Parental influences upon students educational and occupational aspirations
Abstract
This study examines the relationships between Parents'
Educational Attainment t their Occupat ional status, and students
Educational and Occupational Aspirationso
The data was obtained by administering a qtlestionnaire
to hiO hundred secondary school students. Ninety-six of the
students were in Form Four (eleven years of formal education)
while one hundred and four of the students were in Form One
(eight years of formal education). Among the subjects, there
were seventy girls and one hundred and thirty boys.
The subjeots carne from three Secondary Schools. Two of
these schools were in the rural areas, and one was in the outskirts
of the city of Nairobi.
The Educational Aspirations of the students was measured
by asking the studentsf the level of education they would like
to attain after their school certificate examination. The
subjects were asked to look realistically at their future and
the chances that they be available for furthering their educational
plans.
Tne Occupational Aspirations of the students was measured
by assisting the studentds the kind of occupation they would like to
obtain, if all the necessary training was made available.
-.The results shoved that the sex of the objects was
significantly related to their educational and oocupational'
aspirations..Similarly, the level of education attained by the
respon.dents was significantly related to both their educationa.l
and occupational aspirations. The results also indicated that
both the educa.tional and occupational aspira.tions of the
respondents are related to their parents' level of education
ami the status of their parents' occupations. The fathers'
education clearly emerged as a very important faotor in the
overall relationship to both educational and occupational aspirations
of the respondents. Those respondents who came from well
placed families, had generally very high aspirations.
These findings shed some light upon the kind of parental
factors, namely, the fathers' and mothers' education and
occupations, which are related to the formation of the students'
educational and occupational aspirations.
Citation
Degree ef Master of Arts in the University of NairobiPublisher
University of Nairobi Department of Arts Sociology
Description
A Thesis submitted in part fulfilment for the Degree
ef Master of Arts in the University of Nairobi