Factors determining career choice

Abstract

Educational and vocational decisions are affected by many diverse factors, some of which are easily recognisable, while others less so. ~mong these different factors, one can mention the influence exerted by the family, peers, the media, and the school. Decisions also depend on the kind of occupational information that young people have, whether this is obtained through work visits organised by the school, for instance, or through work experience in after-school and holiday employment. Occupational decisions are also influenced by the experiences of individuals as members of particular social class, ethnic, and gender groups, and by the prevailing structures of the labour market, in terms of employment opportunities that are open - often in a differential manner - to these groups. This chapter sets out to explore the extent to which a range of factors influences the decisions about occupational futures made by a sample of Maltese fifth form students. The study took the form of a questionnaire survey in all those Junior Lyceum State Schools in Malta and Gozo that had fifth form students during the scholastic year 199011991. Similarities across the Junior Lyceum sector - in that all are state schools with an intake based on a selective entrance examination - ensures a relative homogeneity in the sample. All are single-sex schools. At the time the present survey was conducted, Junior Lyceum Schools catered for l331 fifth formers, and this represents 61.79% of students at that level in all State Secondary Schools. A random sample of 292 fifth formers - one in four of all fifth formers in the Junior Lyceum sector, and 13.56% of all students in the Junior Lyceum and Area Secondary sectors - was chosen. A pilot study was initially carried out in a mixed youth centre with a group of 20 sixteen to seventeen year old adolescents in order to test out the questionnaire. The research focused on addressing the following questions: 1. To what extent do Maltese parents influence their school-leaving age children in terms of the occupational choices made? 2. Do schools help students to make their choices? 3. Which are the life and work goals of Maltese fifth formers attending Junior Lyceums? The format of the questionnaire and the items used were developed following a review of the relevant research literature. The interview schedule devised by Moor (1976) and Grant (1987) in their study of school-leavers was adopted for the purpose of this study, having taken due consideration of the socio-economic realities of Malta. The listed work and life goals were derived from Donald Super. The occupational classification utilised was adapted from the Annual Abstract of Statistics (1988), with jobs grouped in six categories.