Abstract
This study examines the factors influencing career preferences among third-year Bachelor of Technical and Vocational Teacher Education (BTVTED) students at Bestlink College of the Philippines, Bulacan Campus, addressing a critical gap in understanding how personal interest, family influence, salary expectations, and job opportunities shape career decisions in technical-vocational education. We employ a quantitative, non-experimental design, administering a structured survey to all 40–42 third-year BTVTED students using census sampling, with Likert-scale items capturing the interplay of these factors. The survey instrument undergoes rigorous validation through expert review and pilot testing, while data analysis combines descriptive statistics (e.g., frequency distributions, weighted means) and inferential techniques (correlation analysis) in SPSS. Results reveal a strong preference for employment over entrepreneurship, with personal interest emerging as the most influential predictor, closely tied to intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy. Family influence exhibits a high-moderate impact, reflecting socio-cultural norms and financial dependencies, whereas salary expectations and job opportunities show moderate-high effects, particularly among students prioritizing economic stability. A conceptual model further delineates these relationships, positioning personal interest and job opportunities as direct predictors, while family influence and salary expectations act as moderators. Regional disparities and program-specific dynamics also modulate these trends, highlighting the need for localized interventions. The study contributes to the literature by empirically validating the multifaceted drivers of career preferences in TVET contexts, offering actionable insights for policymakers and educators to align curricula with labor-market demands and strengthen career guidance systems. Moreover, the findings underscore the importance of addressing socio-economic constraints and fostering intrinsic motivation to enhance student outcomes, thereby bridging the gap between education and employment in technical-vocational fields.
