Role of Work Motivation and Expectations on Female Students’ Choice of Study Programmes in TEVET Institutions in Lusaka Province, Zambia

Role of Work Motivation and Expectations on Female Students’ Choice of Study Programmes in TEVET Institutions in Lusaka Province, Zambia

Daniel Ndhlovu and Malambo Phillip Munyati

School of Education, University of Zambia

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2024.8120338

Received: 17 December 2024; Accepted: 21 December 2024; Published: 23 January 2025

ABSTRACT

This paper is an extract from an ongoing doctoral study aimed at exploring how work motivation and work expectation played a role on the choices of study programmes by Female students in Institutions under TEVETA in Lusaka province, Zambia. The study used an intrinsic case study research design. The population of the study was all first-year female students at one of the TEVETA accredited institutions in Lusaka province. Typical case purposive sampling was used to select one institution out of the four in the province. A sample of 20 first year female students was used in the study and was selected using the typical case purposive sampling procedure. Semi structured interview and non-participant observation guides were used to collect data. Trustworthiness of the data collected was assured through rigorous adherence to credibility, transferability, dependability, confirm ability, and flexibility quality criteria of qualitative study. The findings indicate that motivation and work expectation played a huge role in the choices of study programmes by female students at the TEVETA accredited institution. The female students were convinced that through the chosen study programmes, they would acquire property, attain stability and survive as they would be earning enough money as salaries. The female students indicated that through the chosen study programmes they were going to acquire property, be stable, perform some social responsibility duties and be able to survive. This was attributed to the fact that work is important as it is a means to fulfilling basic needs such as survival, pleasure and contribution. The results imply that work motivation and work expectation play a huge role in career decision making by female students as they strive to fully fulfil the basic needs. It is therefore recommended that work motivation and expectations should be considered as constructs that interact to influence career decision making by female students in addition to family, peers and school career guidance.

Keywords: Work Motivation, Work expectation, TEVETA

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

The purpose of the study was to explore how work motivation and work expectation played a role on choice of study programmes by female students at a public TEVETA accredited institution in Lusaka province, Zambia. Motivation and work expectation influenced the female students to choose the study programmes they were pursuing as they anticipated to have income that would enable them to acquire property, attain stability, survive and perform social responsibility roles. Astin, (1984) explains that when individuals share among themselves work expectations, they are likely to choose certain careers in order to fulfil certain basic needs. Further, Astin (1984) indicates that work is important because it is a means to fulfilling certain basic needs such as pleasure, survival and contribution. Individuals share common set of work motivation which in turn make them choose certain careers. Lent, et al (2002) indicates that work expectations is an individual’s perception of their capabilities and strengths, the options available and the kind of work which can best fulfil their needs. What differentiates individuals’ work expectations and career outcomes is the mediating effects of other constructs. According to Astin (1984), work motivation and work expectation constructs interact to influence the career choice of an individual. Individuals choose study programmes depending on how attractive they are in terms of income. The driving force of any career is income as it motivates individuals to select particular careers. Further, Astin (1984) explains that the work motivation factors which looks at all human as motivated to expend energy to satisfy three primary needs survival, (ie primarily physiological), pleasure (intrinsic satisfactions from work) and contribution (need to be useful to society and be recognized for one’s contribution). These three needs are the same for both male and females though they can be satisfied in different ways. Work expectation is concerned with the individual’s perceptions. For instance, kind of work that are possible and that the person is capable of doing. Savickas (2019) discusses that by recognizing and harnessing the power of motivation, individuals can embark on career paths that bring them joy, fulfilment and a sense of purpose. When motivation drives career decisions, individuals are more likely to excel, overcome obstacles and create a path to personal fulfilment and success.

Bogdan et al (2015) discusses that motivation and work expectation empowers individuals to follow their passions, align with their values and maintain a long term commitment to their chosen career paths. Work directed to produce or accomplish something has the capacity to satisfy needs that are perceived to be important to an individual’s career. work motivation and work expectations drives females to choose certain careers in order to meet the three basic needs (survival, pleasure and contribution) of life. For instance, survival needs at work are perceived as important because their satisfaction results in money to pay for food and shelter whereas pleasure needs are perceived as important because of fulfilment gained from work activity itself and contribution needs are perceived as important because of the knowledge that one’s work can benefit others. This therefore indicates that there is some connection between choosing a career and motivation in that it is a foundation of choosing the right career by females.

The first-year female students at Lusaka Business and Technical College chose to pursue studies in Automotive Electronics, Automotive Engineering, Water Supply and Sanitation and Electrical Engineering. According to Houtte (2014) females view such courses as suitable for males only. This is evident from the 2017 TEVETA annual report which shows that out of the 21645 candidates who enrolled in the TEVET system, only 6610 were females giving a proportion of 30.5 percent. It therefore became important to understand how motivation and work expectation played a role for the first-year female students to choose the study programmes they were pursuing at the TEVETA accredited institution. How motivation and work expectation played a role on choice of study programmes by female students in institutions under TEVETA in Lusaka province was not known therefore necessitating this study.

According to Hite & Mc Donald (2013) as women enter the work force, they are continually engaged in the negotiation between their personal lives at work. Durvin (2020) discusses that Women also endorse career barriers within their specific careers including difficulty in securing adequate mentoring experiences, sexual harassment, inadequate pay, difficulties with advancement and pressure to compromise career for family which may have implications for realistic perception of the own ability. England et al (2020) discusses why women may choose and stay in a given career in the face of these barriers saying research has pointed to an assessment of work place climate as an important predictor of work place satisfaction, access to decent work and overall career choice and persistence. In other words, to some extent work place climate may predict choice of career but not necessarily wellbeing for women in a particular occupation. Some women during adolescence and college may prepare for managing a family when making career decisions. If women do become mothers, evidence suggests their patterns’ work preferences may play an important role in making point childhood career decision.

Authors of this study believe that in order to come up with reality, knowledge is constructed by participants. Therefore the Ontological position about knowledge as reality is that it is subjective. Further, authors also believe that knowledge is epistemologically constructed by respondents. In this case, to know how work motivation and work expectation played a role on choice of study programmes by first-year female students, there was need to get views of of the respondents themselves. The views of the participants were highly valued. This was done by obtaining clearance from the University of Zambia under whose umbrella authors operate. To achieve the purpose of this study, qualitative methods were used. The study used the Intrinsic case study design which is in line with Yin (2019) to have an in depth knowledge and understanding of a unique phenomenon on how work motivation and work expectation played a role on choice of study programmes by female students in institutions under TEVETA in Lusaka province.

Authors of this article believe that work motivation and work expectation played a role apart from school career guidance and family in influencing female students to choose study programmes. It was therefore important to explore how motivation and work expectation played a role on choice of study programmes by first-year female students at the TEVETA accredited institution in Lusaka province.

METHODOLOGY

The study used the Constructivist paradigm to explore how motivation and work expectation played a role on choice of study programmes by first-year female students at Lusaka Business and Technical College a TEVETA accredited public institution in Lusaka province. The Intrinsic case study design was used to collect data. The use of an intrinsic case study design emanated from the conviction that it enables the researcher obtain an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon. An Intrinsic case study design enables the researcher to typically learn about a unique phenomenon (Yin, 2019). Case study can be used to explain desirable or explore events or phenomenon in the everyday contexts in which they occur (Yi-Hui, 2014). The study population was 20 first year female students from a public TEVET Institution in Lusaka province. These were selected using a typical purposive sampling technique. Purposive sampling is a technique that allows the researcher to use cases that have the required information with respect to the objectives of the study. Typical

Purposive sampling was used to select the institution and the female students. The procedure for data generation in this study involved semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation. Lung, (2016) explains that Semi-structured interview enables and ensures obtaining responses either on the facts related to the respondents or the opinions of the respondents regarding the subjective or even the subjective matters. The collected data was analyzed thematically following steps by Braun & Clark (2006). This involved categorization of data following the six steps based on; familiarization, generation of initial codes, searching of themes, theme reviewing, defining and naming the themes and finally writing of the report under the subheadings of the themes.

FINDINGS

Respondent’s knowledge on the three basic needs in life.

The female participants were asked to mention needs they wanted to satisfy for them to choose the study programmes they were pursuing. The study findings reveal that generally the participants were aware of the three basic needs to be satisfied as need for pleasure, survival and contribution. The participants indicated that there was need for them to choose careers that would enable them satisfy the three basic needs through earning a salary. The findings indicate that they were motivated to choose their study programmes as they wanted to satisfy similar needs. The study established that the female students at the selected TEVETA accredited institution were motivated to choose the study programmes they were pursuing as they wanted to satisfy the three basic needs through property acquisition, provided stability, survival and social responsibility.

Property acquisition: The female participants indicated that as soon as they start working, they were going to ensure that they buy land, houses and vehicles in order to deal with the accommodation and transport problems they were faced with. And this was going to be possible through earnings from use of their skills. This therefore means that they expected to make a lot of money which would enable them acquire property. The female students were motivated to work as they really wanted to acquire property. Some verbatim were extracted to show support of the findings. One of the student female participant # 04 had this to say: “When I start working after completion of my studies, the first thing I will do is buying a plot where to build a very good house for my parents and I to stay. We ate tired of renting and houses for rent are expensive and difficult to find even in shanty compounds where there are a lot of junkies. I will also buy a car to sort out our transport problems”

Provided Stability: Further, findings from other participants indicate that the female students were motivated to choose study programmes in order to have stability in life. They indicated the issue of individual accomplishment in terms of earning a living. And cited that they wanted to be able to look after or take care of themselves in life. The female participants cited that they chose the study programmes they were pursuing because they wanted to be employed and be counted as they had information that their career was associated with a lot of money. To this effect, one participant # 016 said: “I had nowhere to go as the results I obtained at grade 12 level are not good and I was happy when I heard that they only needed grade 9 results at this College. The income from a Salary will be enough to satisfy the other needs for me to be stable in life.”

Survival: Findings from other participants indicate that students were motivated to choose study programmes they were pursuing as they wanted to be able to survive in life. They revealed that they wanted to attain financial independence in order to be stable in life. This stability in the long run could lead to opening of Businesses so as to satisfy life basic needs. To support this, one participant #013 had this to say: “The career I have chosen will satisfy all my needs in a sense that it is a skill whereby I will not wait for Government to employ me. I’m going to use my skill to make money on daily basis by doing different pieces of work and private jobs. I will be self-employed and my own boss without anyone supervising me and will have no knock off time. It will be 24 hours of work every day of the week (24/7) for me.”

Social responsibility: Further findings show that students were motivated to choose the study programmes as they wanted to plough back to the community. They indicated that they felt duty bound to help the less privileged within their communities. They indicated that they wanted to be counted upon in their communities that they have done something to help those in need. In support of this, one participant # 015 said: “When I get the skill from here (Lusaka Business and Technical College), I will make my own Company and employ others and pay them enough so that they will help their families. Because I know that I will have a Salary, I will help my family and siblings. At this College (LUBTC) it’s not expensive that I can also pay for some children so that they can train and have the skill to earn a living. There are a lot of people out there who need help even street kids I’m going to give them money when they berg in town so that they buy food”

DISCUSSION

Property acquisition.

The findings of the study indicated that the first-year female students were motivated to choose the study programmes they were pursuing because they expected to be paid a lot of money in form of a salary that would enable them buy land, houses and vehicles. This may be attributed to the fact work is important as it is a means to fulfilling basic needs such as pleasure, survival and contribution. The female students choose the study programmes they were pursuing because they were sure of being employed so as for them to be able to acquire the needed property. The study findings on motivation and work expectation point out that these are determining factors on female student’s career choices and in line with Astin (1984) who explains that work motivation and work expectation constructs interact to influence the career choice of an individual. The female participants also revealed that their study programmes would enable them solve their accommodation and transport problems they were faced with when they buy land, cars and houses as money earnings will be on daily basis through private jobs in addition to salaries using their skills. These results of the study on work motivation and work expectation on career choice of female students are in line with previous literature. For example Saveka (2019) in America, Ishola (2023) in Nigeria and Bogdan et al (2015) which revealed that motivation and work expectations are a driving force of career decision making and individuals are more likely to excel, overcome obstacles and create a path to personal fulfilment and success.

Astin (1984) explains that work as an activity directed to produce or accomplish something has the capacity to satisfy needs that are perceived to be important to an individual’s career. Students are more likely to choose certain careers they feel will give them a lot of money so as for them to acquire assets that will help them solve problems they were faced with.

Provided Stability.

The findings of the study revealed that the female students chose the study programmes they were pursuing because they wanted to be independent and be able to stand on their own as they got employed. The study findings are consistent with previous studies such as Oyebanji (2020) in Nigeria who confirms that prestige and personal interest play a huge role in the choice of careers by female students as they wanted to stand on their own in society since days of them depending on men were long gone. The findings also show that the female students chose their study programmes which are skills development careers so that they can venture into entrepreneurship in the absence of formal employment. The students saw informal employment on their side instead of waiting for formal employment from Government as a means of earning some income to provide stability in their lives. The findings are in line with previous studies such as Aslan et al (2013) in Pakistan and Kiplagat et al (2023) in Kenya which confirms that students choose entrepreneurship careers as advised by parents that they become independent. Parents who were in businesses that are doing exceptnary well may influence their children to select skills development careers. Thus the female students may have chosen their study programmes due to motivation from their parents who wanted their children to be entrepreneurs.

Survival

The study findings show that the first-year female students chose the study programmes they were involved in as a means of earning salaries so as to survive in life. The findings are in line with Astin (1984) who indicated that work is important because it is a means to fulfilling certain basic needs such as survival, pleasure and contribution. The female students may have chosen the study programmes they were perusing to have security in life after resumption of work. With the rising divorce rates, proliferation of non-traditional life styles and changes in the nation’s economy have had a negative impact on lives of women. In the past, women regarded marriage as an answer to survival and stability which is no longer the case. The female students may have been driven into choosing their study programmes so that they avoid depending on men throughout their life who at times become abusive to them in homes.

Social Responsibility

Findings of the study further indicate that students selected their study programmes so that they can plough back to their communities once they were employed. The students revealed that they wanted to go and help others as a way of ploughing back to their communities and society at large. They indicated that they felt duty bound to help the needy in society by contributing in some way to say thank you for raising them. They indicated that this would easily be done through skills development jobs they were going to be involved in after training. However, these findings are not supported by any study previously. The non- availability of supporting literature may be attributed to the fact that there is a paradigm shift in society where people just think of themselves without taking into account that others need help due to economic hardships. This is further explained through the saying “each one for himself and God for us all”.

CONCLUSION

The study established that work motivation and work expectation played a huge role in influencing the first-year female students at Lusaka Business & Technical College to choose their study programmes. The students were hopeful that once they complete their training and start working their earnings were going to satisfy the three basic needs through property acquisition, provided stability, survival and social responsibility. This may be attributed to the fact that work is important as it is a means to fulfilling basic needs such as survival, pleasure and contribution. The study has shown how motivation and work motivation played a role on choice of study programmes by first- year female students at an institution under TEVETA. Motivation and work motivation play a huge role in career decision making of female students.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the study findings, the following recommendations have been developed:

1. There is need to look at the career guidance curriculum to consider factoring in components that motivate career choices of girls in secondary schools.
2. There is need to give at least first degree training for individuals to give career guidance to pupils at secondary school level.
3. Motivation and work motivation should be considered as constructs that play a huge role in influencing choice of careers by female students.

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