Relationship between possibility of enrolling at the university, personal characteristics, economic background, academic achievement and actual enrollment of students taking the placement exam at Central Philippine University

Abstract

This descriptive-relational study attempted to determine the relationship between the possibility of enrolling at the University, personal characteristics, economic background, academic achievement, and actual enrollment of students taking the placement exam at Central Philippine University. This study determined the percentages and significance of relationships between some independent and dependent variables. Data for this investigation were gathered from 400 randomly chosen and clustered high school graduates who took the placement exam from April 21 to June 15, 2007, using a researcher-made data gathering instrument divided into five (5) sections. The instrument was face and content validated and revised. Data gathered were analyzed using frequency distribution and Chi-Square with an alpha level of .05. The result showed that the majority of the respondents are 16 years and younger, female, have graduated from public urban high schools located mostly in the province of Iloilo. The respondents’ parents are engaged in various occupations and are responsible for paying their tuition and fees The higher proportion of the respondents belong to families with income of more than Php 20,000.00 per month, owned their dwelling unit with flush toilets, constructed in their own housing lots with many families using piped-in and purified/mineral water for drinking. Many respondents received academic honors and special awards, are members of different student organizations in high school, and are certain to enroll in the University in school-year 2007-2008. For many respondents who took the placement exam in other schools, West Visayas State University (WVSU) is the most popular. A little over one-half of the respondents who took the placement exam at the University actually enrolled in school-year 2007-2008. Age, sex, family’s monthly income, type of school, academic awards received, and special awards received were not significantly related to the possibility of the respondents’ enrolling at the University in school year 2007-2008. Location of residence, location of the school, and high school average grade were found significantly related to the possibility of enrolling at the University. The possibility of enrolling at the University and the location of the school were significantly related to actual enrollment.