Personality Traits, Self-Efficacy and Career Preference Correlates among Senior High School Students in the Province of Iloilo, Philippines

Abstract

This correlational-comparative study was conducted to determine the relationship among personality traits, perceived self-efficacy and career preference factors of 3,186 senior high school students in 207 public and private schools in the Province of Iloilo. This study also examined whether the demographic profile of students as to sex, residence, school, education of mother, education of father, income, siblings, and birth order are related to their personality traits, perceived self-efficacy and career preference factors. In addition, an approach of comparing the personality traits, perceived self-efficacy and career preferences between Grade 11 and Grade 12 was adopted. Percentage, Frequency Distribution, Point-biserial, Chi-square and Spearman rho and Mann-Whitney U-test were used for the analysis. The results showed that Grade 11 are “Neutral” on five personality traits extroversion; agreeableness; conscientiousness; neuroticism; and openness to experience. Relatively, Grade 12 students have the same dominant personality traits with Grade 11 except for a significantly high mean score in agreeableness. Overall, the participants have “High” level of self-efficacy. In terms, overall career preference factors, the students are “Slightly Agree” with the “Importance of Lifestyle,” got the highest Weighted Mean value, and “Neutral with the “Importance of Hospital Directed Activities,” got the least Weighted Mean value. There is no significant relationship between birth order and all dimensions of personality traits.  Sex is not predictive of overall self-efficacy. In addition, sex, type of school, and birth order are not significantly associated with overall career preference factors. Further, there is a significant relationship among personality traits, perceived self-efficacy, and career preference factors. Lastly, there is a significant difference in personality traits between Grade 11 and Grade 12. However, no significant difference was observed in the perceived self-efficacy and career preference factors between Grade 11 and Grade 12.