Factors influencing students' intent to choose college courses in science

• Main Author: Bolalin, Raymund Bigueja
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2003
• Subjects: Education > Curricula; Science; Teaching; Career education; Physics
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/3138; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=9976&context=etd_masteral
• Institution: De La Salle University

Using the cross-sectional survey and interview research designs, this study was undertaken to determine the different factors that significantly influence the student's intent to take science as college academic major. A validated survey instrument called Factor's Influencing Students Intent to Choose College Courses in Science (FISICCCS) survey questionnaire was administered to 598 randomly selected students from 6 randomly selected secondary schools in the sixth district of the Division of City Schools of Manila. A follow-up interview was also conducted to 36 randomly chosen respondents among those who expressed intention to take science courses in college. This study reveals that majority of the college-going students participated in the study consider science as a possible academic major in college. Of the 598 respondents,463 (77%) conveyed intention to take science as college academic major while 135 (23%) expressed aversion over college science courses. This study also discovers that the students' intent to choose college courses in science is significantly influenced by their ability to persist in pursuing their goals despite obstacles and setback (self-motivation), ability to handle disruptive emotions and impulses (managing one's emotion), and mother's occupation. Respondents also identify perceived nature of science, encouragement and support from other people, and promotion of interest through a support group as other factors that influence their intention to take science courses in college. Regression analysis showed that self-motivation and mother's occupation can significantly predict one's inclination towards science courses in college. However, this study finds out that in spite of the expressed intention of the greater part of the respondents to take science courses in college, they are not definite on their plan of enrolling in these courses. Students consider limited opportunities after graduation, expensive education, mismatch of parents/guardians choice of course, insufficient knowledge of schools offering sciences courses, difficulty of science, change of mind of friends, difficulty of entrance procedure in schools offering science courses, poor performance in science, lack of career guidance and persistence of stereotyping on science as a masculine discipline, as hindrances in pursuing their intent to take science as college academic major.