Motivation towards choosing university courses in agriculture and fisheries: Views from Filipino students

Jackylou Sarsale, Catherine Patual, Marilou Siega and Catherine Garcia
Southern Leyte State University, Philippines

Despite the critical role of agriculture and fisheries in the Philippines' economy and food security, enrolment in related educational programs remains low compared to more commercially popular fields. Our study explores the motivational factors influencing Filipino senior high school students' decisions to pursue higher education degrees in agriculture and fisheries. We employed an explanatory sequential mixed-method design, beginning with a cross-sectional survey followed by interviews. The study used multi-stage random sampling, including 907 respondents and 12 interviewees. The quantitative data was collected with questionnaires, and qualitative information was collected through interview guides. The findings reveal three main types of motivation impacting educational choices: intrinsic motivation, linked to personal interest and satisfaction; extrinsic motivation, influenced by family and perceived career prospects; and amotivation, driven by misconceptions about career potential and societal devaluation of these fields. Recommendations are presented for improving the visibility and value of agriculture and fisheries programs through enhanced educational strategies.
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Authors: Ms Jackylou Sarsale (corresponding author) is an early career researcher in STEM education, assessment and motivation at the College of Teacher Education, Southern Leyte State University, Southern Leyte, Philippines. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1182-6671 Email: jsarsale@southernleytestateu.edu.ph Ms Catherine Patual is an assistant professor in science education at the College of Teacher Education, Southern Leyte State University, Southern Leyte, Philippines. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-8658-382X Email: cpatual@southernleytestateu.edu.ph Ms Marilou Siega is an assistant professor in science education at the College of Teacher Education, Southern Leyte State University, Southern Leyte, Philippines. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0882-0825 Email: msiega@southernleytestateu.edu.ph Ms Catherine Garcia is an early career researcher in business education and entrepreneurship at the College of Business and Management, Southern Leyte State University, Southern Leyte, Philippines. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4963-4210 Email: cgarcia@southernleytestateu.edu.ph Please cite as: Sarsale, J., Patual, C., Siega, M. & Garcia, C. (2025). Motivation towards choosing university courses in agriculture and fisheries: Views from Filipino students. Issues in Educational Research, 35(1), 298-319. http://www.iier.org.au/iier35/sarsale.pdf