Attitudes towards obtaining a degree in Singapore

S:_____
Attitudes towards
obtaining a degree
We are a group of students doing a research on the
attitudes towards obtaining a degree in Singapore. We
would really appreciate it if you could take some time off
to fill up the questionnaire truthfully and carefully.
ALL INFORMATION COLLECTED WILL BE KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL AND WILL ONLY BE USED SOLELY FOR THIS PROJECT
Page | 1
Name (optional): _____________________________________________________
Gender (Please circle where appropriate): Male / Female
Race (Please circle where appropriate):
Chinese / Malay / Indian / Others (please specify) ________________________
Age: ________
Major in University (i.e. Mechanical Engineering) ___________________
Expected Year of Graduation (Please circle where appropriate)
2011 / 2012 / 2013 / 2014
Type of Residence (Please tick one)
O 1- and 2- room HDB Flat O 3 room HDB Flat

O 4 room and above HDB Flat O Condominium
O Landed Property O Private Apartment
Number of members in your household: ___________
Occupation of Household members (please fill up for all household members)
Position in household (i.e. Father, Occupation (Please give job title as well as
Mother) position if possible i.e. Shell, Executive
Manager)
Page | 2
Vehicles owned by members of your household (if none just state zero for that type of
vehicle)
( ) Car ( ) Motorcycle ( ) Lorry

( ) Taxi ( ) Pickup Truck ( )Others(specify)______________
In what sectors do you hope to be employed in? (Select as many as you want)
O Accounting O Entertainment O Biotechnology O IT/Infrastructure
O Finance/Banking O Creative Design O Actuarial O Chemical Engineering
O Finance/Investment O Customer Service O Statistics O Marine Engineering
O Administrative O Logistic/Supply Chain O Food Technology O Engineering
O Human Resource O Legal Service/Law O Nutritionist O Oil/Gas
O Government Service O Social Service O Agriculture O Environmental
O Public Relations O Aviation O Geology O Building/ construction
O Advertising O Chemistry O IT/Software O Hotel/Restaurant
O Education/Training O Medicine O Nursing O Publishing
O Journalism O Pharmaceutical O Others (specify)_____________________
Page | 3
For each of the following questions, please choose the option that best represents
your own opinion.
Given the context of today’s economy, Singapore would be able to survive without a large
1)
pool of graduates.
O Strongly Disagree O Disagree O Neutral O Agree O Strongly Agree
2) Getting a degree in Singapore is important to me.
3) Without a degree in Singapore, I would not be able to survive in the job market.
4) After graduation, I expect to be employed within 6 months.
5) Getting a degree in Singapore would improve my employability.
In Singapore’s current context, do you think you will be able to secure a job, which pays
6)
sufficiently for you to have the life you want to have in Singapore, without a degree?
7) It is possible to build a career without a degree in Singapore.
8) With a degree, I can expect a starting salary of _________ .
O Less than $2000 O $2000<$3000 O $3000<$4000 O More than $4000
9) I keep track of the labor policies of Singapore.
Page | 4
10) I know what the niche industries of Singapore’s economy are.
11) I know which industries are being developed by the Singapore government.
12) I am up to date with the condition of Singapore’s labour market.
13) My degree is related to the sector that I want to be employed in.
14) I would not be able to find a high paying job in sectors that are not related to my degree.
15) Singapore’s labour market conditions were a consideration when I was choosing my major.
16) I am able to find a job that is not related to my degree in Singapore.
17) I intend to get a job in the sector that is related to my degree.
18) I am concerned about how others think of me.
19) It is important for me to impress others.
Page | 5
20) Graduates are more valued as citizens in Singapore.
21) A degree would improve how others think of me.
22) People then to only think highly of those with high paying jobs.
23) In Singapore, I can only become financially successful if I have a degree.
24) In Singapore. I cannot achieve my emotional needs without a degree.
25) In Singapore, I cannot achieve my material needs without a degree.
26) In Singapore, I can expect to get a high-paying job with a degree.
27) In Singapore, as a graduate, I will have an advantage over non-graduates.
Everyone has an equal chance of getting a place in a Singaporean university (NUS, NTU or
28)
SMU).
Page | 6
29) Everyone in Singapore has been given an equal opportunity to pursue a university education.
I was given an equal opportunity to get a place in a Singaporean university (NUS, NTU or
30)
SMU).
31) The government has provided me with opportunities to achieve all my goals.
32) I do not need the support of the government to achieve my goals.
33) Equal opportunities are prevalent in Singapore.
Getting a place in a public university in Singapore has nothing to do with equal opportunities
34)
provided by the government.
35) During family gatherings, the importance of education is one of the topics of conversation .
36) People from the older generation like to talk to me about my education.
37) My peers often talk to me about the importance of higher education.
Page | 7
My peers, who are not studying in NUS, NTU or SMU, are pursuing their degree in a private
38)
institution.
If I wasn’t accepted into NUS, NTU or SMU, I would be pursuing my degree in a private
39)
institution.
40) It doesn’t matter where I get my degree from.
In Singapore a degree from a private institution is less valuable than the one I am getting in a
41)
public university.
Rank order (from 1 to 9) the following choices of people whom you think influenced you
42) that a degree is very important in Singapore. (1
having the most influence, 9 having the least)
GROUP (in no particular order) RANK

Parents
Mass Media
Boyfriend/Girlfriend
Peers
Cousins
Uncles/Aunts
Grandparents
Teachers (Current or present)
Past/Current Employers (if any)
Page | 8
43) It was not my choice whether to get a degree or not.
44) I would have pursued a degree even if nobody told me to.
45) A degree is important to me.
46) I am pursuing a degree because others wanted me to.
47 I get easily influenced by what others say.
48) Without a degree, I will not be able to survive financially in Singapore.
49) The Singapore government has heavily subsidized university education.
50) University education in Singapore is not possible without subsidies from the government.
51) Without government subsidies, university education is affordable in Singapore.
52) Cost of university education is not a hindrance for pursuing a degree in Singapore.
Page | 9
53) I know how much my university education costs.
54) A university education would provide me with a secure career.
55) Without a degree, it would be impossible for me to advance my career.
56) I believe that without a degree, I cannot survive financially in Singapore.
57) I believe that having a degree can help me achieve my material needs.
58) Without a degree, it is impossible to achieve my goals.
59) I have always wanted to get a degree.
60) My parents have played an important role in choosing to pursue an undergraduate course.
61) I would be in a low-paying job right now if I am not pursuing a degree.
62) If I am unable to get a university education, it is because of my own fault.
Page | 10
-----------------------------------END----------------------------------------
Page | 11

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S:_____

Gender (Please circle where appropriate): Male / Female

Race (Please circle where appropriate):

Chinese / Malay / Indian / Others (please specify) ________________________

Major in University (i.e. Mechanical Engineering) ___________________

Expected Year of Graduation (Please circle where appropriate)

2011 / 2012 / 2013 / 2014

Type of Residence (Please tick one)

O 1- and 2- room HDB Flat O 3 room HDB Flat

Number of members in your household: ___________

Occupation of Household members (please fill up for all household members)

( ) Car ( ) Motorcycle ( ) Lorry

O Accounting O Entertainment O Biotechnology O IT/Infrastructure

O Finance/Banking O Creative Design O Actuarial O Chemical Engineering

O Finance/Investment O Customer Service O Statistics O Marine Engineering

O Administrative O Logistic/Supply Chain O Food Technology O Engineering

O Human Resource O Legal Service/Law O Nutritionist O Oil/Gas

O Government Service O Social Service O Agriculture O Environmental

O Public Relations O Aviation O Geology O Building/ construction

O Advertising O Chemistry O IT/Software O Hotel/Restaurant

O Education/Training O Medicine O Nursing O Publishing

O Journalism O Pharmaceutical O Others (specify)_____________________

O Strongly Disagree O Disagree O Neutral O Agree O Strongly Agree

2) Getting a degree in Singapore is important to me.

O Strongly Disagree O Disagree O Neutral O Agree O Strongly Agree

O Strongly Disagree O Disagree O Neutral O Agree O Strongly Agree

4) After graduation, I expect to be employed within 6 months.

O Strongly Disagree O Disagree O Neutral O Agree O Strongly Agree

5) Getting a degree in Singapore would improve my employability.

O Strongly Disagree O Disagree O Neutral O Agree O Strongly Agree

O Strongly Disagree O Disagree O Neutral O Agree O Strongly Agree

7) It is possible to build a career without a degree in Singapore.

O Strongly Disagree O Disagree O Neutral O Agree O Strongly Agree

8) With a degree, I can expect a starting salary of _________ .

O Less than $2000 O $2000<$3000 O $3000<$4000 O More than $4000

9) I keep track of the labor policies of Singapore.

O Strongly Disagree O Disagree O Neutral O Agree O Strongly Agree

O Strongly Disagree O Disagree O Neutral O Agree O Strongly Agree

O Strongly Disagree O Disagree O Neutral O Agree O Strongly Agree

12) I am up to date with the condition of Singapore’s labour market.

O Strongly Disagree O Disagree O Neutral O Agree O Strongly Agree

13) My degree is related to the sector that I want to be employed in.

O Strongly Disagree O Disagree O Neutral O Agree O Strongly Agree

O Strongly Disagree O Disagree O Neutral O Agree O Strongly Agree

O Strongly Disagree O Disagree O Neutral O Agree O Strongly Agree

16) I am able to find a job that is not related to my degree in Singapore.

O Strongly Disagree O Disagree O Neutral O Agree O Strongly Agree

17) I intend to get a job in the sector that is related to my degree.

O Strongly Disagree O Disagree O Neutral O Agree O Strongly Agree

18) I am concerned about how others think of me.

O Strongly Disagree O Disagree O Neutral O Agree O Strongly Agree

19) It is important for me to impress others.

O Strongly Disagree O Disagree O Neutral O Agree O Strongly Agree

O Strongly Disagree O Disagree O Neutral O Agree O Strongly Agree

21) A degree would improve how others think of me.

O Strongly Disagree O Disagree O Neutral O Agree O Strongly Agree

O Strongly Disagree O Disagree O Neutral O Agree O Strongly Agree

23) In Singapore, I can only become financially successful if I have a degree.

O Strongly Disagree O Disagree O Neutral O Agree O Strongly Agree

24) In Singapore. I cannot achieve my emotional needs without a degree.

O Strongly Disagree O Disagree O Neutral O Agree O Strongly Agree

25) In Singapore, I cannot achieve my material needs without a degree.