Perceptions Of A Student During Career Exploration And Decision Making
Introduction
Background of the Study
Perception is a sensory experience which includes both the recognition of stimuli in the environment and actions initiated in the response of the stimuli. Perception also allows us to pertain an act in the environment (Cherry 2012). Cognitive psychology includes the study of perceptions or interpretations of incoming information (Schiff, 1980). Perceptions are created when mental events such as seeing, hearing, touching, and tasting interact with information provided to brain by our senses. They are different in each individual (Kaufman, 1979). Cognition is an area that is important to study because it helps create understanding about the way actions are perceived (Armstron, 2004). Career planning may be defined as the process through which students come to make career perception. Career planning is a big part of senior high students especially grade 12 perceptions in life after graduating. Super (1990) suggests that career planning becomes significant during late adolescence and early adulthood.
During this time, senior high school students enter a time in their lives when seeking career information and becoming aware of their vocational interests is a major developmental task (Erickson 1966, cited in Kracke 1997). Career exploration is important during adolescence as adolescents begin to engage in self-exploration and explore potential career options (Dupont & Gingras 1991; Gati & Saka 2001; Julien 1999; Super 1990). The process of career exploration and decision making can be a particularly stressful time in an adolescents’ life (Taveira et al 1998). The reaction to this stress, youth may attempt to take the responsibility for making a career perception onto others, which could ultimately lead to a less than optimal decision (Gati & Saka 2001). Larson and Majors (1998) suggested that affective distress with career decision making among youth may be adaptive because it increases their motivation to seek help, thus decreasing the chances for uninformed decisions. Occupational aspirations, desired work-related goals given ideal circumstances, are preferences about work that reflect information about self concept, perceived opportunities, and interests and hopes (Rojewski, 2005).
Aspirations are important to career development and occupational attainment in that they prompt planning, guide learning, help organize life options and choices, and contribute to individuals’ preparation for adult life.
The development and expression of occupational aspirations can be explained from a number of perspectives including developmental theory (Super, Savickas, & Super, 1996), Gottfredson’s (1996) theory of the development of occupational aspirations, and status attainment theory (Hotchkiss & Bor-ow, 1996). Research also suggests that adolescents are capable of making responsible and effective perception and that this ability improves over time. Lewis (1981) found a positive relationship between adolescents’ age and decision-making capabilities, such as an increased awareness of the risks and implications involved in making a decision, a tendency to seek more advice from adults or peers, and an increased awareness of the implications of receiving advice from someone with vested interests. Information used by adolescents in making perception about their future career includes attitudes and beliefs acquired during childhood, including specific information provided by a number of sources, including parents, siblings, other family members, family friends, peers, guidance counsellors, teachers, school and public library resources, the mass media and government career centres (Julien 1999). Adolescents appear to approach certain individuals such as friends, teachers and family members more frequently because of their availability rather than because the adolescents believe that these individuals will be of most help in their career exploration (Taviera et al 1998).
Research Questions
The study will help fill the knowledge of the senior high students who experienced the K 12 Curriculum and to know their perceptions in their life after they graduate the two years course. Also to have knowledge of getting a career for their future. The specific aims of this study is to answer:
- What are the factors influencing senior high students perception in life after graduating?
- How perceptions are formed by the graduated Grade 12 students?
- How career planning help to come to their perceptions?
Literature Review
K-12 Program In The Philippines
The K-12 program (once in called P-12) is a basic education program broadly practiced all thought the world is serving children for the 13 years from kindergarten to year 12 (Department of Education and Training, 2010, Philippine Senate, 2011). DepEd of the Philippines believes that the 12-year program to be the best timr frame for learning under basic education. It is also the recognized standard for students and professionals universally; this is the main reason why the Philippines were the last country embracing over 10-year pre-university in Asia (ibid). The Philippines has a total of 13 years from Kindergarten to Grade 12, which are mandatory and free particularly in the public schools. It even subsidizes students who will take their grade 10 to 12 classes in the private schools or universities/colleges through the voucher program (DepEd, ND). The K to 12 education program in the Philippines addresses the defects of the country basic education curriculum. As guaranted by the advocate of the K12 program, the curriculum is seamless, ensuring the smooth transition between grade levels and continuum of competencies. It is also applicaple and responsive, enriched and learner-centered curriculum (SEAMEO INNOTECH, 2012).
There was a total of more than a little more than 1M students in grade 11, (first year in SHS). Around 60. 6% were enlisted in the academic track while only 39% were in tech-voc curriculum and less than 0. 5% chosen the sports, arts and design curriculum (DepEd).
Factors Influencing SHS Perception In Life After Graduating
The aim of this study was to recognize factors that influenced senior high school students’ perceptions in life after graduating. family influence;school influences; the impact of gender and the influence of peers on perception in life after graduating. The gaps filled by the current study are highlighted.
Family Influence
Parents have been refered as a strong influential factor in Senior High Students perception making (Middleton & Loughead 1993; Sebald 1989). This impact may have both pro and con effects on adolescent perception making (Rainey & Borders 1997; Young et al 1997). Parent–adolescent factors, such as, feeling a sense of connectedness and connection to parents, have been found to be beneficial for adolescent career exploration (Blustein et al 1991; Ketterson & Blustien 1997).
Furthermore, parents who enjoy their work and offer this enjoyment with their kids and assist them to learn good work values (Morrow 1995). As opposed to these positive influences, parental influence may have a less helpful impact on adolescents’ career exploration and perception making when it is described by noninvolvement, indifference or negative involvement (Middleton & Loughead 1993). This may create barriers for youths who are attempting to accomplish their own career goals (Middleton & Loughead 1993). Teenagers’ perceptions of parental expectations have also been appeared to have an impact on educational aspirations (Mau et al 1998). Other parental factors such as educational and occupational status, attitudes and personal biases towards their own and others’ occupation(s), financial concerns, rules and expectations may affect the career information passed on to their adolescents (Rainey & Borders 1997; Young et al 1997).
School Influence
Career guidance is offered at foundations of learning such as schools, universities and colleges among others. Senior high schools are a progress to higher establishments of learning and the world of work so they have a critical role in assisting students choose careers (Baloch & Shah, 2014: 547). If students have such a large number of choices in careers or have not settled a decision on which career to take, school career guidance is useful in choosing their study paths and in distinguishing their potential qualities to improve their competitiveness for positions (Dodge & Welderndael, 2014; Sun & Yuen, 2012: 204). Krumboltz’s theory of Social Learning Theory of career development, which educates this study, emphasizes teaching people career development techniques so that they can give career guidance in schools. Similarly Lapan, Tucker, Kim and Fosciulek (2003: 329) expressed that the progress from high school to college or the world of work has been understood as one of the most difficult developmental challenges againts youths and that schools play a pivotal role in guiding the students towards a career. Kimiti and Mwova (2012: 366) announced that school career guidance positively influenced career decision-making, understanding of careers and career related adjustments about students’ career choices.
Additionally, the study revealed that when students are not guided in their selection of careers, they don’tt realize what is beneficial for them or even what they want. Hence, a lack of career guidance may cause students to settle on wrong choices and enlist for studies they know little or nothing about (Kimiti & Mwova, 2012: 366). This infers that schools play a pivotal role in preparing students for future careers. Also, a South African examination by Shumba and Naong (2012: 171) found that career choices are choosen some time before the students come to college.
The majority of respondents in the above South African examination credited their career choices at colleges to subject decisions they made whilet they were still in schools. It is the job of the school from early immaturity, to help students to discover the meaning in their present and future lives (Mampane & Bouwer, 2011: 124). American school engagement involves behavioral as well as emotional components that play a mediational role in the association between developmental assets such as careers and academic competence (Li, Lerner & Lerner, 2010: 811).
Gender Influence
Since gender is used to recognize between males and females, it implies that there are a various of traits that run with gender as characterized by society. As indicated by Jamabo et al. (2012: 91), through associations with caretakers, socialization in childhood, peer pressure in youth, and gendered work and family roles, people are socially built to be different in behavior, attitude and feelings. This also influences the careers they pick. There are also unique roles for men and women. Corrigall and Konrad (2007: 847) express that traditional people in American believe that a woman’s role is to be a homemaker and that a man’s role is a provider. However, there is a change in outlook as more American libertarian people believe that women should share in financial support of the family and that men should participate in childcare and other generally feminine aspects of family unit work (Corrigall & Konrad, 2007: 847).
In other words, women have the ability to take part in male-dominated careers and men take part in what are seen as women’s occupations as characterized by the society. The impact of gender in career choices has been reported in numerous studies. In Nigeria, female students go for careers that are feminist in nature while their male partners choose for careers that are masculine in nature (Durosaro & Adebanke, 2012: 12; Akinbode & Fagbohungbe, 2011: 4033). In China, Chow and Ngo (2002: 16) express that gender differences are attributed to sex role socialization which makes a clear distinction between sex roles, preference and discrimination which influence the status of women in the economy. Kenyan females pick careers that correspond with their traditional gender roles and males also pick careers that match those of their conventional gender roles (Migunde et al. , 2012: 494). Griffin et al. (2011: 177) set up that, in America, when gender beliefs are remarkable they shape behavior most effectively by influencing individual’s feeling of what others expect of them.
Additionally, Ahuja et al. (2006: 20) revealed that gender impacts behaviors and preferences over a variety of contexts. Ahuja et al. ’s study further clarified that male students utilize computers earlier in life particularly to play computer games. Peers Influence Peer influence cannot be underestimated as it was found to be influential in career decision. Faiter and Faiter (2013: 113) and Alika (2010b: 180) in America, Abbasi and Sarwat (2014: 181), Edwards and Quinter (2011: 225) in Nigeria, Shumba and Naong (2012: 171) in South Africa and Kimiti and Mwova (2012: 364) in Kenya found that students were affected by their peers in an assortment of courses, peer interaction, peer advice and peer relationships. Peer guiding is a method for relating, reacting and helping aimed at exploring emotions, thoughts and worries with the desire for achieving a clear understanding (Odirile, 2012: 2).
In schools, peer counseling is a phenomenon that was set up to help students in schools solve problems (Bett, 2013: 479). The main objective of peer counseling is to empower students to welcome each other and to understand the significance of education (Odirile, 2012: 3). Studies in Kenya (Kaaria, Nyaga, Oundo & Mureithi, 2014: 215; Marangu, Bururia & Njonge, 2012: 84) uncovered that peer counselors are important in mentoring students, sharing data and supporting one another. Students’ interactions with peers assume a central role in how students consider themselves (Yi-Hui, 2006).
In his examination in China, Yi-Hui (2006) uncovered that students’ interactions with peers of differentiated interests, races and foundations have the potential to stimulate reflection, knowledge and beliefs which may lead to new ways of thinking about the world, other peers and eventually themselves. For peers to understand the world of work, their interaction makes it possible for them to wander into careers they were unaware of. Kiuru (2008: 36) also uncovered the significance of peer interaction in Finland when he expressed that the academic orientation typical of the peer group to which they belong may potentially have a long term impact on individual adolescents’ vocational careers. Peer relationships were also found to be powerful influential in students’ choices of careers. Kiuru (2008: 35) implies that, in Finland, peer group members who are firmly related are probably going to end up in similar educational directions as they are probably acknowledge to accept opinions from members who are similar to themselves. Kiuru (2008: 34) additionally expresses that peer group members resembled each other, not only in their educational expectations, but also their subsequent educational directions. In a Nigerian report by Bankole and Ogunsakin (2015: 330), peer connections were uncovered as a huge factor in helping students choose careers.
Pakistani students who were close to each other in terms of friendship were probably going to influence each other to take certain careers (Naz et al. , 2014: 1196). Alika (2010b: 180), Ho (2006: 85) and Obwoge and Kibor (2016: 478) uphold that peer support and encouragement was found to be a basic factor in influencing senior high students perception in life. This is in line with Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory which expresses that realistic encouragement leads to greater effort and eventually to greater achievements. Since high school students are youths, they may depend on individuals of their own age. Synthesis Literature has highlighted factors that influences career pathways. The role of school guidance,influence of family,peers, and gender were cited as factors influencing career pathways among Senior High Students were discussed.
