DEMOGRAPHIC PREDICTORS IN SATISFACTION WITH ACADEMIC MAJOR AND NEGATIVE CAREER THOUGHTS RELATION: IMPLICATION FOR CAREER INTERVENTIONS IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

To successfully progress in achieving the objective of vocational and technical education, it is necessary to determine the students’ satisfaction levels with the programmes as it relates to their career decision efficacy. This research, therefore, determined the demographic predictors in the relation between academic major satisfaction and negative career thoughts. The research was guided with four hypothesized research questions. Cross-sectional design that embedded a correlational survey was employed. The participants were 622 vocational education undergraduates selected from a public state-owned university in South-west Nigeria. The students’ demographic variables (e.g. gender, academic level of study, age, and subject areas of specialization), academic major satisfaction scale, and negative career outlook sub-scale were the main constituents of the questionnaire that was used for data collection. Data analyses were performed using mean, standard deviation, bivariate correlation, and regression analyses. Results depicted that the students’ satisfaction with their academic major significantly predicted their negative career thoughts. It was also found that gender, academic level and subject areas of specializations were the demographic variables that predicted satisfaction with one’s academic major, as well as negative career thoughts. Intervention studies were therefore recommended for career behaviour modification among vocational education undergraduates. Keywords: academic major satisfaction, career thought, demographic variables, vocational education students.