The students taking the placement exam in Math and English: Their socio-economic status, academic achievement, reasons for taking the exam, and possibility of enrolling at Central Philippine University

Abstract

This survey-correlational study attempted to determine the respondents’ socio-economic status, academic achievement, reasons for taking the placement exam in Math and English, and the possibility of enrolling at this University in school-year 2005-2006. This study determined percentages and the direction 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 16 to May 7, 2005 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 percentages Cramer’s V and Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient with an alpha level of .05. Result showed that the majority of the respondents are 16 years and younger, female, have graduated from public rural 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 majority of the respondents belong to families with income of Php. 10, 000.00 or less 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 and are members of different student organizations in high school and are certain and very certain to enroll in the University. The majority of the respondents did not take placement exams in other schools but for those who took the placement exam in other schools, West Visayas State University (WVSU) is the most popular. The great majority of students who took the placement exam at the University indicated they are certain and very certain to enroll at the University. Age, gender, family’s monthly income, location of school, and type of school were not significantly related to the possibility of the respondents’ enrolling at the University in school-year 2005-2006. High school average grade was found to be significantly related to the possibility of enrolling at the University.