The Perceptions of Secondary School Students towards Vocational Education: A Case Study of Kampala District
- June 23, 2019
- Posted by: RSIS
- Category: Social Science
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume III, Issue VI, June 2019 | ISSN 2454–6186
Kizza James1, Damba Andrew2, Kasule Wilson3
UNIVERSITY of Kisubi, Faculty of Business and ICT1
UNIVERSITY of Kisubi, Faculty of Education2
KYAMBOGO UNIVERSITY, Department of Educational Planning and Management3
Abstract: – The call for more relevant education is increasing given the concerns of visible skills mismatch among school graduates in relation to the available job opportunities. Despite government efforts to popularize vocational education, many youths are shunning vocational education in preference to general academic programs. This study set out to establish the perceptions of secondary school students towards vocational education in selected secondary schools in Kampala district.The study was guided by the theory of constructivism which is based on the belief that learning occurs when learners are actively involved in the learning process. The study objectives were: 1) to establish the perceptions of secondary school students towards vocational education and 2) to establish the channels through which students access vocational education information. The study adopted an exploratory research design and used a mixed method approach for purposes of improving reliability of study findings through triangulation. The study’s target population consisted of 194 senior 3 students conveniently selectedfrom schools in Kampala District. Both primary and secondary data sources were used. A questionnaire designed by the researcher was used to collect information from the students. The self reporting survey instrument used in data collection was validated by a panel of vocational educational managers from schools with high curriculum content in vocational education and the pilot test results obtained a cronbach alpha coefficient of 0.72 indicating that the study instrument was reliable. The data collected using the questionnaire was analyzed using the excel sheet to generate descriptive statistics in form of frequencies, percentages and means. The study findings indicate thatmuch as the students’ perceptions of vocational education as opposed to general education are not negative per se, they still have apathy towards vocational education and, there is a general perception among students that schools are not offering sufficient information on vocational education making students rely mostly on social media. Its is concluded that: students perception towards vocational education is still negative due to lack of adequate information and the students perceive the existing channels through which secondary schools transmit vocational education to be inadequate. It is recommended that: a policy framework that clearly shows how a student can transit from the path of vocation education to further education be developed and if it exists be popularized among all stakeholders and, the function of career masters in schools be supported and strengthened.
Key words: Perceptions, vocational education, constructivism, career masters, skills mismatch, general education
