Investigating Psycho-sociological Factors in Predicting Career Decisions Among Some Selected Secondary Schools

Investigating Psycho-sociological Factors in Predicting Career Decisions Among Some Selected Secondary Schools

CHAPTER ONE

Purpose of the Study

Generally, this study will investigate the psycho-sociological factors as it predicts career decision of students.

Specifically, the study will:

1. Examine the relationship between psychological factors and sociological factors
2. Determine the relationship between attitudes and the career decision of students.
3. Establish the relationship between personality, self-efficacy and career decision making of students.

CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Introduction

This chapter reviewed various areas related to the study. These areas are;

Conceptual Framework

Socio-economic status, the concept of career, the concept of aspiration and career aspirations

Socio-economic Status

Socio-economic status is an individual’s or group’s position within a hierarchical social structure. Socio-economic status depends on a combination of variables, including occupation, education, income, wealth, and place of residence. Sociologists often use socio-economic status as a means of predicting behavior (New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition).

Socio-economic status (SES) as defined in the Wikipedia, is an economic and sociological combined total measure of a person’s work experience and of an individual’s or family’s economic and social position in relation to others, based on income, education, and occupation. When analyzing a family’s SES, the household income, learners’ education, and occupation are examined, as well as combined income, versus an individual, when their own attributes are assessed.

Socio-economic status is typically broken into three categories (high SES, middle SES, and low SES) to describe the three areas a family or an individual may fall into. When placing a family or individual into one of these categories, any or all of the three variables (income, education, and occupation) can be assessed.

Socio-economic status can also be referred to ones position in relation to the social and economic position of the individual’s parents. This means that parents occupied various social or economic positions among the groups in the society. These positions are sometimes being looked at in relationship to effective educational goal achievement, and other needs in life. On the other hand, gender can be defined as masculinity or femininity, taking into consideration biological, social and cultural norms. A person’s self -image as a male or female and the roles the person is attached to can be used as gender identity. It is a common assumption that, society and cultural factors exert influence on gender identity by defining roles for males and females and reinforcing appropriate behaviours, though gender roles is level inappropriate, gender has effect on student vocational behaviors, and play a great role in their vocational interest / aspiration.

Parents with low socio-economic status often lack the financial, social, and educational support that characterized high socio-economic status. Due to their poverty level these groups of parents may have inadequate or limited access to community resources that can promote and support children’s development and school readiness. Socio-economic status therefore, can be referred to such a position in relation to the social and economic stand of the individual’s parents occupying various positions among the groups in the society. Those positions are sometimes times looked at in relationship to vocational aspiration. Vocational aspiration therefore, can take its cue from the application of rational and systematic analysis to the aim of making vocational aspiration more effective and efficient in responding to the needs and goals of the students and society. Hurking (1972) studied a sample of 182 black and white adolescent from the working class to find out whether there was a significant association between socio-economic, structure and level of occupational aspirations. He found out that there were no such significant associations between the social variables.

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CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Introduction

In this chapter, the following areas were discussed;

Research Design, Population of the Study, Sample and Sampling Techniques, Instruments for Data Collection, Reliability of the Instrument, Validity of the Instrument, Method of Data Collection and Data Analysis

Research Design

This study is a descriptive research. Nwana (1981) refers descriptive research as a best method which include the use of questionnaire o interviews in the collection of data, the research would use the questionnaire to obtain information needed for the study to identify the strength the responses to various questions, percentage would be calculated and all data obtained would be analyzed. We decided to adopt this design because this it is competent in gathering people’s opinion. Kerlinger (1975) stated that description survey research is a useful tool for educational facts finding. Most importantly it has an added advantage of a wide scope thereby allowing in-depth information to be obtained from a large population. Another distinct characteristic of this design is that it allows the use of questionnaires and interviews in other to determine the options, attitude, preference and perception of people who are of interest to the researchers.

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA ANALYSES AND RESULT OF FINDINGS

Introduction

In this chapter, the results of the investigation are presented. The data collected was analyzed using frequency distribution table and simple percentage. The results are presented under three (3) sub-headings namely; Parental Background, Career aspiration of Secondary School Students and The Factors Influencing Career Aspiration of Senior Secondary School Students.

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Introduction

This chapter presents the summary of the findings of the study. These finding are discussed, one after the other. Based on the discussion the researchers offered some recommendations and suggestions. It also drawn conclusion on the study.

Summary of the Main Findings

The main aim of the study is to investigate the psycho-sociological factors as it predicts career decision of students. The following are the summary of the main findings;

1. The higher the level of education attained by parents, the higher the career aspiration of the students.
2. The development in the educational achievement of the students with a better possibility for better career choice is high and the level of education of the parent could be in form of motivation for child to aspire for better jobs in future.
3. The parent would support and encourage their continuing education up to the tertiary level.
4. Majority of the students now -a-days decide on their own career choices.

Discussion

In the earlier part of the 19th century, Agriculture was the parameter used to evaluate the might of the nation and its citizens. But soon after the First World War, national development arouse on industrial development. Nigeria is not left behind in taking a bold measure for national development. The earlier practices of using all members of the family especially males for subsistence farming were abandoned; this necessitated the quest for western education without which mechanization would not be fully realized. Thus, this marks a turning point for education, because mere societies are now enjoying the socio-economic advantage of education. Education is now seen as a vehicle for upward social mobility especially the labour force.

An encouraging development discovered by the study was the higher level of education of most parents. This could be attributed to rowing awareness among parents and the populace that education is a vehicle for rapid social and economic development. One very interesting point the study revealed is the favorable attitude of the parents towards the careers aspire by the students. This is in agreement with the fact that the very high educational attainment on the part of the parents brought about awareness which result in to freedom for the students to choose a career different from their parents and as a result, acceptance of that career choice by the parents. Thus, this satisfies the expectation of alternatives, both educationally and occupationally.

This postulation can be said to be changing for good, since parents in this study now give children freedom to aspire to any career without stereotyping.

Furthermore, the researchers found out that the school did not play much important role in career choice of the students because the guidance and counseling unit in some schools are either ineffective or nonfunctional. These important findings underscore the significance of guidance and counseling in the school. Almost all the students did not know the schools that offer courses of their career aspiration. Because, they responded to a question in the questionnaire that they want study medicine in colleges, while they study arts in secondary school. Most of the students do not possess the necessary background to pursue the career of their choice. This study is in agreement with Naibi (1996), that parents have no direct influence on the children career aspiration, because parents now allow their children both male and females to aspire for any career of their choice. This may be because of the higher level of education attained by the parents.

Recommendations

1. Secondary school student’s career aspiration has to be encouraged and completed by the authority concerned. Teachers are to be employed and encouraged to teach in schools to make the students dream a reality. Furthermore, schools should encourage and reinforce the students aspiring for specific profession by organizing competition and activities to promote their field of study in schools most importantly, selection of students read to study a certain course should be based on merit. On the part of the government, it should provide fund to adequately equip the students, the teachers and schools with necessary teaching and learning materials.
2. Most of the students in this study aspired highest level of education, to achieve this in Ogun; their aspired careers should be sponsored in form of incentives that should be given to hard working students who exceed to pursue a unique aspired career. Since most of the parents under the present dispensation might not be able to afford to pay for the education of their children.
3. The confidence reposed on school by the parents can be reinforced by the improvement of guidance and counseling activities through;
4. Guidance and Counseling units in the school should be made effective and functional.
5. An improved incentives for career masters in terms of guidance, personal welfare, imposed physical working condition, constant supply of informative materials related to career to broaden the search for career opportunity and allow the guidance masters to guide the students honestly.

Conclusion

The study shows that the high premium of career aspiration or high profession is not in any way influenced by their parents; rather the choice was partly influenced by the student’s personal interest and ability. The study also shows that senior secondary school students are no longer interested in teaching as

their aspired profession. Furthermore, students inspired for career different from their parents, given necessary support and encouragement by the parents, teachers and society with proper learning atmosphere.

References

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