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EFFECTS OF COURSE PREFERENCES ON THE ACADEMIC

PERFORMANCE OF UP CEBU 1STYEAR 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


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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


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Findings, Conclusions

And Recommendations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Findings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Conclusions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Recommendations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

BIBLIOGRAPHY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

APPENDIX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63


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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


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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


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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.


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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.


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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


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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.


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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.


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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


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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


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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.


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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


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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.


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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


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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.


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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


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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,


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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


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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 self-

determination 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 Self-

concept, 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 Self-

Concept 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.


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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


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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


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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.


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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 self-

regulated. 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 self-


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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 self-

determined. 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.


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Figure 1.1. Theoretical Framework

BEHAVIOR

LOWER

PERFORMANCE

BETTER

PERFORMANCE

Non-autonomous

Motivation

Autonomous

Motivation

Extrinsic Motivation

Identification

Introjection

External Regulation

AmotivationIntrinsic

Motivation


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Conceptual Framework

The researchers have integrated the different variables of the study into the Self-

Determination 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.


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Figure 1.2. Conceptual Framework

COURSE

PREFERENCE

Influencing or Motivating

Factors for Choice of Course

Non-autonomous

Factors

Autonomous

Factors

Lower Academic

Performance

Better Academic

Performance


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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:


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Figure 1.3. Operational Framework

COURSE PREFERENCE

Intrinsic- Personal

Interest

Amotivated- BA Psychology as

the only course

passed in UPCAT

Extrinsic

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

Lower GWAHigher GWA


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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.


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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 data-

gathering instrument for this study. The questionnaire is mostly in general format and


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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


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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.


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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.


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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:

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.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

1.2-1.9 2.0-2.6 2.7-3.0

General Weighted Average (GWA)

General Weighted Average

(GWA)


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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


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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


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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 3rd

(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


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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:


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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


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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


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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:


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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


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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


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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:


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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:


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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.


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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:


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GWA Results

Whether Respondents Expected their GWA

Yes

No

Missing

TOTAL

1

9

10Respondents 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

4

4

2

TOTAL 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


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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 Results

Whether Respondents Expected their GWA

Yes

No

Missing

4

2

1

TOTAL 6, with 1 missing

Respondents Satisfaction with their GWA

Satisfied, more or less the best GWA

Satisfied, but could do better

Very dissatisfied

effects of course preferences on the acad perf

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