PERCEIVED RELEVANCE OF VOCATIONAL SUBJECTS TO LEARNERS’ CAREER DEVELOPMENT AMONG PARENTS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
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PERCEIVED
RELEVANCE OF VOCATIONAL SUBJECTS TO LEARNERS’ CAREER DEVELOPMENT AMONG PARENTS
OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
ABSTRACT
Vocational/technical
education ought to attract many students because of its laudable importance but
reverse has been the case. The reason for this, probably, is due to significant
others’ perception that it does not require specialized kind of training. This
descriptive study investigated perceived relevance of vocational subjects to
learners’ career development among parents of secondary school students.
A 10-item
questionnaire investigating parents’ perception of the relevance of vocational
subjects was adopted and administered to 200 parents that were randomly
selected from public senior secondary schools within Ikeja area of Lagos State.
Data analysis was done using simple percentage statistics.
Findings
from the study reveal parents’ perception that vocational education is an
important aspect of education process but such education limits education
progress and career development;that the perceived relevance of vocational
subjects is an influence on students’ choice of career; and that there is no significant
gender difference on the perceived relevance of vocational subjects.
The study
further recommends that government at all levels should provide more
encouragements in the form of facilities, facilitators, skilled artisans and
motivations to stimulate participation in vocational subjects; help artisans in
exporting their products and services as a way of showcasing the benefits of
vocational subjects; Guidance Counsellors should organise career counselling on
the importance of vocational subjects for students on the relevance of
vocational subjects to future career fulfilment; and that more public
enlightenment programmes should be embarked upon by agencies such as The
National Orientation Agency and Non-Governmental Organisations on the
importance of vocational/technical subjects to national development.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background to the study
Vocational
and technical education is among the vital tools an individual can use to be
developed. It is training for useful employment in trade, industries,
agriculture, business and home making etc. The emphasis on Vocational/
Technical education is to prepare one for self reliance.
The Federal
Government of Nigeria wants vocational/technical education to occupy a
prominent position in our secondary schools. Meanwhile, Nigerian schools pay
little or no attention to vocational/technical subjects. Teachers, parents and
students seem not to understand what it is all about and consequently, develop
some contempt and aversion for the subjects. As such, student attitude towards
vocational/technical subjects remain unhealthy. Many of the related occupations
and trades are regarded as ignoble and unbecoming. An average Nigerian parent
does not want his son to earn a living as a full time farmer, a watch-repairer,
a plumber, a house painter. For many Nigerians, these jobs are for the poor and
underprivileged.
Typically,
higher occupational status of the students’ parents influences positive
attitude of students towards science (Padunny, 1994). This is to say that
higher occupational parents would want their children to be doctors, engineers
etc without considering if the child would actually read science subject to
achieve that. The influence of parents in the development of student’s interest
in vocational/technical subjects cannot be over emphasized as this is because
parents seem to have much influence on children’s choice of educational career.
The
socio-economic status of parent of a child determines the type of career one
choose to do, some parents have biased and rigid thoughts regarding the
occupational choices of a child/children. Parents forgot that every type of
work, once it is beneficial to the individual and society, is worthy and noble
(Nwankwo, 1996).
Individuals
from the earliest of their life often come across with the question what they
want to be when they grow up. Early vocational developmental theorists
explicitly have affirmed that childhood is a vital formative period for
vocational development (Ginzberg et al., 1951; Havighurst, 1972; Roe, 1956).
Studies have shown that a number of factors are associated with children's
vocational choice development. Among them are parents, the favourite academic
subject, social environment and planned or unplanned vocational guidance
activities at schools.
Children's
vocational aspiration development starts as early as at pre-school years. In
those early years, parents play a critical role in motivating and encouraging
their children to explore about various vocations (Seligman et al., 1988).
In their
study, found that children tend to acquire more information about their
parents’ vocation if their parents have a positive attitude towards it. Another
way that parents influence children's vocational aspiration , as found in a
study by Helwig (1998), is that parents somehow express their expectations from
their children about which vocation they (children) should have and children
pursue their vocational aspiration to meet their parents’ expectations.
Parents’ gender is also another influential factor in children’s vocational
aspirations. Trice and Knapp (1992) found that children have learned more about
their mothers’ vocation than about fathers' vocation.
Making the
right career choice that would keep adolescents relevant in the scheme of
things in an emerging economy like Nigeria could be daunting and difficult.
Nigerian adolescents in secondary schools are often preoccupied with very many
thoughts of future career prospects. This, more often than not, often
predispose these adolescents to irrational thoughts. Such irrational thoughts
could be debilitating to the society and psychological well-being of
adolescents. Transition from secondary school to workplace, college or
university is a critical path through which every adolescent must pass through
(Cassie, 2005). However, it is not uncommon to aver that many of these
adolescents are left unguarded while transiting from college to workplace.
Most often,
parents, teachers, and friends have encouraged secondary school students to
proceed to the university while a good number of secondary school students may
end up attending universities without knowing why or what they intend to study.
For many, this is an important time for career-related matters that will be
beneficial to them. As they face the need to choose an academic major, as well
as to develop career goals for the future, career problems often become a
developmental phase they must pass through in making proper career choices for
life.
Several
studies have been conducted on adjustment difficulties adolescents face in
relation to career and planning. (Hiebert, Collins & Robinson 2001;
Magnusson & Bernes, 2001; Pyne & Bernes, 2002; Pyne, Bernes, Magnusson
& Poulsen, 2002; Bardick, Bernes, Magnussson & Witko, 2004).
Adolescents have received a lot of attention because it is at this stage of
life that individuals first begin to prepare and eventually train themselves
for a future career in order to become independent adults.
Career
development process should start at an early age. Learning about different
careers early could enable students have a better understanding of types of
jobs they would want to explore in the future. Career process may start formally
as early as primary school and could continue throughout secondary school
because of many uncertainties especially in an unstable economy like ours.
Career uncertainty among secondary school students remains a constant challenge
in the entire globe. According to Rosenbaum (2001), in a national survey in the
United State of America, nearly all high school seniors (95%) plan to attend
college. A study indicated that approximately 20 per cent of students who
attend four year college are undecided as freshmen (Hayes, 1997). This
transition from thoughts which are not only theoretically relevant to career
planning, but also practical in their application (Peterson, Sampson &
Reardon, 1991). Classes in career development usually have self-exploration and
reflection built into their design and could contribute to developing
self-confidence in students
Career
development training has been observed to have positive effect on students in
general (Folsom & Reardon, 2000; Whiston, Sexton & Lasoff, 1998).
Career development therapy had resulted in reduction of negative traits,
including career indecision (Johnson, Nichols, Buboltz & Riedesel, 2002;
Peng, 2001), irrational career thoughts (Reed, Reardon, Lenz & Leierer,
2001), as well as increases in positive traits such as career decidedness
(Johnson, Nichols, Buboltz & Riedesel 2002). In addition, Folsom, Peterson,
Reardon and Mann (2002) observed that students who completed an undergraduate
career planning course had higher graduation rates when compared to the general
student population (81% compared with 69%) and graduated with fewer credit
hours on average than the general population (110 compared with 132).
People’s
perception about themselves and their career choice affect their ability to
make decisions. Sampson et al. (1996) suggested that cognitive reframe may be
one intervention counsellors can use to assist clients in combating irrational
career thoughts. Most adolescents are unaware of the biases, misinformation,
and distorted beliefs that they are given by parents which they consequently
bring to career choice and that these presuppositions can lead to
self-defeating and disabling experiences (Krumboltz, 1983). Elliott (1995)
noted that negative self-statements can impair a client’s ability to utilise
occupational information, lead to career indecision, and inappropriate
choices. It is not surprising that
students are not interested in vocational/technical subjects. Osuala (1992)
opined that, at the heart of our society and economic problem is a national attitude
that implies that vocational/technical subjects are designed for somebody
else’s children and is meant primarily for the children of the poor. This same
attitude is shared by students. Thus, it makes the students lack interest in
the study of vocational subjects.
1.2
Statement of the problem
Vocational/Technical
education subjects ought to attract many students because of its laudable
importance but reverse has been the case. The reason for this probably is due
to people’s perception that it does not require specialized kind of training.
The students have the feeling that even if one is at home at the requite skills
needs to learn have to cook, farm; etc can be acquired without formal training.
People are ignorant of the importance of the vocational subjects which could
help males and female students receive formation and are able to work solution
to problems. Also, it enables the students to acquire skills, abilities
essential for independent life met up with personal and family needs more
especially in this economic difficulties.
The positive
effect of career development has been consistently demonstrated in foreign
countries as related in the studies cited above. In Nigeria, these have not
been sufficiently done. Therefore, there is the need to investigate if those
parental perceptions about vocational subjects will be useful so as to
inculcate and curriculum to help these students make the appropriate career
choice as they transit from childhood to adolescence and finally to adulthood.
1.3 Purpose
of the Study
The primary
focus of this study was to investigate parent perceptions about vocational
subjects.
The study
also sought to find out if the perceived relevance of vocational subjects is in
relation to the students’ aspirations.
1.4 Research
Questions
To guide the
study, the following four research questions were presented:
1. What is the perceived relevance of
vocational subjects among parents of secondary school students?
2. Does the perceived relevance of
vocational subjects by parents influence the students’ choice of careers?
3. Is there any significant difference
between male and female parents perceived relevance of vocational subjects?
1.5
Significance of the Study
Many factors
affect career choices of high school students. Identifying these factors would
give parents, educators, and industry an idea or insight on the influence of
home on the career selection process of secondary school students. This will
also reveal where students place most of their trust in the career selection
process. It would also allow students to examine processes they use for career
selection.
The study
provides valuable information on the influence of parents’ perceptions as
factors on the choice of career among secondary school students. Again, it
serves as a resource material for others who want to carry out researches in
emerging areas in the influence of environmental factors among secondary school
students.
The study
will provoke further research into the need to help parents develop appropriate
perception and understanding of the importance of vocational subjects in
relation to their various aspirations. This invariably provides information to
Guidance counsellors on how to orientate secondary school students and their
parents on the need to show interest in vocational subjects as introduced in
Nigerian secondary schools.
1.6
Delimitation of the Study
The study is
concerned with investigating parents’ perceptions on the relevance of
vocational subjects in the choice of careers among secondary school students.
It is aimed at all senior secondary school students in Ikeja Local Government
of Lagos state.
1.7
Operational definition of terms
Vocational
education includes subjects, courses and programmes at various educational
levels for selected careers in an occupational area.
Career
Development: is a process of helping children to discover and develop their
careers through life stages.
Career
Decision: is the process of choosing a particular career or occupation
Parents’
perception: refers to the opinions of parents in relation to career choices.
Parental
involvements: refer to the participation of parents in their children’s
education
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