Relationship between self-concept and vocational aspirations among adolescents in selected secondary schools into Tongaren, division Bungoma district

Abstract

This was a study of the relationship between self-concept and vocational aspirations of adolescents. The study also investigated intervening variables like gender, age and socioeconomic background with regard to the relationship between self-concept and vocational aspirations. The study sample was drawn from ten randomly selected secondary schools in Tongaren division of Bungoma District. Stratified random sampling was used to select a sample of 294 subjects comprising of form one and form four students, out of which 146 were boys and 148 were girls. Two instruments were used to collect data. The Semantic Differential Scale (SDS) was used to measure self-concept while the occupational preference questionnaire was used to elicit pertinent data relating to socioeconomic background and vocational aspirations. Data collected in this study, was analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (spss). Means and frequencies were used in descriptive statistics while spearman rank order correlation coefficient, multiple regression and the t-test were used in inferential statistics. The study found that there was a significant correlation between self-concept and vocational aspirations, and between socioeconomic background and vocational aspirations. There was a significant gender difference in vocational aspirations. In addition, there was no significant correlation between age and self-concept and betweenage and vocational aspirations. The findings also showed that there was no significant gender difference in their self-concept mean scores.