The descriptive statistics involved in the study has to do with sex, designation, working experience and highest qualification. The study also considered other variables of the students where they expressed their opinion on the relationship between locus of control, Parental education and career choice along with their place of residence, religion, marital status and age. It also includes other demographic characteristics such as course combination and students’ type of family. The analysis of the data and test of the hypotheses in this study revealed that certain number of variables were significant determinant of students’ career aspiration in the Federal College of Education (Technical), Gusau. A total of seven hypotheses of the study were tested.
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From the analysis of the related variables and test of hypothesis one, it was found that internal locus of control was not significantly correlated with the students’
career choice in the college. The hypothesis was therefore retained. From the analysis of the related variables to this hypothesis, it was observed that students’ internal locus of control does not really play an important role in their career choice. This finding is in consistent with Ogunlade (2008) where it was opined that the career people choose plays an important function not only to the individual but also to the society. The finding is also in line with Kolo (1999) who had found and identified the factors that influence career choice as operational variables. These variables include individual differences, ability and aptitudes, educational and training time.
In the report it was stated that each person is bound to spend a considerable part of his time and life in a career and that in most cases success in life is attributed to how successful one is in his career. This explains why people need to give serious thought and action to make adequate plan and preparation while choosing a career. It therefore means that the individual locus of control must be subjected to external factors which combined to allow a useful and beneficial decision in career choice. The finding is in agreement Tambawal (2001) who asserted that the internally and externally oriented individual possess diverse characteristics in relation to locus of control. The result of this study is completely in agreement with Ogunlade’s (2008) report from an investigation into the relationship between career choice, self-esteem and locus of control. The study compared students enrolled in a cluster approach to career orientation and those not enrolled in the same approach. The result of the investigation which was based on multivariate analysis of co-variance disproved the assertion that self-esteem and locus of control are closely related to individual career making process.
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The finding however, contradicts Yunusa (1999) who found that internal locus of control of adolescents tended to have more realistic levels of aspiration than the external adolescents did. It also disagreed with the finding of Yah (1980) and Okonkwo (1980) whose findings showed significant difference exists between the students’ sexes (internal locus of control) and their career choice. In a similar vein, Asonibare (1985) reported a group of secondary school students who tended to be internally controlled, that is their internal locus of control determined their actions. Moreover, the finding is contradictory to the result of Fabunmi (1982) who found that significant relationship exists between career choice and the internal locus of control. The finding also contradicted the report of Asonibare (1985) who concluded that the internals rather than the externals could be able to start production activity with more accurate effort and less prone to alter them irrespective of the environmental situations.
The relationship between external locus of control and the students’ career choice was tested in hypothesis two. The test revealed that external locus of control is significantly correlated with the students’ career choice in the college. This null hypothesis was therefore rejected. From the analysis of the related data, it was observed that external influence constituted a major factor of the students’ career aspiration. This was observed in the choice of disciplines and related subjects which will in most cases culminate in their aspired careers. The finding here agrees with Nwamuo (2001) who reported that the career development of the child is influenced by the policy and economic situation of the society or country where the child resides. This finding is also in agreement with Osa-Edoh & Alutu (2011) who reported that knowledge of career enables each person to channel his or her effort more appropriately into a suitable carrier for optimum benefit to not just the individual but also the society or nation in general. It also showed that the choice of such occupation does not just involved
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individual consideration but much more. The finding also supports the finding of the studies by Ipaye (1995) who reported that Nigerian students tended to be externally controlled in all their affairs. Tahir (2001) conducted a study on the relationship between parent and locus of control. The study was in support of the current studies when it concluded that children in large single parents are more likely to develop an external locus of control. Other studies such as Okorie and Ezeji (1988) disagreed with this finding when they reported that adolescents often decide on the work they want to do immediately they leave secondary school. Also Kolo (1999) found and identified factors that influence career choice to include individual differences, ability and aptitude, educational and training time.
The test of hypothesis three related the educational background of parents with the career choice of the students in the college. The result of the test revealed that the two variables were not significantly correlated. The null hypothesis was therefore accepted. From the analysis of the related data, it was observed that parental education had no direct bearing on the academic activities and the career choice of the students.
This finding contradicts a number of studies such as Akinduro (1981), Dere (1986), and Olayinka (1983) who had confirmed the effects of the family influence on the career choice of their children. Previous researchers like Adigwe (1981), Okeke (1996) and Gesinde (1986) had confirmed this finding when they discovered and reported that parental influence has been greatly implicated in the career choice of children. In the same vein, Idowu & Dere (1985), Adeleke (1990) and Onyeanuno (2003) established significant relationship between Parental education and career choice of students. The findings showed that there is positive relationship between Parental education and career choice of students in both rural and urban areas. Students from high parental education level have a high career aspiration level, while students from low parental
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education level families expressed medium level of career choice. This study disagreed with the finding of Shuell (2003) who found in his investigation that parental education level and socio economic background of a person has a link to his/her educational and career development. He also found that students from high income families tend to assume going to universities, students also from high income families tend to think in terms of skilled jobs. The finding is also inconsistent with Agulana and Nwachuku (2002) who posited that students differ from one another in social class and educational background. Socio-economic status and educational background have been perceived as a relative standing in society based on an individual’s income, power, occupation, education and prestige. According to them it would not be wrong to say that the children of bankers, Doctors, Teachers, Merchants and the likes have different upbringing from that experience by children of peasant farmers, domestic workers, cleaners, labourers, petty traders and so on. These differences as observed in this study translate to associated choices in the students’ career choice. The finding also confirmed a related study of Fabunmi (1982) who conducted a study in Sokoto local government, Sokoto state. The study found a significant relationship between student’s career choice and respective Parental education. Similarly, Nwezeh (1988) reported in his study that Parental education and prestige of career were the major determining factors of students’ career choice. Moreover, Kaura (1993) finding was not in conformity with an empirical study conducted in Sokoto state that parents’ background plays a significant role in influencing the career choice of their children. The finding is still in line with Yee and Eccles (2008) who reported from career modeling that parents could make a notable impression on children’s intellectual development. The finding was also not in conformity with the finding of earlier studies by Lee (1984) as reported by Adeleke (1990) who conducted study with Black and Native Americans students on career
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aspirations of students where he found that parental education has a great impact upon career choice of black and Native American students than that of white students.
Hypothesis four tested the relationship of the parents’ educational background with students’ internal locus of control. The result of the test conducted with the Spearman rho procedure revealed that the two variables were not significantly correlated. The null hypothesis was therefore retained. Thus, this finding buttress the finding of the earlier studies like that of Okorie and Ezeji (1988) who observed in their studies that adolescents often decides on the work they want to do on their own immediately they leave secondary school. This means that their Parental education has no significant influence on their internal locus of control. Holland’s personality theory also believes that personality of an individual influences his career choice.
The relationship between students’ external locus of control and their parents’
educational background was tested in hypothesis five. The test revealed that students’
external locus of control is not significantly correlated with their parents’ educational background. This implies that Parental education has no major influence on their children external locus of control. This null hypothesis was therefore accepted. This result contradicts Ipaye (1995) when he discovered that Nigerians were externally controlled in their decisions and aspirations in life. Similarly, it contradicted Nwachuku (2005) who conducted study in Nigerian secondary school which showed that parents explicitly expressed opinion about their occupational choice to their children. In another study, Dada (2001) found that external locus of control through occasional chart with parents, teachers and counsellors enhance students’ psycho-social relationship and career awareness. The contribution of this finding is that it did not support the view of Eremionkhale (2013) who asserted that some parents use their educational background, words and actions to push their children into those fields, whether they have the talents
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and will power to do well or not. Similarly, Denga (2011) shared his negative opinion with this finding when he asserted that students with external locus of control towards occupational choice do believe that career is the question of luck, chance and fate and are under the control of powerful others or external circumstances. These students need to be adequately exposed to the process of career choice, be informed about job requirements and the psychological and non psychological variables impinging on career choices and aspirations. Most of the studies mentioned above were not supportive to the result of this finding while few were positively supportive.
In hypothesis six, relationship between internal locus of control, Parental education and career choices of students in F.C.E. (T.), Gusau was tested. The result of the test which was presented in a matrix showed that the relationship between students’
career choice and parents’ educational background was not significant. But the students’
internal locus of control was found to be significantly and negatively correlated with their career choice. This finding disagreed with Adeleke (1990) and Onyeanuna (2003) when they discovered in their studies and reported that there is positive relationship between parental education and occupation, and students’ career choice in both the rural and urban areas. In a related study conducted by Ogunlade (2008) whose result of the investigation disapproved the assertion that self esteem, self concept and internal locus of control are closely related to individual’s career making and aspiration process. Other studies that support this study include Fabunmi (1982) who conducted empirical studies and found a significant relationship between students’ career aspirations and their respective sexes ( internal locus of control).This shows that Parental education has not correlated with either locus of control or career aspiration as per as this hypothesis is concerned. Ezewu (2000) opines that for parental educational background or families to maintain their status, they do everything possible to ensure that their children attend the
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best nursery, primary, secondary and university education thus guaranteeing access to a prestigious occupation and high income for their children.
The significant of the predictors’ preponderance contribution to the students’
career choices among the independent variables (internal locus of control, external locus of control and parental educational background) was tested in hypothesis seven. The regression model was used for the test. The result revealed that, external locus of control was the only significant predictor of the students’ career aspiration (P < 0.05). The students’ internal locus of control and their parental educational background were not found to be significant predictors of their career aspiration (P > 0.05). Based on the significance of the one variable in the model, the null hypothesis was therefore rejected.
This was more so since the F-value for the model was found to be 0.000 (P < 0.05).The finding is not in conformity with Okeke (2004) who reported from a study on the relationship between parental occupations, educational background and their children occupational preference. Okeke found out that 60% of the children were willing to take after their father’s occupation. This shows that a child’s level of occupational preference may be influenced by the work his father, mother or relations do. Many parents have influenced both educational and occupational choice of their children and which the children have neither the aptitude nor capacity for. In relation to this factor, Salawu (2000) opined that parents should not push their children to certain careers simply because of the prestige people attach to them without due consideration for the interest and capabilities of their children.
The finding is also contradictory with Igbinedion (2011) who postulated that the influence of the parents’ education on their children’s career owes it origin to early childhood when the child grabs his parent’s attitudes towards different vocations. He pointed out that in a later stage, a conflict may occur when the child submits to his
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parents’ choice while at the same time deeply resenting his submissions as he becomes aware of his loss of independence and finds his/her area of interest. In another contrary finding, Idowu and Dere (1985) have established significant relationship between parental education and career choice among high school students. The study showed that students from high education have a high career choice and aspirations, while students from low education level families expressed medium level of career aspirations. This finding extends to Lee (1984) as reported by Adeleke (1999) who conducted study with black and Native American students on career aspirations of students where he found that parental influence has a great impact upon career choice of black and Native American students than that of white students.
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CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 Introduction
This chapter presents the summary of the investigation into the relationship among locus of control, Parental education and career aspirations of students in Federal College of Education (technical) in Gusau. The chapter consisted among others the, major findings, conclusion and recommendations from the study.