Motives and interests in joining the PNP: Their influence on academic performance of Public Safety Basic Recruit Course (PSBRC) students

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the motives and interests in joining the PNP of students in Regional Training School 6 (RTS 6) and the influence of these motives and interests on academic performance in Public Safety Basic Recruit Course. The one-shot survey design was used in this study. The study respondents consisted of 267 students. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and relational statistical tools. The majority of the PSBRC Class 06-04-11 to 16 students were male, below 26 years old, and single and most of them were graduates of non-criminology courses. The family income of most was below Php 10,000. Their average household size was 5.9. A great majority of the respondents had a dominant intrinsic motive, while the need for job security and protection for their families were their main motives in entering the police service. Of the six types of interests, the Social type had the biggest number of respondents with “working with a team to pursue peace and order goals” as their highest chosen interest type indicator, while artistic type had the smallest number of respondents with “writing stories” as the least chosen interest type indicator. A great majority of PSBRC students had an academic performance rating between 66.51 and 73.50. The students’ sex, age, household income, household size and college degree of the respondents were found to be not significantly associated with type of motive in joining the PNP. However, civil status was found to be significantly related to this variable. The students’ age, civil status, household income, household size, and college degree are not significantly related to the types of interest in joining the PNP, but sex of the respondents is significantly related to type of interest. The Z test results revealed that the PSBRC students’ academic performance ratings do not significantly vary according to their sex, age, civil status, household income, household size, college degree, and type of motives. The ANOVA test and the Scheffe test for multiple comparisons revealed that academic performance significantly varies according to the types of interests of PSBRC students. Conclusions In the light of the above findings, the researcher has arrived to the following conclusions: The PSBRC trainees of RTS 6 are still dominated by young single men who come from middle-income families, medium sized households. They are intrinsically motivated to join the PNP, particularly by job security and protection for their families. They are socially inclined, but not attracted to artistic careers. They are average performers irrespective of their sex, age, household income, household size, and college degree. Moreover, these characteristics has no significant viii bearing on their type of motives in joining the PNP, but their civil status significantly influenced their type of motive. The age, civil status, household income, household size and college degree of the PSBRC students do not significantly influence their type of interests in joining the PNP, but their sex do. Their academic performance did not also vary according to sex, age, civil status, household income, household size and college degree. Moreover, their academic performance does not significantly vary according to their type of motives in joining the PNP. Their academic performance, however, significantly vary according to their type of interest in joining the PNP. Recommendations 1. The NAPOLCOM and the PNP should continue with the existing screening and selection process of recruitment, but they should also consider the applicants’ economic and security motives and take preventive measures to prevent them from engaging with immoral and illegal undertakings. 2. New recruits should be made aware of their dominant interests as well as the need to put into good use other qualities found in other types of interests. 3. PNP authorities and the training school should help the students become more aware that the purpose of training is not only for the sake of compliance but to learn well the necessary knowledge and skills they needed to become excellent law enforcers and public servants. 4. Future studies should be done to determine the relationship between civil status and types of motives and to determine the relationship between sex and types of ix interest not only in connection with academic performance, but as well as with police work. 5. Other teaching-learning related factors should be studied so that appropriate actions could be taken to further enhance academic performance. Moreover, it is also recommended that this study will be replicated to a population with heterogeneous academic performance. 6. A study to evaluate the Curriculum for PSBRC and design a Program of Instructions (POI) should also be conducted and to compare the performance of those who are intrinsically motivated from those who are extrinsically motivated. 7. In addition, the RTS 6 should provide highly competent instructors for the training program. They should be able to formulate examinations that can truly measure the students’ learning. 8. Since academic performance was found to vary according to the students’ interest, students should be encouraged to know their types of interests and make adjustments when necessary to achieve high academic performance. A scientific inventory of interests of the students is recommended, especially to new recruits. In line with this, more studies on the relationship of interests with academic performance should be conducted.