A research dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of master of Education in administration and management

Abstract

The study was carried out in the four (04) selected secondary schools in Katakwi district and this focused on parental influence and career aspirations of children in secondary schools. The 124 respondents who participated in this study included, 4 head teachers, 20 teachers, 40 parents, and 60 students who were selected from 4 sample secondary schools using census and simple random sampling techniques. Questionnaires were used to collect data from head teachers, some parents and teachers, whereas interviews were administered to the parents and students. The findings collected and presented in chapter four (table 5) indicated that the largest number of respondents agreed with the view that parents perceived science courses as better paying than arts courses. In addition, the largest number of respondents disagreed with the view that parents perceived arts courses as better paying than science courses whereas majority of the respondents agreed that parents perceived technical courses as having more reliable and secure job opportunities. On the other hand, the largest percentage of respondents agreed that parents in Katakwi District perceived farming and cattle rearing were better paying than any other. As regards the influence of parents‟ own career experiences and aspirations on their guidance and support, the largest percentage of respondents agreed that parents advised their children to take up their careers, majority disagreed that parents gave freedom to their children to choose careers of their interest while the largest percentage of respondents agreed that parents forced their children to take up their jobs. The largest number of respondents agreed that parents sponsored their children to take up their careers. In relation to parents‟ education levels and children‟s self-confidence towards certain careers, the largest percentage of respondents agreed that children of the educated parents took up elite jobs, majority of respondents agreed that children of uneducated peasant farmers commonly took up peasant farming and the largest percentage of respondents agreed that educated parents had the capacity of sponsoring their children for any course of their choice. Finally, the researcher concluded that, parents perceived science courses and technical courses as better for their children. In addition, parents own career experiences and aspirations greatly influenced their guidance and support for their children‟s career choices and that parents‟ education levels greatly influenced the children‟s self-confidence towards certain careers. Findings from correlation indicated that there was close relationship between parent‟s career aspirations and their children‟s choice of career.