Chapter 3

METHODOLOGY

This chapter elaborates on the methodology that will be employed in conducting

the present study this part will discuss the research design, locale, the

respondents, data gathering, research instrument, Scoring procedure, and

statistical tool these following will guide the study.

Research Design

This study shall utilize quantitative research, which encompasses

statistical approaches for gathering and analyzing comprehensive data. This

approach allows for the extensive examination of variables and relationships so

that many complexities embedded in the process of making decisions can be

understood in depth. As highlighted by Fleetwood (n.d.), quantitative research

can provide thorough numerical analyses essential for addressing complex

research questions. The main purpose of this research is to enhance knowledge

and understanding of the social dynamics that impact students' program

decisions. This study aims to give useful insights into the educational

environment at GCCNHS, using methodical scientific methodology that permits

replicability, by offering objective data that can easily be defined through

statistical techniques (Williams, 2021).

To discern and evaluate what aspects that make indecisive students of

Humanities and Social Science in Gingoog City Comprehensive National High

School gravitate towards a particular college course, this study shall embrace a

descriptive-correlational research design. Finding the traits of particular groups

and examining the connections between several variables are two areas in which

descriptive correlational research excels (Brodowicz, 2024).. This method is

appropriate for comprehending how internal factors, like personal interests, and

external factors, like family influence, interact with students' decision-making

relationship between two variables of interest.

Academic performance, professional intentions, financial considerations,

family expectation, and help availability are probably involved in influencing

students' indecision in respect of their college program. The study will employ a

descriptive correlational method to explore how these factors contribute to the

level of indecision students face (Bhat, n.d.). This research design allows a

systematic study of the various factors influencing the selection of the college

program for students, gain insight into the interaction of such variables and the

level of indecision experienced by the students.

Research locale

Gingoog City is one of the oldest settlements in Northern Mindanao. It was

established by Spanish missionaries in 1750 and predates even Cagayan de Oro,

the capital and commercial hub of Misamis Oriental, which was founded in 1871

(Resonar, 2022). The long educational and cultural traditions of the city create a

meaningful context for conducting this research at GCCNHS, given the

knowledge experiences and perspectives that students have in relation to

regional trends in educational decision-making.

This study shall be conducted at Gingoog City Comprehensive National

High School, located in Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental, Philippines, because

GCCNHS caters to a number of different high school academic courses and is one

of the largest public high schools within its area. One such academic course it

offered was the HUMSS strand.

The fact that a sizable population of HUMSS students are undecided of

their college program selections makes the school the perfect place for the study

and emphasizes the importance of comprehending the variables affecting their

choice.
The participants

200 HUMSS students from Gingoog City Comprehensive National High

School (GCCNHS) who are still undecided about their college program selections

will participate in this survey as respondents. Purposive sampling will be used as

the selection technique in order to guarantee a targeted and pertinent sample.

This strategy clearly addresses the study's goals about indecisive students'
decision-making regarding college programs by focusing on students who are

particularly enrolled in the HUMSS strand for the second semester and is

undecided on their college program. Purposive sampling is a technique that

focuses on a particular subgroup of respondents based on pertinent features,

enhancing the precision of the research findings.

This technique is also commonly referred to as judgmental sampling since

it left the choice of selecting subjects who are most likely to provide insightful

information relevant to the research issue to the judgment of the researcher.

Purposive sampling is a method of non-probability sampling that selects

participants through their individual characteristics and research objectives,

unlike convenience sampling, which selects people mainly based on accessibility

(Crossman, 2020). Moreover, purposive sampling methods are particularly

helpful for multi-phase qualitative research designs because they allow

researchers to systematically investigate whether a phenomenon deserves

further investigation (Nikolopoulou, 2023). All things considered, this sampling

approach fits with the study's goal of comprehending the variables affecting

HUMSS students' choices of college programs.

Data Collection process

A structured survey will be given to a sample of HUMSS students at

Gingoog City Comprehensive National High School (GCCNHS) for the data

gathering of this quantitative research. The objectives of the survey are to record

those internal and external factors that have an influence on the students'

choices in college programs. Peer pressure, influence from family, academic

performance, personal interest, and socio-economic background will be major

concerns for discussion as they are mostly associated with educational choice.
 Upon the approval of the research instruments, the researcher will

formally write a letter to the superintendent of the GCCNHS thru the respective

school head of GCCNHS in GINGOOG CITY Misamis Oriental namely GINGOOG

CITY COMPREHENSIVE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL. The approval of the school head

will be used to start to conduct the research.

This research aims to identify and assess the factors influencing indecision

in college program selection among HUMSS (Humanities and Social Sciences)

students. the study will analyze the variables such as Personal interests and

hobbies,peers/family influence Job Market trends.The results will help

educational institutions and policymakers understand the challenges HUMSS

students face in making informed decisions about their higher education

pathways.

The target population for this study is 200 HUMSS students currently

enrolled in senior high school (Grades 11 and 12) from Gingoog City

comprehensive national high school. To gather the data researcher will be used a

Likert scale questionnaire, which the respondents will rate or rank according to

the given. We will distribute the questionnaire to the selected HUMSS students in

person or during class hour. All data collected will be anonymous, and students

will be assured that their responses will be used only for study.

Furthermore, the results of the research will help educational institutions,

policymakers, and guidance counselors to better understand the problems that

HUMSS students at Gingoog City comprehensive national high experience in

selecting a college program. These findings can help to establish more effective

career advising programs, support networks, and interventions that will help

students make more confident and informed judgments about their future

educational paths.
Research Instrument

This research will use a survey questionnaire as an instrument to

understand the perspective of Assessing the number of HUMSS student who are

undecided about their college courses.

A survey questionnaire is a primary tool for collecting data in business

research. They are considered efficient, less expensive than personal interviews,

and can be quick if the sample is large and evenly distributed. (Dalati and

Gómez, 2018). The researcher will use quantitative methods, particularly

conducting research using survey questionnaire as an instrument to needed in

the study to gather data in the study to achieve the main goal of this study. The

researcher prepared a survey questionnaire to choose 150 HUMSS students who

are undecided about their college courses.

A 24-item skill researcher-made test was constructed by the researcher

based on the competencies designed by (Ouano, et al, 2019). The researcher

made a likert scale to make it easier for the researchers to analyze the

information they have collected.

The modified test was presented of some expert teachers in Gingoog City

Comprehensive National High School, they were asked to evaluate the clarity,

relevance, and comprehensiveness of each item on the survey. The researchers

also asked for help and assistance to their adviser. Content validation was used

to ensure that the test is accurate, appropriate and reliable. The

recommendations of the validators are considered in the final copy of the test.
 The Likert Scale Questionnaire administrated among the respondent. Both

Grade 11 and Grade 12 HUMSS students can answer this likert scale

questionnaire to determine the influence of the students chosen their college

courses. Throughout the experimentation, the researcher followed similar

competencies through each Grade 11 and Grade 12 HUMSS students who are

undecided about their college courses. This will benefit the respondent.
Scoring Method

This study looked at how HUMSS students at Gingoog City Comprehensive

National High School make decisions about their careers. We used a 4-point

Likert scale to understand their levels of indecisiveness about career choices.

The scale below shows what each point means.

Rating Point:

4 Strongly Agree

3 Agree

2 Disagree

1 Strongly Disagree

Steps in Scoring:

Counting Responses:

Each response from the survey was counted according to its rating. Then, we

found the frequency and percentage of each answer.

Interpreting Results:

We used these tallied results to see how often students agreed or disagreed on

different points, helping us understand their decision-making patterns.

Connecting Results to the Study’s Purpose:

Finally, we analyzed these patterns to figure out the main factors affecting

HUMSS students’ choices. These findings helped us address the research

question on college program decisions.