Switch and shift : A Phenomenological study about development communication students' reasons for shifting in other degree programs
| dc.contributor.author | Jaymeelyn R. Reyes | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-10-01T02:50:04Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-10-01T02:50:04Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024 | |
| dc.description.abstract | After finishing high school, many students choose a college degree program based on their skills and life ambitions. This decision is in line with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of Quality Education, which promotes inclusive and equitable education and emphasizes lifelong learning. However, the goal of tertiary education in the 21st century has been questioned due to the enigma surrounding the mere goal of tertiary education which is aimed exposing the learners to more ideal contribution to the society. In this study, the review of related literatures, especially study of Zafar (2013), have shown that students' decisions to change their majors were influenced by factors such as interest, parental advice, discussions with peers, and job opportunities. In the Department of Communication and Development Studies at Central Luzon State University (CLSU), during the pandemic, the number of enrollees has increased rapidly, with a significant number of students shifting to other degree programs. Therefore, this study aims to identify the reasons affecting Development Communication students' decision to shift to other programs during the pandemic The findings and recommendations could be used to reduce the number of DevCom students shifting to other programs. This study is primarily aimed at discovering the reasons why students in DevCom shift in other degree programs using their lived experiences. This study used a snowball sampling technique in terms of gathering the participants who are shifters from the Academic Years (A.Y) 2019-2020 to A.Y 2020-2021. Meanwhile, in order to gather their responses an in-depth and focus group interview was utilized. After that, all the data has been transcribed and analyzed following Carl Moustakas’ (1994) modification of van Kaam’s method of phenomenology. Total of 8 steps had been done in order to synthesize the individual textural-structural descriptions to extract the essence of participants' lived experiences. A total of seven themes encompassing participants’ experiences in DevCom and reasons why they shifted into other degree program were discussed namely: participants discovered DevCom after being alternate qualifiers, DevCom helps participants develop writing and speaking skills, the power of having a concrete career goals which participants want to pursue, dream and passion towards a degree program to pursue, the effects of pandemic in distance learning, pursuing the preferred degree program amidst the adversities, and giving chances to alternate qualifiers. This phenomenological study explored the participants’ experiences in DevCom and their reasons behind shifting to other degree programs, focusing on their lived experiences. The study found that most alternate qualifiers for CLSU-CAT were unaware of DevCom and only discovered it upon enrollment. Despite having limited knowledge about the program, participants found DevCom beneficial in developing their writing and speaking skills, however, they still did not pursue the program knowing that it does not match their interest and skillsets. The study also found that having concrete career goals and passion for a degree program were key reasons in their decision to switch a degree program to take. Moreover, the pandemic negatively impacted distance learning, causing some students to seek a sense of belonging and support. Additionally, life situations, parental motivation, and peer support also influenced their decision to pursue their preferred degree program. Despite the rigorous process and additional years in college, participants were eager to pursue their dream career program. The study also revealed that giving choices to alternate qualifiers was the perceived solution of the participants based on their experiences to lessen the shifting phenomenon. This would allow them to choose a degree program that is aligned with their interests and, thus, providing them more convenience. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://granarium.clsu.edu.ph/handle/123456789/622 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.relation.supervisor | ZORILLE DC. VILLAFLORES | |
| dc.title | Switch and shift : A Phenomenological study about development communication students' reasons for shifting in other degree programs | |
| dc.type | Thesis |