THE EFFECT OF GENDER ON CAREER CHOICE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

ABSTRACT

This research work is aimed at identifying the influence of gender on career choice of some selected secondary school students in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State. In the process of the research questionnaire were administered a guide and data through interview method to get modern cause and trend in career. The findings rate of the study revealed that the effect of gender on career of students affect both sexes after school in the society. Recommendations were given that parents should train both sexes and not relegating any sex to the background.

TABLE OF CONTENT

Chapter one      

Introduction

Statement of the problem

Purpose of the study

Research question

Scope of the study

Limitation of the study

Significance of the study

Definition of terms

Chapter two       

Literature review

Chapter three    

Methodology

Research methodology

Research instrument

Chapter four      

Data analysis and interpretation

Chapter five      

Findings and discussion

Summary and findings

Recommendations

Conclusion

Reference

Questionnaire    

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY 

Gender according to Oxford advanced learners dictionary 6^th edition (2001) is the fact of being male or female. The family is social group to which a child is born into and brought up with all necessary things including his native languages. Career choice is one of the most controversial issues in education and also it is an dispensable aspect of life. An area of interest that closely involves many parents and teachers who feel that school values should be redesigned taking into consideration. The change in the social and economic environment and a step towards coping with the changing environment from time to time as we encountered alot of problems.

Prior to the introduction of western education and civilization the indigenous information education existed among the people. This kind of education was not transmitted in school as an agent. It involves the transmission of those ideas, which the people had loved from time to time (culture). Inspite of the effect of the colonial masters as well as the federal republic of Nigeria to get her citizenship formally educated and brought to time right. It has been as some of circumstances that there is an existence in the education of the male and female child due to gender belief or influence on the child (mostly the girl child). The girl child on the other hand are educationally marginalized and disadvantaged.

Unwuegbuzie (2008) in a lecture titled “towards bridging education imbalance in the school”, stated that “it is very disheartening to note that today a lot of female children are left out of school for flimsy reasons while their male counterparts forge ahead”.  Education imbalance to him referred to uneven level of benefiting between males and their female counterparts since the absence of former education. According to Unwugbuze these female takes to the street and are often exposed to the hazard of life where baby mothers among them emerged. Adeting (2009) cited on influence that if this educational imbalance due to gender is not checked the country will be plunged into the educational door where Nigeria will in time of influencing children in the area of career choice. The focus on the study is on the influence of gender on student’s career choice. Gender effects assigned of sales to children by parents and elders. The effects of gender seem to be reinforced by teachers and others in the school administration. In the past, it was not common to see a woman working as a policeman driving a car or even smoking in the locality, but today in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State female are found in almost all areas of the labour force life accountant, doctors, engineering, or even shoe-makers just to mention a few and are no longer limited to domestic work only.

Furthermore, females are seen to be less tedious duties while the male performs are complex duties such as cutting down trees, building bridges (local), making thatches and they are said to identify more their mothers and the males with their fathers. In addition, Iyam (1998) said, “It is the education imbalance that exist between the male child and the female child respectively that has raised a lot concern. There are fewer women to be found in responsible position government and non- governmental organization. This imbalance has further weakened the ability of women to compete in formal sectors which men regards as theirs” born equally naturally with their men counterparts, the education female is a natural right. N Africa and most developing nations around the world, the education and training of girls according to Iyam have suffered considerably willful neglect and intended and deprivation for a very long time. Conclusively, in reference to the above, the study is geared towards finding out the effect of gender on career choice of secondary school students in selected schools in Egor Local Government Area. The locality is centrally being a commercial, cultural and made up of different ethnic. The local government has its headquarters at ring Road in Benin City, Edo State and the study will be concentrated on how culture, parents, traditional belief and other factor affects the education of either sex due to gender influence.       

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

        In recent time, journal, magazines, and newspaper are constantly running held lines over the marginalisation of women in the country. Many parent would not encourage their female child to attend school or take career in vocational traders. Douglas (2002) opined that parents are well educated would constantly want to support their children financially and morally towards ensuring that their children choose the best career in life.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY 

        The purpose of the study is to determine the effect of sex on the choice of career and subject amongst secondary schools students in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State. The study will also examine how boys and girls feel about certain course of study. In Egor Local Government Area, it has been observed that parents attitudes towards discrimination using gender is so alarming as it is believed that the female are weaker vessels and the male stronger vessels gave them the belief that after a woman gets married, she no longer help in the up keep of her background or parents. This study for such obvious reasons is channeled forward knowing and examining critically and effectively the factors responsible for such acts towards female children in particular, when it comes to educating a child amongst parent, guardians peers etc in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

        The study would look at the following questions

1.           Is there exclusive career for either sex?

2.           Does the level of parent’s education have any effect on the career of the girl child?

3.           Is there better and brighter opportunities for children form educated homes?

4.           Has peer group any influence on the choice of career of students?

5.           Does the social economic group of parents affect their female education?

SIGNIFICANT OF THE STUDY

        The study is necessitated by the fact that at the secondary school age many students are adolescent who operated in conformity to parental rules and regulation in acting out their roles and in expressing their opinion students at this level of development needs close supervision and counseling in Egor to meet up to the expectation of life. The significant of the study is gears towards this need for the establishment of guidance and counseling services to help students in making career choice.

Another significance is to inform parents, educators on the negative consequence of basing career on gender. Hopefully, it will be important to curriculum planners in the sense that in higher institution especially those who are in charge of guidance and counseling the need for female education.   

SCOPE OF THE STUDY 

        This study covered various aspects of gender on career problem and their effect on students in the secondary school in Egor Local Government Area in Edo State. In view of the fact that there are many secondary school in Egor LGA, Ihogbe Secondary School and Akenzuwa secondary school was selected for the purpose of this project. Therefore the students and teachers in those schools constitute the subject of the researchers work. The research has interest in findings whether the age of parents has any significant effect on their attitude towards educating their children base on gender.  The effect of illiterate parent towards training their girl child, whether religion or traditional demands that gender should be a segregating factor in training their child. The force of peer group on career choice of a child if there are exclusive career for either sex. 

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Gender: Being male or female

Sex Role: Role or duties assigned to various seas or gender

Sex: Role stereotype: the standard set by the society as to what part male and female individuals should play, which continues for along time and form the basis for relating to people.

Career: The chance of occupation in which one engages

Influence: This is when the pressure of other person or factors is affected the behavior of the child.

Courage: Quality of being filled for the opportunity

Equally beautified: This means that what every been share between males and female should be equally distributed.