Abstract:
The purposes of this study were 1) to investigate factors affecting students further study choices, 2) to examine relationship between students background and their decision to further their study, 3) to compare the mentioned factors among students with different background, 4) to search for predictors of students decision to further their study in higher level. The studied factors included school images, location and environment, possibility of furthering study and finding jobs, and expenses. The informants of this study were 370 third year students studying for vocational certificate in industry in private vocational schools in Bangkok in Academic Year 2009. Questionnaires were used to collect the data. Frequency, percentage, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, Chi-Square, t-test, F-test, and LSD analysis were employed to analyze the data. Stepwise Multiple Regression analysis was used to predict the variables. It was found that school images most affected students current study program. Guardians occupations and total family income affected the students decision to further their study. The comparison of factors affecting study choices of students with different background revealed, as a whole, no differences. However, the detailed investigation indicated some differences in the aspects related to expenses and their current study program; i.e. The students in Electrical Power and Electronics Program placed more consideration on expenses than those in Construction Program; nevertheless, the construction students recognized the expenses more than mechanical students. Total family income and students current program of study were found good predictors of students decision to study for vocational certificate. On the contrary, no variables were found as appropriate predictors for students choice to further their study in Bachelors Degree level.