For example, according to Borow and Lindsey (1959), many surveys in the USA based on college mortality rates show that about fifty percent of college students suspend their studies without receiving a bachelors degree. However, the percentage is different in each institution and the fifty percent average may not be exactly accurate because students who quit from a certain college may end up continuing their studies in other colleges. Nevertheless, the number shows us that a lot of students who start college do not complete their education. Although financial problems might be the cause of abandoning college, it might be helpful to keep in mind that a college education offers much more job opportunities

xxv

and useful contacts compared to a high school diploma, states Whitbourne (2002). In attempting to earn money, Whitbourne advises that it is best to choose a job that doesnt drive you away from your schoolworkpreferably a part-time stint just within the school grounds. There are certainly many factors which are able to shape the students decision to take up a particular course for college, such as the ones discussed in the previous paragraphs. But if there are many factors which influence course choice, which of these factors should the student prioritize, and which ones should be set aside? Aristotle argued that the most significant aspect of adolescence is the ability to choose, and self-determination is the hallmark of maturity (Santrock, 2007). This selfdetermination was expounded by Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan (1985) in their Self-Determination Theory of Motivation. This theory can be utilized in an academic context, like the way it was used in Wondimu Ahmed and Marjon Bruinsmas thesis entitled A Structural Model of Selfconcept, Autonomous Motivation and Academic Performance in Cross-Cultural Perspective, which aimed to discover the factors that determine students academic performance. The study was based on two theories, the Self-Determination Theory of Motivation by Deci and Ryan (1985), which was also used in our study, and the SelfConcept Theory by Shavelson, Hubner and Stanton (as cited in Ahmed and Bruinsma, 2006). But what made their thesis different was that they employed a cross-culture setting, which is the comparison of two different societies. In the case of Ahmed and Bruinsmas study, they compared Asian and European culture.

xxvi

Ahmed and Bruinsma (2006) explained that when it comes to students academic performance, there should be a connection between self-concept and self-motivation. ..Self-concept is defined as a persons perception of himself (Hubner and Stanley, 1976, p.411 as cited by Ahmed and Bruinsma), which is said to be formed through environmental experiences and significant others. The Self-Determination Theory of Motivation (Deci and Ryan, 1985) initially states that behavior is largely affected by motivation, and motivation in turn can be organized according to how self-determined it is, or how helpless. With this classification, this theory proposes that there are three kinds of motivation: intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation. The following hypotheses were formulated: that there was significant structural relation between (1) self-esteem and academic self-concept, (2) academic self-concept and academic performance, (3) academic self-concept and autonomous motivation, and (4) academic motivation and academic achievement. The researchers assumed that these relationships would be consistent in both Asian and European culture. Ahmed and Bruinsmas participants were 94 Asian and 87 European graduate students from the University of Groningen, Netherlands, who were picked from two different faculties, the faculty of law and faculty of economics. 59.7% of the participants were women and the remaining were men. The students self-reported averages were used to determine the academic performance of the students. The result of the thesis confirmed Ahmed and Bruinsmas initial hypotheses. They found out that the more the students felt good and positive with their life, ability, achievements and academic settings, the higher their academic performance was, regardless of culture. There were a few differences, however, such

xxvii

as the cultural variations in the importance of autonomous motivation. The study showed that Asians tend to possess more external motivation compared to Europeans. What makes this thesis most related to our study is its framework, which also utilizes Ryan and Decis Self-Determination Theory of Motivation, and its hypothesis that there is a correlation between academic motivation and academic achievement. Our study also aims to determine what motivates the students to take up their course, and how this affects their academic performance. But other than this, our study also aims to find out the level of satisfaction that the students have for their course, and if there could possibly be a relationship between satisfaction and academic performance. Another study also found autonomy to be an influencing factor in academic achievement of students. This study was conducted by Shawn Stoever (2001) in his dissertation, Multiple Predictors of College Adjustment and Academic Performance for Undergraduates in their First Semester. His study examined academic factors, personality factors, family factors and environmental factors which could possibly predict the level of college adjustment and academic performance of the students. There were a total of 243 male and female participants who were all currently taking an undergraduate course in a private southwestern university in Texas. A demographic questionnaire was used to collect personal information from the respondents. Other scales and/or questionnaires were used to measure other variables such as the students academic self-concept, academic locus of control, goal instability, parental attachment, environmental stressors, adjustment to college and social support. Stoever (2001) admitted in his findings that although all relationships were in expected directions and the variables accounted for significant amounts of variance, the

xxviii

overall fit of the model was poor, perhaps because some important factors were not considered or were not successfully hypothesized. Nevertheless, the variables which were found to contribute to college academic performance were high school class rank, and the adjustment to the institutions educational demands. The findings also revealed that academic adjustment itself was predicted by multiple factors, namely individual, social and academic factors. However, academic factors were not really examined in our study because we held the assumption that passing the UPCAT is enough assurance of the students academic ability. In relation to our study, one factor which contributed to academic adjustment and therefore to academic performance, was encouraged autonomy. Students who perceived that their parents fostered autonomy experienced less psychological stress, and therefore were able to achieve better academic adjustment. There are still more factors which can be considered in the process of planning and getting a college education. Making the decision to go to college, selecting what colleges to apply for and choosing ones course are not easy tasks, and if one has to do them, one must consider all the various variables and factors which make up college choice. These factors might be personal, emotional, sociological, economical or cultural, and they might motivate the students in many different ways. Some of these factors could affect academic performance; some might affect other aspects of the students college life. Although these factors have been touched by the studies mentioned in this review, we aim to take them a step further by also studying how they can possibly affect the academic performance of the college student as a whole, and how this in turn affects course satisfaction.

xxix

CHAPTER 3 STUDY FRAMEWORK Theoretical Framework The Self-Determination Theory of Motivation by Richard M. Ryan and Edward L. Deci (1985) initially states that behavior is largely affected by motivation, and motivation in turn can be organized according to how self-determined it is, or how helpless. With this classification, this theory proposes that there are three kinds of motivation: intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation. Intrinsic motivation basically happens when someone does something purely for the pleasure and satisfaction he/she gets from the task. An intrinsically-motivated person will most likely do something without thinking of receiving any external reward or benefit. Conversely, external motivation is based on behavior which is influenced externally and done for the sake of instrumental purposes, but can still be selfregulated. External motivation can be classified into three different types: external regulation, introjected regulation and identification. The first type, external regulation, is determined by external rewards or constraints. This concept can be explained through the example of a daughter who takes care of her younger siblings even though she has other things to do, because he/she is forced by her parents to do so. The second type, introjected regulation or introjection, is when the person has deeply internalized previously external influences within himself/herself that he/she no longer needs their immediate presence to instigate behavior. An example would be a college graduate who pursues a Masters degree in order to prove to himself that he can attain a higher level of education. However, this kind of motivation is still not considered as authentic selfxxx

determination, because behavior is being done to avoid anxiety or guilt, and is merely restricted to internalizing outside incidents. The last type of external motivation is identification, which occurs when a person learns to value a behavioral goal or regulation, and eventually accepts it as something personally valuable. In other words, though the task is done for extrinsic reasons, it is still internally regulated and selfdetermined. A student who pursues college because she feels that it can help her prepare for her future career has successfully undergone identification. The last type of motivation is termed by Deci and Ryan as amotivation. Amotivated people feel a lack of control over outcomes which generally motivate human behavior. In other words, this is the most helpless kind of motivation, and is the least self-determined. As a result, amotivated people feel incompetent and believe they cannot control their outcome. Having identified the three kinds of motivation, the theory further categorizes these as autonomous or non- autonomous motivation. Intrinsic motivation and identification from extrinsic motivation are autonomous forms of motivation, while external regulation, introjection and amotivation are labeled as non- autonomous motivation. The theory then states that behavior which is determined by autonomous motivation produces better performance compared to behavior which is determined by non- autonomous motivation. Figure 1 on the next page illustrates the Self-Determination Theory of Motivation in a diagram.

xxxi

BEHAVIOR

Intrinsic Motivation

Extrinsic Motivation Identification Introjection External Regulation

Amotivation

Autonomous Motivation

Non-autonomous Motivation

BETTER PERFORMANCE E

LOWER PERFORMANCE

Figure 1.1. Theoretical Framework

xxxii

Conceptual Framework The researchers have integrated the different variables of the study into the SelfDetermination Theory of Motivation. The first variable in the theory is behavior, which is represented by course preference in the context of the study, because the behavior in question is the act of choosing a college course. This course preference is then shaped by many influencing factors which are taken into consideration by the students as they choose the course they want to take in college. Intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation and amotivation have been represented by the primary reasons and various factors that influenced the students to take up their course. These factors are classified as either autonomous or non- autonomous, depending on their nature. Based on the theory, autonomous factors contribute to better academic performance while non- autonomous factors lead to lower academic performance. Figure 2 shown on the next page illustrates how course preference is affected by the different motivational factors, and how these factors shape academic performance positively or negatively based on autonomy.

xxxiii

COURSE PREFERENCE

Influencing or Motivating Factors for Choice of Course

Autonomous Factors

Non-autonomous Factors

Better Academic Performance

Lower Academic Performance

Figure 1.2. Conceptual Framework

xxxiv

Operational Framework The different factors or primary reasons for course preference are classified as intrinsically motivated, extrinsically motivated or amotivated, wherein intrinsic factors and identified regulation are autonomous factors, and introjection and external regulation are non-autonomous factors. Specifically, the intrinsic factor is personal interest in BA Psychology (because the respondents are Psychology students), while the factor that represents identified regulation is the belief that BA Psychology is a good preparatory course. Together, these two factors constitute the autonomous forms of motivation, which lead to a higher academic performance measure through the General Weighted Average (GWA) of the students for the first semester. On the other hand, extrinsic factors include parental influence, financial situation, influence of high school teachers or counselors, peer influence and belief that the course is easy. The factor representing amotivation is BA Psychology as the only course passed in the UPCAT. Taking into account that the setting of the study is UP and the respondents are its students, the UPCAT needs to be considered, especially its role in deciding the course of the student. These extrinsic factors and amotivated factor constitute the non-autonomous forms of motivation, which then result to a lower GWA. The diagram showing the operational framework (Figure 3) is shown on the next page:

xxxv

COURSE PREFERENCE

Intrinsic
- Personal Interest

Extrinsic

Amotivated
- BA Psychology as the only course passed in UPCAT

Belief that BA Psychology is a good preparatory course

- Parental Influence - Peer Influence - Financial Situation - Influence of High School Teachers or Counselors - Belief that the course is easy to pass

Autonomous Motivation

Non- autonomous Motivation

Higher GWA

Lower GWA

Figure 1.3. Operational Framework

xxxvi

Chapter IV METHODOLOGY Overview This study was conducted to determine the factors affecting course preferences and their effects on the academic performance of the University of the Philippines Cebu Colleges BA Psychology first year students for A.Y. 2010-2011. The factors affecting the students course preferences were examined, both intrinsic (centered on the student) and extrinsic (based on the students environment). The course satisfaction of the students was also studied, as well as their satisfaction of their academic performance (measured through their General Weighted Average) and their course.

Research Design In the study, the descriptive research method was used so as to understand the significance of the course preference and the factors affecting this course preference in the students academic performance. The descriptive type of research, as defined by Creswell (1994), is a descriptive method of investigation that gathers information about the present existing condition. An emphasis is placed on describing data rather than on judging or interpreting. Moreover, this method allows for a flexible approach. Thus, when important new issues and questions arise during the duration of the study, further investigation may be conducted. Through the descriptive method, the researchers were able to compare and rank the factors which affect course preference, and then correlate these factors to the students academic performance.

xxxvii

Qualitative data was also employed because of its advantages in this kind of study, primarily because the research setting does not have to be manipulated with this method. The qualitative approach produces verbal information rather than numerical values (Polgar & Thomas, 1995). Instead of using statistical analysis, the qualitative approach utilizes content or holistic analysis; and uses inductive reasoning to explain and comprehend the research findings. It also allows for more descriptions and explanations.

Respondents The researchers aimed for a total of 17 participants for the sample size, about 51% of the entire population. Simple random sampling was done for the sample selection. This sampling method is conducted where each member of a population has an equal opportunity to become part of the sample. In order to conduct this sampling technique, the researchers first defined the population and listed down the names of all its 33 membersin this case, all UP- Cebu first year BA Psychology students for AY 2010-2010 (except the researchers, who are also from the same program). For this procedure, the fishbowl technique was utilized. Each member of the master list was assigned a number, and each number was written on slips of paper which were drawn from a pouch. The process was repeated until the desired sample size was reached.

Research Instruments The participants were asked to answer a survey questionnaire as the main datagathering instrument for this study. The questionnaire is mostly in general format and

xxxviii

contains two items which employ ranking and a single item which employs rating. The questionnaire is divided into two parts. Part 1 deals with choice of course while Part 2 is divided into 2 sections, General Weighted Average and Level of Course Satisfaction, respectively. Part 1 asks the respondents to rank which factors affected their course choice the most, wherein factors include personal preference, family pressure and financial capability. Part 2 explores the respondents General Weighted Average (GWA), their satisfaction with their GWA, and asks them to rate their overall satisfaction with their current course. They are also asked about whether they plan to pursue further studies, as this could also be a factor why they are taking up their current course. This part of the questionnaire also asks the respondents whether they would like to shift to another course, and what course do they really prefer.

Data Processing and Analysis All the completed data was gathered from the respondents, who were first divided into 2 groups based on their GWAs: students with a relatively high GWA, and students with a lower GWA. These groups served as the basis for the students level of academic performance. The rest of the results were tabulated separately for each group, to determine which responses were common to those with a higher academic performance, those with a lower academic performance, and so on. The students responses to the open-ended questions were categorized into which contained the most similar thought. They were ranked according to which kind of

xxxix

response was most prominent. Answers to close-ended questions were ranked according to how many times a particular choice was selected. The items which were selected the most by the respondents were then considered as those which apply most to the studys objective. The researchers allocated one (1) week to conduct the survey. Within this allocated time the researchers were able to contact and ask their respondents to supply the needed information for the study.

xl

CHAPTER 5 PRESENTATION, INTERPRETATION, AND ANALYSIS OF DATA

Respondents The respondents of the study were UP-Cebus 1st Year Psychology students for A.Y. 2010- 2011. The 17 students were picked through random sampling in the fishbowl technique. Each member of the master list was assigned a number, and the numbers were written on slips of paper which were then drawn from a pouch. The process was repeated until the desired sample size was reached. The students were made to answer a questionnaire that examined the factors which led them to take up BA Psychology, and the researchers tried to determine if these factors are related to their academic performance. Results and Analysis Because the study seeks to find out how the academic performance of the students is affected by the different variables, the researchers first classified the respondents according to their first semesters General Weighted Average (GWA). The respondents were divided into two groups, according to the GWA they received. The first group all had a GWA ranging from 1.2 1.9. The second group had a 2.0 2.6 GWA. The researchers initially prepared for a third group, with respondents who had less than a 2.6 GWA. However, none of the respondents belonged to this group because all had a GWA higher than 2.6. To avoid confusion, the researchers have decided to name the first and second groups as Group A, and Group B, respectively.

xli

Based from the data gathered from the questionnaire, 10 of the respondents (58% of the entire sample population) garnered a GWA from 1.2- 1.9, which made up the first group. The remaining seven respondents belonged to the second group, which is 42% of the entire sample. Below is a graph illustrating the General Weighted Average of the respondents:

General Weighted Average (GWA)

12 10 8 6 4 2 0 1.2-1.9 2.0-2.6 2.7-3.0 General Weighted Average (GWA)

Figure 2.1. Graph showing the respondents GWA

As the number of students from Group A are more than the number of students in Group B, it is then understood that majority of the respondents had a very good academic performance during the first semester. Because the researchers had now classified the respondents according to their academic performance, the rest of the items in the questionnaire were tabulated separately for both groups.

xlii

The first item in the questionnaire asked the respondents to rank a list of statements (or factors) according to what was the primary reason why they chose BA Psychology as their course. This is different from the factors that influenced them to take up this course, which will receive its own ranking. The ranking was done on a scale of 1-7, with 1 as the most primary reason and 7 as the least applicable reason. The rest of the rankings were also done in the same way. The researchers have hypothesized that a higher academic performance results when the student chooses a course largely based on autonomous motivation. Based on the study framework, the first kind of autonomous motivation is intrinsic motivation, which is specified in the operational framework as personal interest in the course. Below is Fig. 2, a graph showing how both Group A and B ranked the first factor mentioned in the list: personal interest in BA Psychology for a long time.

Figure 2.2. Graph showing how personal interest as a factor was ranked

Out of the 10 respondents in Group A, five ranked it as number one, which is 50% of the respondents in the said group. Only three students from Group B ranked it as number one, however, which is 43% of the respondents in Group B. All in all, eight
xliii

students ranked it as the top primary reason why they chose BA Psychology as their course, which is 47% of the entire sample population. All respondents in Group A also ranked this factor as one of their top four primary reasons, with none of them ranking it either fifth, sixth or seventh. On the other hand, one respondent from Group B ranked it as sixth and another from the same group ranked it as seventh. These results tell us that Group As respondents were more inclined to choose their course based on personal interest. These findings also support the studys hypothesis and study framework which state that personal interest in the course contributes positively to higher academic performance. Three students ranked this factor as second, while two students ranked it third. This means that 82% of the respondents listed personal interest as one of the top 3 primary reasons why they chose BA Psych. On the other hand, only one respondent ranked personal interest as the least applicable reason. This also shows that a large number of the sample, more than half of the sample population, is genuinely interested in BA Psychology as their course. In general, this factor was ranked as the primary reason by the respondents, which could also explain why none of them had a very low GWA, in relation to the theory. The next factor in the list was High School Teachers and/or Counselors Advice. The researchers included this factor because while the student is still in high school, some of the most influential characters on his/her education are his/her teachers, and it is possible that these teachers could have played a part in the students choice of course. Guidance counselors were also considered because of their role in advising graduating high school students on what to plan for college. These guidance counselors are also called career counselors, and part of their job description is to help people with

xliv

their career decisions (All Star Directories, 2002). Many schools employ counselors to advise their students on what course to take for college. The following figure is a graph illustrating how this factor was ranked by both groups.

Figure 2.3. Graph showing how High School Teachers/ Counselors Advice was ranked

As portrayed on the data provided by the table above, this factor is not really a principal basis for the respondents choice of BA Psychology as their course. Three students from Group A and two from Group B ranked it 3 rd (29% of the entire sample), while another five students ranked it 4 th. None of the respondents ranked it as their most primary reason. This means that none of the respondents chose their course primarily because of the influence of their high school teachers or guidance counselors. The third factor mentioned in the questionnaire is parental influence or expectations. One of the conflicts between parents and their children in college deals with the parents expectations and sometimes, these expectations are too much for the

xlv

student to handle (J. Deese and E. Deese, 1957). Figure 4 below portrays how the respondents ranked this feature as a reason for choosing their course:

Figure 2.4. Graph showing how Parental Influence was ranked

Parental influence was not given a high ranking. Three respondents from Group A and two from Group B (29% of the entire sample population) ranked it 3 rd, which is the highest rating it has been given. Nobody ranked it first, however. This means that none of the respondents in the sample population chose their course primarily because of parental influence. The next factor listed is BA Psychology as a good preparatory course. Based on the studys operational framework, this factor represents identified regulation, which is classified as autonomous motivation. The researchers included this factor because BA Psychology is a versatile course that presents a wide variety of fields to proceed to. It is possible that the students decided to take this course because they believed it was a good preparatory course for the career they wanted to pursue next. Its graph is shown on the following page:
xlvi

Figure 2.5. Graph showing how BA Psych as a good preparatory course was ranked

Three students from Group A (30% of the group) ranked this factor as their primary reason, while only one student from Group B (14% of the group) ranked it as such. This 3:1 ratio conforms to the studys hypothesis that students give a higher academic performance when they choose their course based on autonomous motivation. This factor, labeled as a form of autonomous motivation, was ranked first by more students from Group A than Group B. Generally, this factor is also the second primary reason why the respondents took up their course, followed by High School Teachers/ Counselors and Parental Influence. The next three graphs will show the factors which were ranked fifth, sixth and seventh. The first of these factors are: BA Psychology as the only course passed in the UPCAT. The researchers had to include this factor, taking into account that the setting of the study was UP, which means that they had to consider the UPCAT and its role in the students course choice. This factor also represents amotivation, based on the study framework. The graph is shown on the next page.

xlvii

Figure 2.6. Graph showing how Only Course Passed in UPCAT was ranked

Five respondents from Group A and one from Group B ranked this factor as the fifth, which means it is one of the least applicable reasons why the students chose to take up BA Psychology. Only one respondent from Group B each ranked this factor as her primary reason, which is a mere 6% of the entire sample population. Because this factor was given a low rank, it means that it was not really a driving force in the course choice of the students. Therefore, most of the students had a choice in their career decision. The next factor, which was ranked sixth in general, was Belief that the course is easy. The researchers included this factor because it is possible that some of the students chose to take up BA Psychology, thinking that it would be easy to pass and get through. Figure 7 on the next page shows how this factor was ranked by the respondents.

xlviii

Figure 2.7. Graph showing how Belief that course is easy was ranked

As seen on the graph above, majority of the students (four from Group A and three from Group B) ranked this factor as number six. In fact, only one ranked it as number one, someone from Group A. The researchers however believe that this is understandable because the said respondent is also recorded with the second highest GWA among the whole sample population, so it is most likely probable that this student does find the course easy. Because it is impossible for the researchers to list down all possible reasons for the respondents, they had to include a factor which was left blank, for the respondents to fill in for themselves, in case there was something important involved in their course choice which the researchers were unable to include. On the next page is the graph tabulating the respondents ranking for Other factors.

xlix

Figure 2.8. Graph showing how Other Factors was ranked

Not all of the respondents wrote something in the blank provided under this category, and majority of them, 59% in fact (5 students from Group A and Group B each), ranked this as seventh. This kind of ranking means that most of the respondents primary reasons for choosing their course were already listed in the questionnaire. The few respondents who wrote something in the blank however had varied answers, of which only the most notable will be mentioned in the following statements. One respondent, a transferee from another school, believed that the subjects she had taken up in her previous school would be credited by the UP system. Another respondent stated that among all other course choices in UP Cebu, BA Psychology was the only course she preferred. Having tabulated the respondents primary reasons for taking up BA Psychology, the researchers now asked them to rank the factors which greatly influenced their

choice of course. Once again, the results were calculated separately for Group A and Group B. The ranking was still done in the same scale, from 1-7 with 1 as the highest and 7 as the lowest. The first factor listed was Parental Influence. Below is the graph displaying the results:

Figure 2.9. Graph showing how Parental Influence was ranked as an influencing factor

Group A ranked this factor second, with four out of ten students in the group. On the other hand, four out of seven students from Group B ranked this factor as third. All in all, a greater percentage from Group B (57%) ranked parental influence as one of the top factors which influenced them to take their course, compared to Group A (40%). None of the respondents ranked this factor as the most influential factor which led them to take up their course. After Parental Influence, the next factor listed was Peer Influence, because the researchers considered the possibility that some of the respondents could have chosen

li

BA Psychology because their friends also took the same course. This particular factor was mostly ranked third. The graph is shown on the next page:

Figure 2.10. Graph showing how Peer Influence was ranked as an influencing factor

As shown on the graph, Peer Influence was ranked equally second and fifth with two respondents from Group A and another 2 from Group B ranking it as such. All in all, only 24% ranked it as second and another 24% ranked it as fifth, which is not a huge percentage of the sample population. Therefore, peer influence was not really a major influencing factor of the students in choosing their course. Only one respondent from Group A, however, ranked it as her number one influencing factor. The next item mentioned in the list was Personal Interest, which ranked first again, similar to its previous rank as one of the students primary reason for taking up their course. On the next page is its graph:

lii

Figure 2.11. Graph showing how Personal Interest was ranked as an influencing factor

As seen on the graph above, eight students from Group A (80%) and four students from Group B (57%) ranked Personal Interest as the factor which most influenced their choice of course. These results actually support the studys hypothesis that students who have a personal interest in their course have a higher academic performance than those who have only a partialor in some cases, no interest at all in their course. Personal interest in something is a form of autonomous motivation and this kind of motivation results to a better performance (Ryan and Deci, 1985). These findings imply that whenever students want to have good academic performance in college, they should pick a course that they have a personal interest in. However, this

liii

factors total percentage among the entire sample population is 70%, which is a majority of the entire sample. This implies that most of the respondents actually have a personal interest in BA Psychology, in general.

The next factor in the list was Financial Situation. The researchers included this factor because financial situation can be a hindrance to career choice. In fact, a journal article featured a study done by Natalie M. Ferry, wherein all youth respondents stated that lack of financial resources was the biggest barrier towards pursuing a college degree. In the UP Cebu context, although the number of courses are very limited, financial demands for each course still varies. Some courses require additional payment for lab fees, equipment and such. Below is the graph showing how the respondents for this study ranked the given factor:

Figure 2.12. Graph showing how Financial Situation was ranked as an influencing factor

liv

As portrayed on the graph, this factor was mostly ranked third, with 3 respondents from Group A and one from Group B ranking it as such. Only one respondent from Group A ranked it as such. On the whole, the researchers concluded

that Financial Situation is not really a very influencing factor in the course preference of the students. The researchers believe that this is reasonable because it is also a fact that UP tries to avoid placing financial burdens on the students as much as possible, by giving scholarships such as the Socialized Tuition Fee Assistance Program (STFAP) and financial help such as the Student Loan. Therefore, the students can always apply for any of these anytime if they wished to do so, and avoid too much financial burden. The next influencing factor considered by the researchers was Belief that the course is easy. This was ranked seventh by the students, with six students from Group A and four from Group B ranking it as such, which is 59% of the entire sample population. Only one student from Group B ranked it as number one. This shows that the belief that the course is easy to pass was not really a major factor when the students decided to take up BA Psychology. These results correlate to the previous ranking of this factor as a primary reason for course preference. Below is the graph showing how it was ranked:

lv

Figure 2.13. Graph showing how Belief that Course is Easy was ranked as an influencing factor

As seen on the previous page, only a very small number of the respondents ranked this factor as first, second, and so on until sixth. The next factor considered was the influence of High School counselor/s. Below is its graph:

lvi

Figure 2.14. Graph showing how High School Counselor was ranked as an influencing factor

This factor was not given a top rank, seeing as it was given an overall rank of sixth place, by three students from Group A and two students from Group B. Nobody ranked it first, although two people from Group B did rank it as second. This implies that the students did not let the career advice of their high school counselors influence their course preference largely, or it could mean that some of the students did not even encounter career counseling. The last factor listed was the influence of High School Teachers. The graph is shown on the next page:

Figure 2.15. Graph showing how High School Counselor was ranked as an influencing factor

This particular factor was basically ranked fourth by four students from Group A and two students from Group B. None of the students ranked this factor as first, although one from Group A ranked it as second. The researchers therefore dismissed it as an important factor which influenced the students to take up BA Psychology.
lvii

Having tabulated the results on the students primary reasons for their course preference and the factors influencing this choice, the results showed that the primary factor which made the students decide to take up BA Psychology was their personal interest in the course. In Group A, five students ranked personal interest as the primary reason why they took BA Psychology, while eight students ranked it first place as the factor which influenced their course choice. This makes up 13 students, or 65% of double the population of Group A. On the other hand, three students in Group B ranked it as the primary reason why they chose BA Psychology, and four students ranked it first place as the factor which most influenced the choice of course. This totals to 7 students, or 50% of double of Group Bs population. Therefore, majority of the students in Group A had a personal interest in BA Psychology. After tabulating these data, the researchers addressed the second part of the questionnaire, which was about the students GWA and their level of course satisfaction. The questionnaire also asked the students whether they were satisfied or dissatisfied with their GWA, and why. Part of the researchers objectives was to also measure how satisfied the students were with their GWA and their course. The researchers believe that there is a relationship between academic performance and satisfaction of ones course, and that course satisfaction contributes to continued motivation. Motivation, satisfaction and performance are directly related to each other because being motivated can lead to satisfaction and eventually to higher performance (Dixon, 2010). Having already shown the graph of the General Weighted Average in the earlier pages, the researchers tabulated the answers of the respondents as to whether they expected that kind of GWA. Below is the table displaying the results of Group A:

lviii

GWA Whether Respondents Expected their GWA Yes No Missing TOTAL Respondents Satisfaction with their GWA Satisfied, more or less the best GWA Satisfied, but could do better Very dissatisfied Dissatisfied, convinced course is not for him/her TOTAL

Results 1 9 10 4 4 2

10

Table1. Table showing respondents expectation and satisfaction lever of their GWAs (Group A)

As seen above, only one respondent expected to receive the GWA she got. All the rest were not expecting to receive the General Weighted Average that they obtained. As for Group As satisfaction level, four were convinced that that was more or less the best GWA they could have received. When the questionnaire asked them to state the reasons for their answer, one respondent among these four wrote that she was expecting to have a lower grade, which was why she considered her GWA the best one she could possibly get. The other three stated that they simply knew that they would receive that kind of GWA based on their performance. Another four students from Group A put in that they were satisfied with their grades, but they believed they could have done better. Another two students from the same group stated that they were very dissatisfied with their GWA. All of these six students wrote that they felt they could have done better, and in doing so, receive a higher GWA. All of their answers revealed that they believed that it was possible to get a higher GWA than the ones they gotthey simply did not do their best, although some admitted that they concentrated on other things rather than their studies. This implies
lix

that although the students were capable of attaining higher grades, they were not able to do so because of lack of concentration on their studies, which affected their academic performance. The researchers similarly tabulated Group Bs answers, shown in the table on the next page:

GWA Whether Respondents Expected their GWA Yes No Missing TOTAL Respondents Satisfaction with their GWA Satisfied, more or less the best GWA Satisfied, but could do better Very dissatisfied Dissatisfied, convinced course is not for him/her TOTAL

Results 4 2 1 6, with 1 missing

5 2 7

Table 2. Table showing respondents expectation and satisfaction lever of their GWAs (Group B)

As shown above, four of the students from Group B actually expected the GWA they received. Two did not, and one respondent did not answer the question. None of them also believed that that was more or less the best GWA they could get. Five students were satisfied, but believed they could do better. Two of the students also admitted that they were very dissatisfied with their GWAs.

lx

Like most of the students in Group A, those in Group B also admitted that they could have done much better, although one stated that it took some time to adjust to the UP environment. Based on these findings and the respondents answers to the open-ended question, the researchers have decided that an important factor to consider in the students academic performance is their attitude towards studying. Therefore, it is highly possible that although the students are capable of giving a higher academic performance, they are not able to do so because they are not giving sufficient attention to their studies; some might be concentrating on other things while some simply might have been too lazy to study. The next question on the questionnaire asked the students to rate their overall satisfaction of BA Psychology as their course. For many years, literature has debated on whether increased satisfaction leads to improved performance or improved performance leads to increased satisfaction (Bean and Bradley, 1986). In this study, the researchers also included level of course satisfaction in their objectives, to see if such a relationship exists in the respondents. They were given a scale of 1-5, where 1 meant extremely satisfied and 5 meant absolutely dissatisfied. The following table shows the respondents answers:

lxi

Figure 2.16 Graph showing respondents satisfaction of BA Psychology as their course

As seen on the graph, most of the students from Group A showed more satisfaction for their course compared to Group B. In other words, those with a higher GWA had a higher level of satisfaction compared to students who had a lower GWA. Incidentally, a study by Bean and Bradley (1986) revealed that the influence of satisfaction on GWA was greater than the influence of GWA on satisfaction. Based on this idea, the graphs results could be interpreted to mean that those with a higher GWA already possessed a higher level of satisfaction for their course. Therefore, satisfaction with ones course can also be an influencing factor on academic performance. However, other sources also state that academic performance can affect satisfaction. An article by Liu, Sun and Lacost (2004) stated that their initial findings revealed that GWA had a strong impact on the students course satisfaction, together with another factor which was race. Integrating this idea into the results of Figure 2.16 on the previous page, the
lxii

findings still match because it would imply that those with a higher academic performance also develop a higher level of satisfaction for their course. All in all, the researchers have concluded that there certainly is a correlation between academic performance and satisfaction. After asking the respondents to rate their overall satisfaction of their course, the questionnaire asked them if they wanted to shift to another course. The following graph shows the results of Group A:
Whether Respondents Want to Shift Their Course YES Want to shift to a Course in UP Cebu Yes No 1 NO 9

Want to pursue further studies Yes -Proceed to BS Psych 1 -Masteral or Doctoral 4 -Proceed to a course wherein 4 Psychology serves as Preparatory Course No 0 Table 3. Table showing whether the respondents want to shift their course (Group A) 0 1

For Group A, only one respondent wanted to shift to another course, but not one that was found in UP Cebu. The respondent, however, did not specify what course, but stated that he was free to shift his course. On the other hand, nine of the respondents in Group A stated that they did not want to shift their course (90% of the group). All of them also said that they would pursue further studies. One wanted to proceed to BS Psychology, while four students desired to pursue a Masteral or a Doctoral. Four wanted to proceed to a course in which BA Psychology serves as a preparatory course, specifically Law. This could mean that other than possessing a personal interest in the course, some of the students in Group A chose to take up BA Psychology because they believed it would provide them with a good educational foundation for further studies that they were planning. From these findings, it can be inferred that Group A does have
lxiii

a high level of autonomous motivation because the students display intrinsic motivation (personal interest in the course) and the identified form of regulation (belief that BA Psych is a good preparatory course). On the other hand, respondents in Group B showed different results. Below is the table:
Whether Respondents Want to Shift Their Course YES 0 Want to shift to a Course in UP Cebu Yes No NO 7

0 0

Want to pursue further studies Yes -Proceed to BS Psych -Masteral or Doctoral 5 -Proceed to a course wherein 2 Psychology serves as Preparatory Course No 1

Table 4. Table showing whether the respondents want to shift their course (Group B)

None of the respondents actually wanted to shift to another course, and six of them wanted to pursue further studies. One student wanted to pursue a Masteral or Doctoral, and at the same time proceed to a course wherein BA Psychology served as a preparatory course. Only one student did not want to pursue further studies. Based on these results of Group A and Group B, the researchers were able to conclude that the academic performance of students does not really directly correlate to why they want to shift their course. In fact, the student who wanted to shift to another course came from Group A, which means that he/she had a good academic performance. The researchers therefore conclude that the decision to shift to another course entails more than just academic performance, and that personal factors might perhaps be involved. For example, there might be indirect and subtle coercion from

lxiv

surrounding influences such as the school environment, or the student could simply feel uncertain with the current situation (myLot.com, 2008). The last item on the questionnaire asked the students what course they really wanted to pursue for college, if given the means to do so. Only four of the students placed BA Psychology as their answer, with one respondent from Group B and three from Group A. One respondent from Group A answered BS Psychology. Five respondents said they wanted to pursue a medical course, four wanted a social sciences course, and other courses listed include Culinary Arts, Music, Landscape Architecture, and Accountancy. All in all, only 24% of the entire sample population planned on taking BA Psychology as their course, and the rest wanted to take up something else. However, the percentage of students of who wanted to take a course in social sciences (which includes BA Psychology) was 53%. The researchers believe that although the students initially wanted to take up these other courses, there were barriers that hindered them from taking these coursesin other words, they did not have the means to pursue them. Some of the courses they mentioned demand a lot of money, such as Culinary Arts, and some courses need requirements which cannot be met with an average elementary or high school education, such as Music. It is also highly possible that the students took into consideration the university they would enroll in, and chose to study in UP Cebu because they passed the UPCAT. However, considering that the number of courses in the university is severely limited, the students decided to take up the course that they most preferred among all the others, and they settled on taking BA Psychology.

lxv

CHAPTER 6 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FINDINGS The researchers initially conducted this study to find out how the students course preferences affect their academic performance. The variables considered for the study were first of all, the primary reasons and different factors which could have possibly influenced the students to take up their course, which is BA Psychology. These factors included personal interest, parental influence, financial situation, peer influence, belief that the course is easy to pass, advice of high school teachers/counselors, and the belief that BA Psychology is a good preparatory course. The next variable considered was the students academic performance, represented by their General Weighted Average (GWA) for the first semester. The students GWA were used to divide them into two groups, based on academic performance. The researchers also examined the students satisfaction or

dissatisfaction with their course. After tabulating the respondents answers, the researchers found out that the first group (composed of students with a high academic performance) were more likely to choose their course based on personal interest, compared to the students in the second group (those with a lower academic performance). This supports the researchers hypothesis that students who tend to possess a high level of personal interest in their course also have a high academic performance. Personal interest was also considered by majority of the students to be a major influencing factor in their course preference. The other factors following personal interest (in order, from highest to lowest) were

lxvi

parental influence, belief that BA Psychology is a good preparatory course, peer influence, high school teachers/ counselors, financial situation, and belief that the course is easy to pass. The researchers also found out that the students who belonged to the first group were more satisfied with BA Psychology as their course, compared to those who were in the second group. The researchers believe that this is because those who received a higher grade gained a sense of fulfillment and belief in themselves, and they believed that they had sufficient ability to excel in their course. On the other hand, those who received a lower grade could possibly have doubted if they truly were capable to take up this course, and as a result, their satisfaction for their course lowered a bit. The researchers have also found out that the students academic performance do not really have a definite correlation to their desire to shift into another course, as there might be too many personal factors involved in the students decision to shift his/her course. It was also found out that if given the means to do so, the students would have chosen to study under another course. In fact, only five people, which comprises 29% of the whole sample population, said that they would still have taken Psychology. The rest stated that they would have chosen other courses.

lxvii

CONCLUSIONS With the results obtained after testing the hypothesis, the researchers conclude that if the student possesses a personal interest in the course he/she is taking up in college, there is a greater chance of him/her having a high academic performance, as opposed to those who took up their course because of the influence of other factors. The researchers findings also imply that if a student possesses a higher GWA or academic performance, the more satisfied he/she becomes in his/her course. Therefore, it is necessary for the student to choose his/her course based on selfdetermined factors, such as possessing a high level of personal interest in the course, in order to achieve a high academic performance level. In doing so, the student also develops a high level of satisfaction from his/her course. These results mean that the student develops a positive and optimistic learning environment, which contributes greatly to academic development and growth.

lxviii

RECOMMENDATIONS Based on the studys findings and conclusions, the researchers have made the following recommendations, especially to those who perhaps wish to conduct a similar study in the future. Firstly, more time should be allotted for the research study, both for research and gathering of data. Further investigations should be done comprehensively, with more background and with more related studies. Future researchers are encouraged to look for resources other than the university library and the Internet. Secondly, as this studys sample size is severely limited, the researchers would also recommend that future studies should be done with a larger sample size, and if possible, conducted not in just one college but in different universities. If possible, the study should also be given a bigger budget so that the researchers can afford to visit and conduct the study in many colleges, especially those which are far from the city. The researchers also recommend that more factors which influence the students course choice should be considered and included in the questionnaire. There should also be more variables examined which could possibly affect the students academic performance. Future researchers could also improve a lot on the questionnaire, and test it on a larger sample group. Lastly, it is also worthwhile to explore the most common problems encountered by BA Psychology students in pursuing their course, as these problems might affect all variables stated in the study.

lxix

BIBLIOGRAPHY Books

Borow, H., & Lindsey, R. (1959). Vocational Planning for College. New Jersey: PrenticeHall, Inc.

Calvert Jr., R., & Steele, J. E. (1963). Planning Your Career. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company.

Creswell, J.W. (1994). Research design. Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage. Deci, E. L. & Ryan, R. (1985). Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior. New York: Plenum

lxx

Deese, J., & Deese, E. K. (1957). How to Study and Other Skills for Success in College. New York: McGraw-Hill Inc.

Drummond, R. J., & Ryan, C. W. (1995). Career Counseling: A Developmental Approach. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc.

Fredrickson, R. H. (1982). Career Information. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc.

Gardner, J., & Jewler, J. A. (2000). Your College Experience. New York: Wadsworth Publishing Company.

Guralnik, D. B. (1980). Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language. New York: Consulting Psychologists Press.

Herr, E. L., & Cramer, S. H. (1968). Guidance of the College-Bound: Problems, Practices, Perspectives. New York: Appleton Century Crofts.

Hettich, P. (1998). Learning Skills for College and Career. California: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company.

Hoppock, R. (1977). Occupational Information. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company.

Jones, A. J. (1963). Principles of Guidance. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company.

Light, R. J. (1990). The Harvard Assessment Seminars. Cambridge.

Polgar, Stephen and Shane A. Thomas (1995). Introduction to Research in the Health
lxxi

Santrock, John. W. (2007). Adolescence. New York: Tata- McGraw Hill, 11th edition Santrock, John. W. (2007). Adolescence. New York: Tata- McGraw Hill, 11th edition Thagard, P. (2001). How to make decisions: Coherence, emotion, and practical inference. In E. Millgram (Ed.), Varieties of practical inference. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. 355-371. Periodicals Bean, J. P., & Bradley, R. K. (1986). Untangling the Satisfaction-Performance Relationship for College Students. The Journal of Higher Education , 393-412.

Unpublished Materials

Basa-Martinez, C. C. F. and O. N. Sagun (2002, October). Factors Affecting the Choice of Mass Communication as a Course Preference Among Mass Communication Students in Cebu City. Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis, University of the Philippines Cebu College

Tallo, V. L. (1974, September). Role Perceptions, Actuallizations and Expectations Among Administrators, Counselors and Teacher Relation to the Guidance Programs of Secondary Schools in Cebu City. Unpublished Undergraduate Dissertation, University of the Philippines Cebu College

Taghoy, C. (October, 1994). Factors Affecting The Choice of Nursing as a Career Among Freshmen and Sophomore Students at University of San Carlos. Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis, University of the Philippines Cebu College

Online Periodicals

lxxii

Ferry, Natalie M. (2006). Factors Influencing Career Choices of Adolescents and Young Adults in Rural Pennsylvania. Journal of Extension, 44. Retrieved March 27, 2010, from HYPERLINK "http://www.joe.org/joe/2006june/rb7.php" http://www.joe.org/joe/2006june/rb7.php

Taylor, J., Harris, M. B., & Taylor, S. (2004). Retrieved January 23, 2011, from Parents Have Their Say About Their College-Age Children's Career Decisions: http://uncw.edu/STUAFF/career/documents/parentssay[1].pdf

Whitbourne, J. (2002, March). The dropout dilemma: One in four college freshmen drop out. What is going on here? What does it take to stay in? Retrieved January 23, 2011, from http://moneymanagement.unt.edu/pdf/documents/dropout.pdf

Electronic Thesis, Dissertations and Books

Ahmed, W. & Bruinsma, M. (2006). A Structural Model of Self-concept, Autonomous Motivation and Academic Performance in Cross-Cultural Perspective. Master's Thesis submitted to the University of Groningen, Netherlands. Retrieved March 25, 2011, from www.investigacion-psicopedagogica.org/revista/.../Art_10_144.pdf Stoever, S. (2001). Multiple Predictors of College Adjustment and Academic Performance for Undergraduates in Their First Semester. Dissertation prepared for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Retrieved February 13, 2011. from
HYPERLINK "http://www.library.unt.edu/theses/open/20011/stoever_shawn/Dissertation.pdf"

http://www.library.unt.edu/theses/open/20011/stoever_shawn/Dissertation.pdf Sun, x. , Liu, X. and Lacost, B. , 2004-05-11 "Key Predictors of College Student Satisfaction and Future Implications for Student Retention" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs, Phoenix, Arizona. Retrieved May 26, 2009, from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p116034_index.html Internet Sources BIBLIOGRAPHY All Star Directories. (2002). How to Become a Guidance Counselor. Retrieved March 27, 2011, from Your Guide to Psychology Education and
lxxiii

Careers: http://www.allpsychologyschools.com/psychology-careers/guidancecounseling/school-counseling

American Educational Guidance Center. (2000).Top Ten Rules for Selecting a College or University. Retrieved January 23, 2011 from HYPERLINK "http://www.collegescholarships.com/ten_rules_for_selecting_a_college_or_universities.htm"

http://www.collegescholarships.com/ten_rules_for_selecting_a_college_or_universities.htm Dixon, T. (2010). Retrieved March 27, 2011 from Increasing Motivation, Satisfaction and Performance: HYPERLINK "http://www.papercamp.com/essay/11546/Increasing-MotivationSatisfaction-And-Performance" http://www.papercamp.com/essay/11546/IncreasingMotivation-Satisfaction-And-Performance myLot.com.(2008). What makes students want to shift their course? [Msg 1]. Retrieved March 27, 2011 .Message posted to http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/1601353.aspx

APPENDIX Research Instrument QUESTIONNAIRE For BA- Psychology Students A.Y. 2010-2011 Good day! We are conducting a study to find out the factors affecting course preferences of students, and how these factors affect academic performance. Our respondents are first year BA Psychology students from UP Cebu. Your honest input would invaluably contribute to the results of our study. Of course, all data you contribute through this questionnaire will be kept strictly confidential and anonymous.

lxxiv

Sincerely, Jedidiah K. Singco Loren Kaye Colina ________________________________________________________________________________________ Personal Info: Name (Optional): _____________________ Age: _______

I. Choice of Course 1.) What are the primary reasons why you chose BA Psychology? (Please check 2 at the most) Ive been interested in psychology for a long time and because I passed the UPCAT, I decided to study it in UP- Cebu. My high school teachers/counselor advised me to take this course. My parents/family advised me to take this course. I believe this course is a good preparatory course for the career I really want to pursue. It was the only course I passed in the UPCAT. It sounded easy to study. Others (Please specify): __________________________________________________________________ 2.) I s UP your first college? Yes No If no, what was your previous school? _________________________________________ What course did you take? __________________________________________________ 3.) Rank how the following factors affected your choice of course. [1-7 with 1 as highest and 7 as lowest] ___ Parental Influence ___ Peer influence ___ Personal Interest ___ Financial Situation ___ Belief that course is easy to pass ___ High school counselor ___ High School teacher/s II. A. General Weighted Average 1.) What was your General Weighted Average (GWA) for the first semester? ______ 2.) Were you expecting that kind of GWA? Yes

lxxv

 No 3.) Are you currently satisfied with your first semesters GWA? Yes, it is more or less the best GWA I could get. Yes, but I could do better. No, I am very dissatisfied. No, and because of my 1st semester GWA, I have been convinced that this course is not for me. Please state the reasons for your answer. _________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ B. Level of Course Satisfaction 1.) Rate your satisfaction of BA Psychology as your course, with 1 as highest and 5 as lowest. Place an X mark above the number that corresponds to your choice. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 2 3 4 5 Extremely Satisfied Satisfied Okay Dissatisfied Absolutely Dissatisfied 2.) Do you want to shift to another course? Yes, I am not very interested in BA Psych No, I am very interested in BA Psych If no, proceed to question number 3. If yes, proceed to question number 4. 3.) Do you want to pursue further studies when you graduate? Yes No If yes, what kind? Proceed to BS Psych Masteral and then maybe Doctoral Proceed to a course in which BA Psychology serves as a preparatory course Please specify what course: _______________________ 4.) Will you shift to a course that is in UP Cebu, therefore allowing you to stay in the same school? Yes No What course will you shift to? __________________ Are there any particular reasons why you cannot shift your course, even though you want to? No, I am actually free to shift my course. (Proceed to question #5.) Yes If yes, what are those reasons? ___________________________________________________________________ How would you deal with subjects you are not interested in? ___________________________________________________________________

lxxvi

_________________________________________________________________________________ 5.) Had you been given the means to do so, what course would you REALLY want to pursue for college? (Supposing you had just graduated from high school and had never studied in college yet) _____________________________________________

lxxvii