ABSTRACT
This study was undertaken to
investigate the influence of parents’ socio-economic status on the occupational
preferences of Senior Secondary School Three (SSS 3) students in Edo State. To
guide this study two research questions and six hypotheses were raised and
formulated and tested to provide direction for the study. This research was a
descriptive research design. The research participants were 4503 public and
private senior secondary school students, aged 12 – 18 years. These respondents
were sampled from Akoko Edo, Etsako Central, Ikpoba Okhia, Orhinonwon, Esan
Central and Esan North. The instrument used in this study was developed by the
researcher. The questionnaire titled “occupational preference among secondary
school students” which was completed by the participants. The analysis yielded
the following results: i. High percentage of student’s preferred (Medicine,
Nursing, Law and Engineering) ii. High percentage of student’s indicated that
parent income level influences occupational preferences. iii. Positive
relationship exists between parent’s socio-economic status and student’s
occupational preference. iv. There is significant relationship between parents
level of education and students occupational preference. v. There is
significant relationship between fathers occupation and students occupational
preference. vi. There is significant relationship between mothers occupation
and students occupational preference of secondary school students. vii. There
is significant relationship between father and mothers income on occupational
preference of secondary school students. These findings were discussed and the
study recommended among others that: Relevant guidance and counseling
strategies should be carried in all schools in Edo State.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the study
The
occupational preferences of students remain an integral part of the occupational
process. The school organization usually sees an average student as the root of
productivity and quality in the society. To make students dedicated to their
studies there is need for effective influence of occupational preferences. The
relationship between parents’ socio-economic status and student’s preferences
is influenced by what motivate students to study hard and the fulfillments
derived from it. In other words, there is an inter-play between the environment
in which students live and their occupational preferences.
The issue
of occupational preferences by students is a concern to parents, educators and
researchers. It is the occupational
preference of students that determine the standard or attitude towards academic
performance in school. The occupation the student would like to engage in when
he completes his education is determined by the subjects he intends to enroll
for. Student grades in such subjects would encourage him to continue or even
quit such occupational preference. The teacher need to know how best to elicit
the potentials of students and direct students’ performance to achieve the
goals and objectives of the students. Parents must understand the nature of
students behaviour and how best to influence the student, so that he studies
effectively.
In Edo
state there has been a general outcry over the high rate of students, not
qualified for desired courses and unemployment (Okeke, 2000). This appeared
obvious in the poor infrastructures available, students poor performance in
external examination, lack of information on occupational preference, lack of
adequate subject teacher, the presence of poorly trained career teachers who
may not have the required skills and knowledge to function effectively as
career master, lack of co-operation from parents and students unawareness of
some vital occupation qualification requisition. It is usually taken for
granted that student engage in a course in order to fulfill certain needs and
goals in life.
Most Edo
state students in senior secondary schools are faced with a lot of problems in
the process of occupational preferences, some adolescents do carry these
problems into adulthood. There is danger inherent in making wrong preference
(Okeke, 2000). Issa and Wala (2008) reported that wrong occupational preference
can lead to frustration and low productivity. One of the purposes of education
is to obtain a job and be well placed. Students in higher institution tend to
have the problem of preferring a suitable occupational pursuit due to lack of
appropriate information at senior secondary school level. The students between
ages 12-18 years are not exposed and experienced enough to know what occupation
to prefer and pursue. The influence and decisions of occupational preference is
very important because the occupational preference made wrongly ultimately
affected all aspects of a person’s life. Adolescent period is characterized by
the problem of deciding on future occupational preference satisfaction. It
often resulted from inadequate information to students, these problems are
disturbing because many youths today are roaming the streets without
educational advancement or job, others migrate from rural to urban areas while
some others find themselves in occupation which they are not suited for either
physically, mentally or academically.
A
cursory view of the role of the school as an educational institution should
elucidate its importance in providing occupational-oriented curriculum for
students. The school as an institution of learning should present a system of
education with a view of introducing a pragmatic occupation oriented curriculum
for students at senior secondary school. The right occupational preference is
of great importance to an adolescent in Edo State
Education is a process which is continuous throughout
life, bringing about positive and remarkable
changes in the totality of all life experiences that a learner (person) acquires in form of skills, knowledge,
attitudes, values, knowledge competences and other forms of behaviours
which qualify the individual into the society in
which he lives (Marks, 2007). In Edo state
there is a clear recognition of the fact that education is the greatest
instrument for man's economic progress and political survival. Hence successive
civilian and military governments have over the years, given priority to
the education sector, especially secondary education. The emphasis given to secondary education is perhaps because of its strategic
position in any nation's educational system. Secondary Education, is seen as
having both consumer and producer status with ability not only to determine the
fate but also the pace of education at the primary and tertiary levels. Despite
the remarkable expansion of secondary
education, over the years, majority of the secondary schools students in Edo
State, are between the ages of thirteen and nineteen years. It is
the period that stands out as a fascinating, stressful and stormy in the
child’s development, it is a period of great physical, emotional and
physiological changes, that need the intervention of education and experts in education
such as counselors, psychologist, sociologist and others to help in
molding and directing behaviours of adolescent
towards educational achievement, e.g. their aspiration in occupation and good
utilization of the socio-economic status available. This
implies that most of the students at this stage are within the adolescence period which is a period of transition from childhood
to adulthood.
Socio-economic status can be
referred to as ones position in relation to the social and economic
position of the individual's parents. The National Policy on Education (2004),
6, 3, 3, 4 systems has recognized the need to give proper guidance to students
to enable them make good occupational preferences. It is in recognition of this
fact that the policy stated ‘in view of personality maladjustment among school
students, career officers and counsellors will be appointed in post primary
institution’.
Ironically, many schools in Edo
state have not benefited from the services of career officers (Okeke, 2000).
Parents’ socio-economic status has also been identified as one of the variables
influencing students’ occupational preferences. Parents’ socio-economic status
adversely, is more fulfilling to a student’s heart and more beneficial to them
in the long-run. Parents’ socio-economic status is the motivation that arouses,
energizes, directs and sustains behaviour
toward occupational preferences (Mullis, 2002). That is the process of
stimulating people to act and to achieve a given task. Therefore, it can be
concluded that the best approach to understand the process of occupational
preferences lies in the meaning and relationship among needs, drives, desires,
wishes, goals and incentives.
According to (Musgrave, 2000)
people are always in need, they always want more, and to him human needs are
arranged in a series of level, a hierarchy of importance. The attainment of
some basic and important needs to some extent brings about occupational
preferences and the desire to achieve more at learning. Unfortunately, the
situation with the Edo state students appear
to be one clouded with tales of woes. Teachers in Edo
state have been blamed by parents, government and other stakeholders in the
educational sectors over the poor academic performance of students in external
examination. They have been accused of not being able to inculcate the desired
knowledge and discipline on the students. Students on their part claim that the
government shares a major blame from
the situation in public schools, it appeared to be a general belief that
students are not adequately informed on occupational preferences.
The role
of parents’ socio-economic status on the occupational preferences of students
cannot be over emphasized. Socio-economic status tends to bring about students
occupational preferences and invariably improves academic performance. These
influencers are student’s occupational preferences, the socio-economic status
of parents, the influence of parent’s socio-economic status and students sex
these lead to occupational preference achievement and consequently excellent
academic performance. Students are energized and activated to complete a task,
and they would want to do more when influenced. In other words, Ryan and Deci
(2001) reported that “to be motivated means to be moved to do something”,
interest are key factors that influenced students. According to them, arousing
interest is not enough, sustaining it is also necessary, that is what influence
does, sustaining student’s interest and commitment to future occupational pursuit.
A child who comes from an environment where he has no model to copy, or where
he is unfamiliar with various prestigious jobs have nothing to consider when
formulating his occupational goals. This poor background limited an
individual’s success in life.
Therefore,
it is important that children should be given adequate guidance to enable them
accomplish good use of available information in the society. Therefore, it is important to have a clear
understanding of what motivated a student when making occupational preferences.
Low socio-economic status was commonly found among the indigent people in the
society, it was because of poverty and low income earning. They include
labourers, cleaners, petty traders and illiterate parents. Students from such
status are highly influenced financially. Such student’s occupational
preference was not stable sometime because there was deviation either the
student became an apprentice, dropped out of school or stop his or her academic
pursuit after completing secondary school due to lack of funds. Since there was
no encouragement like notebooks, textbooks and scholarship from government this
led to family deprivation. Middle socio-economic status is the status that
occurred between the poor and wealth. Most people in the society today are
below poverty level. A person’s occupation and employment pattern influenced
the standard of living. Examples of people in such categories are bankers,
lawyers, doctors, teachers, judges and business people. High socio-economic
status includes wealthy people such as president, governors, ministers and
personality in high position. Such high status influenced the occupational
preferences of students.
Thus, the factors of occupational preferences
of secondary school students are many but of importance to this study is the
socio-economic background which diversely influenced the occupational
preferences of students who came from such background. It seems undoubtedly
obvious that there is a relationship between parents’ socio-economic status and
student’s occupational preferences in Edo State Edo State
It is
against this background that this study investigated the influence of parents’
socio-economic status and occupational preferences of secondary school students
in Edo State.
Statement of the
Problem
Occupational
preference is an important aspect of career choice which over time has been
observed to be highly influenced by parent’s socio-economic status. Alika
(2010) in a study discovered that parental influence is a source of pressure
which induces the young adolescent into pre-determined occupations, sometimes
with little or no considerations on the potentials, actual needs and ego of the
child. Socio-economic status of parents to a large extent determines the
occupational preferences. In the absence of proper career guidance, many other
factors could influence students’ occupational preferences, emanating from the
family members, teachers, relatives and peers. As a result many students from Edo State
The
problem of the study is grounded on the fact that as studies reveal, girls are
more influenced than boys due to the stereotypes that often push them into
specific jobs that are assumed to be meant for them. While the same applies for
boys, their assumed careers are better. It is against this background this
study sought to investigate the influence of parents’ socio-economic status on
the occupational preferences of senior secondary school three (SSS 3) students
in Edo State.
Purpose of the Study
The
main purpose of this study was to examine the influence of parents’
socio-economic status on the student’s occupational preferences. This study
specifically:
- To identify student’s occupational preferences.
- To determine father and mother’s socio-economic status.
- To determine whether parent’ socio-economic status influenced students.
- To determine whether parent’s gender influenced student’s occupational preferences of students.
Research Questions
The following research
questions were raised to guide the study:
- What are students’ occupational preferences?
- What are the socio-economic status of secondary school students’ parents in Edo State?
Hypothesis
The following
hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance.
- There is no significant
relationship between father’s educational level and students preferred
occupation.
- There is no significant
relationship between mother’s educational level and students preferred
occupation.
- There is no significant
relationship between father’s occupational status and students preferred
occupation.
- There is no significant
relationship between mother’s occupational status and students preferred
occupation.
- There is no significant
relationship between father’s income and students preferred occupation.
- There is no significant
relationship between mother’s income and students preferred occupation.
Significance of the
Study
This study provided useful data and theoretical
information on the relationship between socio-economic status and students
occupational preferences. The information hopefully will help parents and
society to restructure their though pattern to favour their children’s
occupational preferences. The findings of this study will guide families
towards establishing a type of rapport that will enable children to perform
better in certain subjects which eventually lead to fulfillment in their
occupational preferences. The findings of this study will serve as a guide for
school counsellors and proprietors of private senior secondary schools when
handling vital cases such as occupational preference information. To teachers
and students the result of this study will assist in creating the necessity of
prior knowledge of student’s occupational preferences, parents level of
education, occupation and income level of education, occupation and income
level if they desire better occupation. The information will enlighten school
inspectors and commissioners of education to establish necessary amendments for
the promotion of occupational preferences for students in Edo State. School
principals and form teachers will be challenged by these findings and decided
to engage in more research work on student’s occupational preferences in senior
secondary schools in Edo State.
Scope of the Study
This study covered all the public and private senior
secondary schools in the three senatorial districts in Edo State. The content areas of the study are: students’
occupational preference, parents’ socioeconomic status, influence of parent’s
socioeconomic status and student’s gender on the occupational preferences.
Demographic variables, such as academic performance and ethnicity of student’s
were excluded because they were not within the scope of the study.
Limitations of the Study
This study was limited to the influence of socio-economic
status on occupational preferences of secondary schools, uncooperative nature
of subjects (unwillingness to let out vital information by respondents).
Moreover, many children may not know the exact income of their parents.
Therefore whatever income a child chooses was right as parental income may
affect the result of this study.
Operational
Definition of Terms
In the
context of this study, the following terms are defined as follows: the terms
may have other meanings but such meanings are not regarded in this study.
Parental influence:
Families and guardian play a significant role in the occupation aspiration and
career goal development of their children.
Occupational
preference: It refers to the occupation an individual would most like to
prefer assuming the limiting factors.
Influence: The effect that parents have on
the occupational preference of students.
Occupation: A job
or position being occupied or tasks performed by a person.
Socio-economic status:
This means the social and economic position of an individual or a family in any
giving society determined by factors such as the level of education, occupation
and income.
Lower socio-economic status
parent(s): This means that parent(s)
did not attend school, attended primary school, or attended some secondary
school
Middle socio-economic
status: This means that parent(s) completed secondary school and/or
vocational qualification, diploma or associate diploma
Higher socio-economic
status: This means that parent(s)
completed a university degree.
Prestigious occupation:
They are occupations that are highly rated in the society e.g. medicine
law, Accounting, Teaching etc.
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