EFFECTS OF ACCOUNTANCY, BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT STRAND ON

CHOOSING COLLEGE COURSES

A Research Paper Presented to

STI College Lipa

In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements in

Inquiries, Investigation and Immersion

Bunuan, Jennson

Igle, Jay Ian

De Silva, Sheena L.

Okuhira, Emiri

Reyes, Jayson

Reyes, Jean Elsbeth

Reyes, Kathleen

Rullan, Von Gino

December 2019
 Chapter 1

Introduction

Background of the Study

It is that in January 2013, the Philippines has 7.1% unemployment rate, the highest in the

countries from the Southeast Asian Nations and from which, 16.9% of which are college

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

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

of graduate’s misfit the demand of the present economy, or the graduates do not pose the

characteristics required by the industries in need. This could be due to the wrong choice of the

course taken by most of the college students brought about by unguided decision making in

choosing courses. This is seen through reports that mentioned that high percentage of

unemployment and underemployment in the country is attributed to the inadequacy of skills of

some of the graduates and not meeting the competencies needed by companies. To be able to

find ways to lessen misfit qualification of graduates to the needed workforce of companies and

institutions, the government, particularly the Department of Education find ways to elevate the

quality of graduates before even reaching the collegiate level. This is one of the reasons why the

government implemented the K-12 Program in the educational system. One of the objectives of

the Department of Education’s K-12 Program is to produce graduates who are equipped with

knowledge and skills to be productive citizens and an additional work force to promote economic

development in the even after high school. There are many factors considered by school

administrators aside from the school curriculum or the academics to promote student educational

success. Other perspective which is characterized by a differentiated view of schooling that

promotes student’s success aside from student learning and academic engagement is the
student’s social engagement. Student’s social engagement may require different resources such

as the counselors. Numerous studies have investigated the influence of specialized subject of any

strand in senor high school could affect their decision making for their chosen college course as

they enter the world of tertiary. This means that many of the senior high school specially the

Accountancy, Business and Management (ABM) has confusion in choosing their college

courses, the specialized subject that they may or already take during their Senior High School

could help them to decide what course they will pursue. Taking the specialized subject could

inspire every ABM or even Senior High School students to decide what track they will be going

to be. The following sections of paper will briefly outline the extensive literature on how

specialized subject helps the ABM students in choosing their college courses. Finally, the

conclusion of the paper discusses the implication of these results.

Conceptual Framework

Input Process Output

• Factors affecting • Conducting • Discover the
ABM decision survey through effects of
about choosing questionnaire. Accountancy,
college courses Business and
Management
strand on
choosing their
college courses.
Theoretical Framework

Social Cognitive Career Theory. Lent et al. (1994) developed SCCT to facilitate

understanding of career choice, interest, and performance processes. This theory identifies the

factors that interplay when a student chooses a certain track and progresses on the chosen career

path. Moreover, it provides a framework on using social cognitive processes to explain success

and failure, academic outcomes, and career outcomes.

SCCT is divided into two levels of theoretical analysis: the presentation of cognitive-

person variables and the analysis of the additional sets of variables that may influence career-

related interests and choice behavior (Lent et al. 1994).

The first level includes the core variables that affect career choice: self-efficacy, outcome

expectations, and goals. Self-efficacy involves the student’s perception whether he or she can

succeed at a particular career choice. Outcome expectations include the student’s perceived

tangible rewards for successful performance. Goals, according to Bandura (1989), are the

student’s determination to accomplish a particular outcome. On the other hand, the second level

includes the personal inputs, learning experiences, and contextual influences. Personal inputs

comprise the student’s physical attributes. Contextual factors take into account the conditions of

the different environments.

SCCT helps in exposing areas that may aid researchers to understand more about career

decision making and career-related personal variables. Researchers have used this model as basis

for a number of studies in different settings. Some researchers used SCCT to observe vocational

interests in different tracks or field of study. In 2002, Smith demonstrated how the social

cognitive variables can predict information technology interests. Cunningham and co-workers

(2005) used SCCT in studying students’ intention in pursuing career in sports and leisure.
Academic achievement in mathematics was also partially described by SCCT (Cupani et al.

2010). This study proposed that the successful academic

Gestiada et al.: Development of a Career Decision Tool

Philippine Journal of Science Vol. 146 No. 4, December 2017 performance is related to the

mathematical ability, beliefs on this ability, and performance targets. Blanco (2011) applied

SCCT to identify Spanish psychology students’ interest and choice goals in participating in

statistics related academic or professional activities.

Aside from predicting career interests, researchers were also able to find links between

social cognitive variables. Conklin and co-workers (2012) demonstrated the predictive nature of

affective commitment in relationship to career decision self-efficacy and outcome expectations.

SCCT also allows researchers to learn more about factors that may negatively affect

individuals in pursuing a career track. In 2013, Dahling and co-workers showed that financial

strains are inversely related to job search self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and goals. Irvin et

al. (2012) tested educational barriers in rural youth to identify variables that can help in

intervention programs and policy making.

Tools were also developed in line with SCCT to measure social cognitive variables

related to career decision making. Rogers and co-workers (2009) developed instruments that can

measure the choice of medical specialty and practice location.

In this study, the researchers utilized SCCT to identify the criteria to be used in the career

decision making tool that was developed. The SCCT factors used are self efficacy, interests or

preference of the student, aptitude, and the contextual supports such as number of schools

available, number of financial assistance, and preference of parents. According to Lent et al.

(1994), self-efficacy helps determine the choice of activities, environment, effort expenditure,
persistence, thought patterns, and emotional reactions once a problem is encountered. Also,

Hackett and Betz (1981) figured that self-efficacy can predict career-related choice. Lent et al.

(1994) define vocational interests as patterns of likes, dislikes, and indifference that involve

career-relevant activities. One’s interests may develop goals and involvement in a certain career

track. Preference of the students may be part of the predisposition of the students, which makes it

one of the contextual factors that may affect the career decision making. One’s aptitude is

attributed to the learning experiences (Lent et al. 1994). Learning experiences may affect one’s

interests and self-efficacy and may also be mediated by the self-efficacy beliefs. GastardoConaco

and colleagues (2003) found that parents have the strongest influence on the Filipino

adolescents’ career targets as cited by Mattison (2011). The number of school and financial

assistance are also relevant, since choosing a career track also depends on the resources available

to the students. This may fall under the contextual factors.

Statement of the Problem

This study aimed to get the effects of the specialized subjects to ABM strand in choosing

their college courses.

Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions:

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of ABM strand in choosing college

courses?

2. What are factors that can affect of choosing college courses for ABM students?

3. Is there any significant effect between ABM strand and their chosen course in

college?
Research Hypothesis

This study is anchor on the assumption that the researchers will gather basis and data

regarding the relationship between the effects ABM strand on choosing college courses.

H0: Specialized subjects have no significant effects of ABM strand on choosing college courses.

H1: Specialized subjects have a significant effect of ABM strand on choosing college courses.

Significance of the study

The researchers believe that the study would be beneficial to the following individuals

and group of individuals.

For the Students

The significance of this study is to determine the effects of ABM strand in choosing their

college courses.

For the Teachers

The research will benefit the teachers of the student to help them in their decision making

in choosing college courses.

For the Future Researchers

For the future researcher they can conduct a research that is related to their research. It

helps to improve their ideas. It can take as their guidelines also; this serves as their tips to be able

improve their research.

Scope and Limitation

Delimitation

This research determines the effects of ABM strand on choosing their college courses.

This will focus on the decision making of students that was being affected by the strand.

There will be questionnaire to be answered by the Grade 12 ABM students of STI

College Lipa, school year 2019-2020. Every respondent will answer the same questionnaire.

Limitations

This study is limited and only tackles the specific information concerning the decision

making. Specially, it focuses on the effects of ABM strand on choosing college courses.

Definition of Terms

Misfit - a person whose behavior or attitude sets them apart from others in an uncomfortably

conspicuous way.

Unguided - not guided in a particular path or direction.

Inadequacy - the state or quality of being inadequate.

Equipped - supply with the necessary items for a particular purpose.

Collegiate -belonging or relating to a college or its students.

Pose -assume a particular attitude or position in order to be photographed, painted, or drawn.

Elevate -raise to a more important or impressive level.

Confusion - lack of understanding.

Pursue- to follow or search for someone or something, in order to catch or attack that person or

thing.

Extensive- obtaining a relatively small crop from a large area with a minimum of attention and

expense.