The Influence of Filipino Family Values on Students’ Decisions to Pursue Graduate Studies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.67903/ijroms0422Keywords:
Educational Decision-Making, Family Expectations, Filipino Family Values, Graduate Studies, Student AspirationsAbstract
This qualitative phenomenological study examined how family values, expectations, support, sacrifices, and responsibilities influenced students’ decisions to continue their education at the graduate level. Filipino students who were contemplating or had already opted for graduate studies were purposively selected because they had family influence in their decision to continue their studies in a graduate program. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data and thematic analysis was used in the analysis to discover patterns, meanings and common experiences that emerge in the narratives of participants. The results confirmed that it was a combination of personal aspirations and family oriented values that influenced the choice for pursuing graduate studies. Students were encouraged to learn and motivated by parents’ emotional support; values of respect, responsibility, perseverance and gratitude contributed to students’ determination to pursue further studies. Family sacrifices and the desire to help families were also important factors in their decisions about education. This result shows that graduate education choices for Filipinos are not only personal but are also a function of the interconnected dynamics between family expectations, obligations, and aspirations and personal goals. The study will help to illustrate the role of family values in further educational endeavors of the Filipino, and understand the influence of these values on education in general. The results could be used to help students ponder their learning motivation, to inform parents of their impact on their students’ educational decisions, and to support teachers and higher education institutions in creating more culturally responsive student support and graduate education programs.
References
Alampay, L. P., & Garcia, A. S. (2019). Education and parenting in the Philippines. In E. Sorbring & J. E. Lansford (Eds.), School systems, parent behavior, and academic achievement (Vol. 3). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28277-6_7
Almodovar, A. A., Butad, J. I., Danao, L. M., DelaCruz, P. K., Escorial, M. F., Eusebio, A., Javier, J. M., Diola, D., & Arahan, D. A. (2026). Lived experiences of Filipino college students in academic course selection: A phenomenological study. Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 58(8), 1108–1117. https://doi.org/10.70838/pemj.580806
Askarova, N., Shalamova, O., & Voronova, L. (2025). The family’s role in high school graduates’ higher education decision-making. Global Journal of Guidance and Counseling in Schools: Current Perspectives, 15(1), 73–84. https://doi.org/10.18844/gjgc.v15i1.9647
Bayon, C., Abejo III, M., Guinocor, M., Garciano, M. J., Literatus, J., Reveche, S. J., Nudalo, A., Gonzaga, M. C., Caminos, I., Caminos, R., Borres, V., & Cortes, S. (2024). Do social cognitive factors influence final-year undergraduate students’ intentions to pursue advanced degrees? An examination of the moderating effect of sex. Frontiers in Education, 9, Article 1329911. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1329911
Bergann, S., Blüthmann, I., Neugebauer, M., & Watermann, R. (2025). Intrinsic and extrinsic motives of undergraduate students for pursuing a master’s degree: Applying the Eccles et al. expectancy-value model. PLOS ONE, 20(3), Article e0317204. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0317204
Catindig, M. D., Espina, K. J., & Placido, A. C. (2013). Career-life preparedness: The power of parental influences on the career decision self-efficacy and career aspirations of Filipino undergraduate students [Bachelor’s thesis, De La Salle University]. Animo Repository. https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/11242
Chaturvedi, N. (2025). Impact of family on career decision-making among high school students in Lucknow’s various educational boards. International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research, 7(6). https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i06.63123
Fabella, M., Seki, M., & Kakinaka, M. (2025). General perceptions of career decision-making autonomy among youth in rural Philippines: An experimental study examining cultural and gender dynamics. The Developing Economies, 64(3), 243–263. https://doi.org/10.1111/deve.12453
Faculin, C. H., Villares, O. N., Jortil, M., & Delantar, A. F. A. (2025). Linking demographic profile to family influence and career decision preferences. Journal of Humanities, Social Sciences and Business, 5(1), 25–38. https://doi.org/10.55047/jhssb.v5i1.1972
Glueck, M. B. (2025). Beyond a bachelor’s: Stratification in graduate school enrollment. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, 96, Article 101019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rssm.2025.101019
Guan, S., Meng, F., & Wu, C. (2025). Authoritative filial piety rather than reciprocal filial piety mediated the relationship between parental support, career decision self-efficacy, and discrepancies between individual-set and parent-set career goals. Behavioral Sciences, 15(8), Article 1135. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15081135
Lao, L. S., Pecson, J. B., Tejada, C. R., & Todino, K. K. (2019). Ayon kay nanay at tatay …: Perceived parental involvement on career decision-making of Filipino senior high school students [Bachelor’s thesis, De La Salle University]. Animo Repository. https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/5736
Llenares, I. I., Deocaris, C., & Deocaris, C. (2021). Work values of Filipino college students. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 49, 513–523. https://doi.org/10.1080/03069885.2021.1939267
Nazareno, A. L., Lopez-Relente, M. J. F., Gestiada, G. A., Martinez, M. P., De Lara, M. L. D., & Roxas-Villanueva, R. M. (2021). Factors associated with career track choice of senior high school students. Philippine Journal of Science, 150(5), 1043–1060. https://doi.org/10.56899/150.05.15
Nguyen, Q. T., Hoang, P. D., Vu, H. T., & Nguyen, D. L. (2025). Understanding postgraduate study intentions in Vietnam: A qualitative exploration of contextual and motivational drivers. Journal of Finance & Accounting Research, 25(4). https://doi.org/10.71374/jfar.v25.i4.08
Onoshakpokaiye, O. E. (2022). The influence of parents on students’ choice of career in these present occupational challenges. IJIET (International Journal of Indonesian Education and Teaching), 7(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.24071/ijiet.v7i1.4968
Qiao, G., Chen, H., Li, G., Liu, H., & Wang, X. (2024). The role of filial piety in filial tourism: An intergenerational analysis of decision-making. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 29, 1017–1031. https://doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2024.2362199
Santos, L. D. M. (2020). I am a nursing student but hate nursing: The East Asian perspectives between social expectation and social context. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17, Article 2608. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17072608
Vasquez, J., Arpon, A. M., Arellano, V. P., Tariga, J., Rom, G., & Umpad, T. K. (2025). Exploring students’ experiences of parental influence in career decision-making. International Journal of Modern Developments in Engineering and Science, 4(4), 14–21. https://journal.ijmdes.com/ijmdes/article/view/252
Zhou, Y., Liu, Y., Xue, W., Li, X., Yang, Z., & Xu, Z. (2024). Factors that influence the intent to pursue a master’s degree: Evidence from Shandong Province, China. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, Article 1284277. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1284277
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 International Journal of Research on Multidisciplinary Studies
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
