Theoretical Framework

Several theories, explain the importance of

identifying the factors that affects the Decision Making in

choosing college courses of Grade 12 students in UEP-PRMC

Laboratory High School.

Using Holland's Theory to Study Patterns of College

Student Success: The Impact of Major Fields on Students

Authors, Kenneth A. Feldman John C. Smart Corinna A.

Ethington. In examining how academic environments (major

fields) within colleges and universities are an

absolutely essential component in efforts to understand

and promote student success in postsecondary education,

we use Holland’s person-environment fit theory to track

and explain two alternative patterns of student success.

The first pattern, based on the congruence assumption of

the theory, is when students’ initial strengths (that is,

their initially prominent characteristics) are enhanced;

the second pattern, based on the socialization assumption

of the theory, is when students’ repertoires of

competencies, interests and preferred activities are

broadened. After illustrating these two patterns of

student success with longitudinal data, we consider some

important practical, programmatic and policy implications

of our findings as well as compare Holland’s theory with

other contemporary efforts to understand student success.

Throughout, the important sociological underpinnings of

Holland’s theory, often ignored or de-emphasized in

research on the theory, are explored.1

The following theories are being shown in order to

support the research paper. In the first theory the

researcher used the Super’s Theory. In these theory it

consists of three original constructs. These are the

career development, self-concept and lastly the career

maturity. Super constructed the concept of career

development as a process. Vocational maturity or career

maturity refers to the ability of a person to master a

task or behavior as expected of such an individual at a

certain development stage. It asses the maturity level of

individual’s development with respect to careers.

Vocational maturity should include, “He readiness to make

appropriate careers decisions” according to super’s, self

-concept changes over time, and develops as results of

experience.2

As such, career major theory of college choice avers that

selecting a postsecondary institution is a dynamic

process with three distinct phases: predisposition

search, and choice. During the phase of predisposition an

individual's aspiration to attend higher education is

1
Feldman K.A., Smart J.J., Ethington C.A. (2008) Using Holland’s
Theory to Study Patterns of College Students Success: The Impact of
Major Fields on Students. In: Smart J.C. (eds) Higher Education.
Handbook of Theory and Research, vol 23. Springer, Dordrecht.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6959-8-11
2

https://www.academia.edu/34317011/FACTORS_AFFECTING_THE_CAREER_CHOICE
_OF_THE_GRADE12_STUDENTS1
explored.3 Also, stated the theory that evolved from this

analysis is that students' thoughts and feelings about

their personal competencies greatly impacted their

course-choosing decisions and served as determinants for

enrollment (or not) in advanced-level courses.

Implications for students and their families, counselors,

and the broader academic community are discussed.4

In addition, Effectiveness in choosing one's career and

building constructive self-concept in the respective

academic area is always an inevitable phase for

adolescent students to be successful in their academic

life. The restricted academic stream/courses and study

hours devoted by students in the formative years is a big

challenge for them as they start to make rationale and

logical decisions.5

Furthermore, Self-understanding, Confidence, and Career

Decision-making in Traditional-age College Students

Marrisa Thornton, M.A. George Mason University 2016

Thesis Director, Dr. Amy Swan This study examined

3
Holland, J.L. (1966) The psychology of Vocational Choice. Walr=than.
MA: Blaisdel.
https://www.cram.com/essay/College-Choice-Theory/F3JUJGLUR445#:~:text
:The%20major%20theory%20of%20college.attend%higher%20education
%20explored
4
Jones, Brenda Laverne (2009) A Grounded Theory of the Course
Choosing experiences of African American High School Students and
their famalies Related to advanced-level course
5
Javed, Ruqaiya; Alee, Nongzaimayum Tawfeeq (2019) Effects of
Different Courses and Study Hours on Career Decision Making Self-
Efficacy and Academic Self-Concept of Adolescents
https://eric.ed.gov/?
q=Theory+on+choosing+college+cources&ff1=dtySicnce_2013&pg=3&id=WD\
J1270964
undeclared undergraduate students’ understanding of

themselves, how that understanding affected their

confidence in career decision-making, and whether a

career education course had any impact on those factors

in the career decision-making process. Individual student

experiences and the theoretical foundation in social

constructionist theory, social cognitive career theory,

and Super and Gottfredson’s career theories provided

findings that illustrated a relationship between self-

understanding and confidence in undergraduate students’

career decision-making. Those findings were closely

related to the presence of career education, personal and

societal influences, and the timing in which a student

has received enough experience to make an accurate career

decision. The subjective experiences provided by the

students resulted in the expansion of the first phase of

the career development model. This expansion illustrated

the way in which innate and external factors influence

students’ success within the first phase of the career

development process and led to the proposal Of potential

expansions within other phases in the career development

model.6

6
M. Thornton (2017) Self-Understanding, Confidence, and Career
Decision-Making in Traditional-Age College Students
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper.Self-Understanding%2C-
Confidence%2C-and-Career-In-Thornton/
Paradigm of the Study

Process
Input
1. Survey
1. Demographic Profile questionnaire
2. Analysis of
1.1 Name
data
1.2 Age 3. Interpretation
1.3 Gender of data
4. Documentation
1.4 Grade Level/Strand
5. Interview
2. What do you think is
the advantage of
choosing accurate
strand to your career
choice?
3. How does your chosen
strand help you in Output
choosing college
The factors affecting
courses?
the career preference
4. What is the relevance
of senior high school
of your senior high
students of UEP-PRMC.
school strand to your
future career choice?
5. Is your Senior high
school strand to line
with your future
career? Why or why not?
6. How will choosing the
FEEDBACK
school strand affect
future career choice?
 Chapter II

Review of Related Literature

Career choice decision making is not an easy task,

yet at one time or the other, individuals are faced with

the task of making choice in career, preparing for it,

starting it and making progress in it. Choosing a college

courses is arguably one of the most important life

decisions an individual can make. The choice of career is

a delicate issue for students which requires caution and

serious considerations – factors affecting their choices.

The following studies revealed some of their factors

affecting students’ decision in career selection.

Decision making is directly linked to expected enjoyment.

People are typically motivated to make decisions based on

perceived happiness in the outcome. In their study

students were given course descriptions of classes and

asked which ones they were more likely to take. Students

were asked to give their perception on how enjoyable each

course would be versus how useful each course would be

and students noted they were more likely to take a course

based on the expected enjoyment rather than usefulness.

Courses that ranked highly however, were those that

students perceived as both enjoyable and useful.7

7
Falk, C.F., Dunn, E.W., & Norenzayan, A. (2010). Cultural Variation
in the Expected Enjoyment for Decision Making. Social Cognition,
28(5), 609-629
The study factors influencing student’s choice of

accounting as a major show that social norm has a great

influence on student’s choice of major including advice

and orientation of acquaintances, friends, teachers,

parents which had a significant influence on their

decisions in the selection of specific discipline.8

In comparison, an individual environment, talents, skills

and academic achievements exert an influence on career

choice. Indicated that parental influence will not have

significant effect on adolescents’ career choice, and

that perception of parental occupational satisfaction

will not have effect on career aspirations of adolescents

based on the following intervening variables such as sex,

and type of school.9 The college or university location

can be a major factor for potential students’ decision to

apply and enroll. Some students maybe looking for a

school close to their hometown or place of work for

convenience and accessibility. It is therefore concluded

that location, academic programmed college reputation,

educational facilities, cost, availability of financial

aid, employment opportunities, advertising are

institutional factors that influence students’ college

8
Hoai, V.P., Thi, T.N.K. & Thanh, H.C.T. (2016). Factors Influence
Students'Choice of Accounting as a Major. The 10th International Days
of Statistics and Economics, 1471-1481.
http://www.msed.use.cz>msed_201
9
Olaosebikan, O.I & Olusakin, A.M. (2014). Effects of Parental
Influence on Adolescents'Career Choice in Badagry Local Government
Area of Lagos State, Nigeria. Effects of Parental Influence on
Adolescents'Career Choice in Badagry Local Government Area, 4(4), 44-
57. http://iosrjournals.org
choice decision.10 The primary factor affecting the

decision of freshmen students in taking up specified

courses or programs is the economic factors that include

economic stable wages and in-demand jobs.11

12 factors affecting the decision of students including

career opportunities, interest in the subject,

instructor, money, parents, enjoyment, previous

experience, lifestyle offered because of the career,

challenge, prestige, usefulness in operating a business,

and other students. It also discovers the top 5 reasons

for choosing a major where: interest in a career

associated with the major, good job opportunities,

abilities, a desire to run a business someday, and

projected earnings in the related career. The least

selected reasons for choosing a major were the reputation

of the major at the university, the perceived quality of

instruction, the parents’ influence, the amount and type

of promotional information, and the influence of friends.

Utilized factor analysis and determined the following

seven main factors in deciding career choice: high

earnings expectations, career expectations, job

10
Ming, J. (2010). Institutional Factors Influencing Students'College
Choice Decision in Malaysia: A Conceptual Framework. International
Journal of Business and Social Science, 1(3), 53-58.
http://www.ijbssnet.com
11
Malubay, G.J.J, Mercado, K.A & Macasaet, E. (2015). Factors
Affecting the Decision of Freshmen Students in pursuing Hospitality
and Tourism programs in Lyceum of the Philippines University-
Laguna:Basis For Enhancement. Laguna Journal of international Tourism
and Hospitality Management, 3(1), 23-48.
experience, knowledge and ability, family environment,

social status, and education environment.12

Interest in subject has strong and positive relationship

while ease in grades, financial outcomes, and future job

opportunities had minor impact on students’ decision for

particular field and subject. It was also stated that the

career choice of the students was also influenced by the

level of their social status, financial resources,

affordability and future employability.13

The students’ choices were based on their perceived

availability of career and scholarship opportunities in a

given department and the grade point averages marks

earned by the student at the time selecting the options.14

The students rank university reputation, interest in

subject and employment prospectus as the most important

determinants, whereas, the factor of course being easy

and career guidance from schools the least important

factors in choosing course.15

12
Uyar, A., Gungormus, A.H & Kuzey, C. (2011). Factors Affecting
Students Career Choice in Accounting: The case of a Turkish
University. American Journal of Business Education, 4(10), 29-38.
DOI:10.19030/ajbe.v4i10.6061
13
Ahmed, K.A., Sharif, N. & Ahmad, N. (2017). Factors Influencing
Student's Career Choice: Empirical Evidence from Business Students.
Journal of Southeast Asia Research, 1-15. DOI:10.5171/2017.718849
14
Okiror, J.J & Otabong, D. (2015). Factors Influencing Career Choice
among undergraduate Students in an Africa University context: The
Case of Agriculture Students at Makerere University, Uganda. Journal
of Dynamics in Agricultural Research, 2(4), 12-20.
http://www.journaldynamics.org/jdar
15
Sabir, R.I, Ahmad, W., Ashraf, R.U & Ahmad, N. (2013). Factors
Affecting University and Course Choice: A Comparison of Undergraduate
Engineering and Business Students in Central Punjab, Pakistan.
The most influential factor overall was interest in the

subject followed by the potential for career advancement

and the major’s potential job opportunities.16 The study

showed that the students’ first consideration in choosing

a course in college is the availability of possible

work.17

Therefore, students choose their course in college based

on them perceive exits. Students choose their courses in

relation to how productive a course is and if it needed

in the industry. High paying jobs too are also considered

as a factor in choosing courses. On the contrary,

students also have a misconception about the professions

due to lack of information – it prevents from choosing

them.

Journal of Basic and Applied Scientific Research, 3(10), 298-305.

http://www.textroad.com
16
Malgwi, C.A., Howe, M.A. & Burnaby, P.A. (2005). Influences on
Students'Choice of College Major. Journal Education for Business,
80(5), 275-282.
17
Pascual, N. (2014). Factors Affecting High School Students'Career
Preference: A Basis for Career Planning Program. International
Journal of Sciences: Basic and Applied Research, 16(1), 1-14.
http://gssrr.org/index.php?journal=journalofbasicandapplied