THE EFFECT OF SITUATIONAL FACTORS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS OF STUDENTS IN THE CHOICE OF THE MECHANICAL ENGINEERING EXPERTISE PROGRAM IN VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE YOGYAKARTA SPECIAL TERRITORY

This study aims to describe situational and psychological factors, the choice of the mechanical engineering expertise program, and find out determinations of situational and psychological factors on the choice of the mechanical engineering expertise program in Vocational High Schools (VHSs) in the Yogyakarta Special Territory. This was a correlational study which was ex post facto in nature. It was conducted in state and private VHSs belonging to the technology and engineering group in the mechanical engineering expertise program in the Yogyakarta Special Territory. The data were collected through inventories, observation sheets, and documents. The data were analyzed using the descriptive analysis, regression analysis, and path analysis. The results of the descriptive analysis show that the scores of situational factors are in the high category, those of psychological factors are in the high category, and that of the choice of the mechanical engineering expertise program in VHSs is in the high category. The research hypothesis testing shows that: (a) there are significant effects of situational factors (family, previous school, and social environments), and psychological factors (students’ information mastery, self-understanding, and attitudes) on the choice of the mechanical engineering expertise in VHSs with a contribution of 53.8%; and (b) based on the results of path analysis showed that the choice of the mechanical engineering expertise program in VHSs by junior high school (JHS) graduates is dominantly affected by a situational factor in the form of social environment and the most influential psychological factors are students’ self-understanding and attitudes