THE ROLE OF PERSONALITY TRAITS IN DETERMINING HIGHER EDUCATION PREFERENCES OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Аннотация

INTRODUCTION The process of selecting higher education Personality psychology, particularly the Big Five pathways is a complex decision-making journey personality model, has gained widespread that is influenced by a multitude of factors, ranging acceptance in understanding human behavior from academic performance to socio-economic across different contexts. The Big Five background. However, one of the most dimensions—openness to experience, underexplored yet pivotal aspects is the role of conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, personality traits in shaping students’ higher and neuroticism—serve as a framework for education preferences. As students navigate examining how individuals differ in their through various academic disciplines, career paths, preferences and behaviors. Each of these traits is and institutional environments, their inherent thought to influence various aspects of life, personality traits—shaped by both genetic and including academic and career choices. For environmental influences—may play a significant instance, students who score high on openness are role in their decision-making process. often more inclined toward creative and intellectual pursuits, while those with higher https://www.theamericanjournals.com/index.php/tajiir 7 THE USA JOURNALS THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY INNOVATIONS AND RESEARCH (ISSN- 2642-7478) VOLUME 06 ISSUE12 conscientiousness tend to favor structured, higher education preferences in a broad range of achievement-oriented environments. Extraversion disciplines. The study was conducted across three and agreeableness can influence preferences for universities, representing different academic group work or leadership roles, and neuroticism focuses (e.g., humanities, social sciences, may affect students’ resilience in coping with engineering, and natural sciences), to explore academic stress or their preference for less whether personality traits influenced the choice of challenging fields. academic fields. While much research has been dedicated to Participants understanding how personality traits influence The study targeted university students from academic performance, there is limited exploration different year groups and academic programs. A of how these traits specifically determine the types total of 500 students were selected through of higher education environments, fields of study, stratified random sampling, ensuring that the and career goals that students choose. The sample represented a diverse range of academic interaction between personality and academic backgrounds, gender, age, and socio-economic preferences can have profound implications for status. This approach ensured that the findings academic advising, career counseling, and would be broadly applicable to the general student institutional policy-making, ensuring that students population. Participation was voluntary, and all are guided toward paths that align with both their students provided informed consent. academic potential and personal inclinations. The inclusion criteria required that participants This study aims to explore how personality traits, were enrolled in undergraduate programs, aged 18 as defined by the Big Five model, affect university to 30, and able to complete the survey in English. students’ preferences for higher education choices. Students from graduate programs or non-degree By examining the relationship between personality programs were excluded, as the study focused on and academic preferences, the research seeks to undergraduates who are still in the process of provide a deeper understanding of the deciding their educational and career pathways. psychological factors driving students' educational decisions, which can help educators and academic Data Collection Tools institutions offer more tailored guidance and 1. Personality Assessment (Big Five Personality support for students in their academic journeys. Inventory): METHOD To measure students' personality traits, the Big This study aims to explore how personality traits Five Personality Inventory (BFI), a well- influence university students' preferences established psychological assessment tool, was regarding their higher education choices, including used. The BFI is a self-report inventory that their selection of academic disciplines, institutional measures the five core personality traits— environments, and career aspirations. To achieve openness to experience, conscientiousness, this, a mixed-methods approach was employed, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. The combining quantitative surveys and qualitative inventory contains 44 items rated on a five-point interviews to provide a comprehensive Likert scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to understanding of the relationship between 5 (strongly agree). Each of the five dimensions was personality traits and educational preferences. measured using eight items. Study Design Openness to Experience: Assesses the extent to which an