Social Dynamics of Career Choices Among University of Lagos Final Year Students
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The general objective of this study is the analysis of the social dynamics of career choices among university of Lagos final year students and the following are the specific objectives of this study:
- To examine the social dynamics of career choices among University of Lagos final year students.
- To examine the influence of parent on career choices among University of Lagos final year students.
- To examine the influences of peers on career choices among University of Lagos final year students.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
Our focus in this chapter is to critically examine relevant literature that would assist in explaining the research problem and furthermore recognize the efforts of scholars who had previously contributed immensely to similar research. The chapter intends to deepen the understanding of the study and close the perceived gaps.
CONCEPTUAL REVIEW
Concept of Education
According to National Policy on Education(1979), Education is the process of acquiring knowledge. It is a tool for person’s development, the single most powerful weapon against poverty, and a fundamental human right to which we all are entitled. It gives people the opportunity to improve on their health, raise productivity and help foster participation in civil society. Education is a process of keeping the world and our society intact and in fostering the development and growth upon which human survival and progress depends. It the development of process of equipping individuals with knowledge and skills to enable them solve the complex problems of living usefully for themselves, their families and make worthwhile contribution to the overall progress and development of the overall progress and development of the society. “Thus the educational process has been described as the intentional transmission of something worthwhile or desirable in a morally acceptable manner. It is the all-round development of a person physically, intellectually, morally, and spiritually. This implies that education encourages a wholesome development of the individual through participation in the activities of the social group, and that there must be a guide who can direct such education in a way that can result in all round development of a person. Education is a tool for national development, the single most powerful weapon against poverty, and a fundamental human right to which we all are entitled. It gives people the opportunity to improve health, raise productivity and help foster participation in civil society. Education is a process of keeping the world and our society intact and in fostering the development and growth upon which human survival and progress depends.
Okeke D. (2009) further asserts that Education is the process of providing information to an inexperienced person to help him/her develop physically, mentally, socially, emotionally, spiritually, politically and economically. That is why at graduation ceremonies one hears the Vice-Chancellors pronounce these words while awarding degrees to their institutions’ graduates, “you have been found worthy in character and learning…” In education parlance, it means that the individual has acquired adequate and appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes and values, known as cognitive, psychomotor and affective behaviours to be able to function optimally as a citizen. These behaviors are the focus of training individuals in institutions of learning .
The planned and systematic training given in an institution of learning is formal education. The programme or is organized, planned and systematically implemented. In an informal education, there is no plan and the training is haphazard and incidental. Education is the process through which individuals are made functional members of their society (Ocho, 2005). It is a process through which the young acquires knowledge and realizes her potentialities and uses them for self-actualization, to be useful to herself and others. It is a means of preserving, transmitting and improving the culture of the society. In every society education connotes acquisition of something good, something worthwhile.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitute of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
The aim of this study is to The general objective of this study is the analysis of the social dynamics of career choices among university of Lagos final year students . Therefore, student from selected faculty in University of Lagos State form the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS, RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of two hundred questionnaires were administered to respondents of two hundred (200) were returned and validated. For this study a total of 200 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDDATION
SUMMARY
The general objective of this study is the analysis of the social dynamics of career choices among university of Lagos final year students. The study further examine precisely the influence of parent on career choices among University of Lagos final year students and the influences of peers on career choices among University of Lagos final year students.
The study adopted a survey research design accompanied with data collated from both primary and secondary sources. The main instrument used for data collection was questionnaire. Convenient sampling techniques was used to select 200 students from three faculties in University of Lagos. Data was analyzed using simple percentage in frequency and tables.
CONCLUSION
Career selection is one of the main important choices a student will have to take in his life. This choice of decision will have impact on them throughout their lives. Career plays a very fundamental and significant role in the life of the individual because it determines the pattern of his or her income, affects the individual‟s personality and concept of life. Therefore, career is a life time pursuit for success.
Findings of the study reveal the social dynamics of career choices among university of Lagos final year students such as parent influence, peer influence, employment opportunity and pay, level of grade attained at graduation. These . extrinsic factors such as income, prestige, job availability and job satisfaction influenced the students’ choice of vocation while interpersonal factors such as parents have a strong influence on the students’ choice of vocation.
RECOMMENDATION
Based on the findings of this investigation, the following recommendations were presented for implementation.
- Since interest attracts individual to certain occupation. Counsellors should enhance counselling services by using vocational interest inventories to find out where students interest lies in choice of vocation and guide students towards such vocation.
- Counselors should organize counselling services that will involve parents forum where parents will be sensitized not to impose/ choose vocation for their children.
- The school authority should make fund available to counsellors to organize career programmes inviting professionals who are in the fields to speak to the students directly rather than using the teachers as witnessed during career days in some schools.
- Career Education and Guidance should be introduced in from secondary school to university to enable children to explore the world of work as young people need to make a smooth transition from secondary school to the final years of tertiary school and the Ministry of Education should allocate fund for a Guidance and Counselling activities in all basic and second cycle schools. This will enable the guidance coordinators to function effectively at their various levels of work.
REFERENCE
- Achebe, C.C. (1984). Vocational Implication of students’ subject preference. The Nigerian Principals: Journal of ANCOPS. 20-28.
- Agorwala, T. (2008). Factors influencing career choice of management students in India. Career development. Int. 13. 362-376 doi:108/13 62043810880844.
- Amani, J. (2003). Social Influences and Occupational Knoweldge as predictors of career choice intention among undergraduate students in Tanzania’’ International Journal of Counselling and Development, 3(3), 185 – 193.
- Awogbenle, A.C. & Iwuamadi, K.C. (2010) Youth unemployment: Entrepreneurship Development Programme as an intervention mechanism. African Journal of Business management, 4(6) 831-835.
- Bett, J.C. (2013). The importance of promoting the value and the role of peer counseling among students in secondary school. International Journal of economy, management and social science, 2(96), 477-484.
- Betz, N.E, (2002). The relationship of career-related self-efficacy expectations to perceived career options in college women and men. Journal of counseling psychology, 28(5), 399-410.
- Bland, C. J., Meurer, L., & Maldonado, G. (2005). Determinants of primary care specialty choice: A non-statistical meta-analysis of the literature. Academic Medicine, 70 , 620- 641.
- Buabeng, I., Ampiah, J.G. and Nelson, Q.R. (2012). Gender and Behaviour, 10(1). 4574-4584.
- Dick, P. T., & Rallis, F. S. (1991). Factors and influences on high school students’ career choices. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 22(04), 281-292.
