---Student satisfaction refers to the attraction, pride, or positive feeling that the students develop toward the program

or institution (Danielson,
1998; Hatcher, et al., 1992). Strike (1984) indicated that the level of students’ positive feeling or satisfaction is associated with students’ being
able to find adequate resources to meet their academic and social interests. The students’ ability to project and implement their self concepts
as a students or viewing themselves as part of the institution is also related to their positive feeling of satisfaction (Sedlacek, 1987; Stikes,
1984). The students’ positive feeling and satisfaction is also contingent to the students’ academic and social experiences obtained at the
particular institution (Aitken, 1982; Betz, Menne, Starr, & Klingensmith, 1971; Danielson, 1998; Hatcher, et al., 1992; Stikes 1984; Tinto, 1993).
The academic and social experiences of students are the vehicles that drive students into the life of the institution (Tinto, 1993). In his
Interaction theory into argues that student persistence can be predicted by their degree of integration. He refers to two kinds of integration;
academic and social integration. Academic integration refers to how students perform academically (grades) and social integration is how the
students interact with faculty (Suhre, Jansen, and Harskamp, 2006). Previous studies have shown that students who report positive academic
and social experiences expressed greater satisfaction with their overall college experience (Bailey, et al., 1998; Danielson, 1998; Tinto, 1993).
Other key determinants of student satisfaction include academic performance, quality of curriculum, quality of instruction, quality of academic
advising, student satisfaction with major, and the level of isolation Research in Higher Education Journal A survey research, Page 5 felt by the
student (Aitken, 1982). Interaction between faculty members and students is also a factor affecting student satisfaction in their academic
experiences (Allen, 1987; Betz, et al., 1971; Love, 1993; Tinto, 1993). This implies that sufficient and positive faculty-student interaction will
contribute to overall student satisfaction (Danielson, 1998; Nettles, et al., 1986; Tinto, 1993). Interaction with fellow students is also associated
with student satisfaction (Aitken, 1982).

---IM Salinda Weerasinghe , R. Lalitha, S. Fernando

American Journal of Educational Research. 2017, 5(5), 533-539. DOI: 10.12691/education-5-5-9

Published online: May 26, 2017

Satisfaction is a feeling of happiness that obtain when a person fulfilled his or her needs and desires 55. It is a state felt by a person
who has experienced performance or an outcome that fulfilled his or her expectations 27. Accordingly, satisfaction can be defined as
an experience of fulfillments of an expected outcomes Hon, 26. Person will satisfy when he /she achieves the expectations, hence it
is a willful accomplishment which result in one’s contentment 51. Satisfaction refers to the feeling of pleasure or disappointment
resulting from comparing perceived performance in relation to the expectation Kotler & Keller, 32. Customers will satisfy when
services fit with their expectation 48. Hence, it is a function of relative level of expectation connecting with people’s perception 39.
When a person perceives that service encountered as good, he would satisfy on the other hand person will dissatisfy when his or
her perception crash with the service expectation. Therefore, satisfaction is a perception of pleasurable fulfilment of a service 42.

---Senior High School is two years of specialized upper secondary education; students may choose a specialization based on aptitude,
interests, and school capacity. The choice of career track will define the content of the subjects a student will take in Grades 11 and
12. SHS subjects fall under either the Core Curriculum or specific Tracks (Official Gazette, 2012). Senior High School (SHS) covers
the last two years of the K to 12 program and includes Grades 11 and 12. In SHS, students will go through a core curriculum and
subjects under a track of their choice (http://k12philippines.com/, n.d). The K to 12 Program covers Kindergarten and 12 years of
basic education (six years of primary education, four years of Junior High School, and two years of Senior High School [SHS]) to
provide sufficient time for mastery of concepts and skills, develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education,
middle-level skills development, employment, and entrepreneur ship. Each student in Senior High School can choose among three
tracks: Academic; Technical-Vocational-Livelihood; and Sports and Arts. The Academic track includes three strands: Accountancy,
Business Management (ABM); Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS); and Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics
(STEM). Students undergo immersion, which may Include earn-while-you-learn opportunities, to provide them relevant exposure
and actual experience in their chosen track (Official Gazette, 2012).

Filipinos are known to be competitive in the international community. However, our current education system hinders us from
becoming even more competitive. Starting in the 2012-2013 school year, the education system of the Philippines was enhanced from
the ten years of basic education to a 12-year program through an initiative called the K-12 Education Plan sponsored by the
Department of Education (HubPages Inc. 2016). The K-12 program offers a decongested 12-year program that gives students
sufficient time to master skills and absorb basic competencies. The K-12 program accelerates mutual recognition of Filipino
graduates and professionals in other countries (K-12 Philippines, 2015)

---The choice of career of the students is being influenced by some factors from the social environment, mainly the

parents as immediate family who plays an active role in choosing the right education for their children (Pafili &
Mylonakis, 2011). As a sign of respect for the parents and culture of the Filipinos, parents or the elderly are
being consulted first by their children because primarily they will be the one to provide the financial support to
enter in college (Laguador, 2013).
This present study explores the last phase of the Career Decision-Making Process Model of Hirschi and Läge
(2007) which is the after actual decision-making which aims to determine, whether if the maritime program is
definitely the college degree that the students under study really aspire to pursue, either personal choice or with
consent and approval from other people. This is also relevant to the social cognitive theory of Bandura (1986)
which explores the maturity and development of interest and career and how these things turned into action.
It is important for the institution to identify the willingness of the students to pursue the program where interest
can be used as good indicator of career choice (Hirschi & Läge, 2008), so that if problems might occur in their
academic performance related to negative attitude, the result of this study might be useful to explain the
situation

Factors Affecting the Choice of School and Students’ Level of Interest towards the Maritime Program (PDF Download Available). Available
from:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282623530_Factors_Affecting_the_Choice_of_School_and_Students'_Level_of_Interest_towards_the_
Maritime_Program [accessed Mar 12 2018].