IMPACT OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC ELEMENTS AND GENDER ON BUSINESS EDUCATION LEARNERS’ SPECIALIZATION IN FEDERAL COLLEGES OF EDUCATION, NORTH – WEST GEO-POLITICAL ZONE, NIGERIA  

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the study was to determine the influence of socio-economic factors and gender on business education students‟ specialization in Federal Colleges of Education in the North-West Geo-political Zone, Nigeria. The study has four specific objectives; four research questions were raised to guide the study and four null hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The researcher adopted descriptive survey design.  The population for the study was 646.  The research questions were answered using weighted mean.  The weighted mean of 2.5 and above was considered as bench mark for agree while the weighted mean of less than 2.5 was considered as bench mark for disagree. Results of the study showed among others that there was a significant parental influence on students‟ choice of options in business education. There was also a significant influence on career prospect and students‟ choice of options in business education. Based on the findings of the study the researcher concluded that socio-economic factors and gender influenced  the choice of area of specialization of business education students in federal colleges of education in the north-west geo-political zone, Nigeria It was recommended among, other things, that parents are advised to allow their children to make choice of the area of specialization in business education in Federal Colleges of Education in the Northwest zone, on their own without much  interferences. Lecturers in the various departments of business education should properly guide the students on the career prospect so that they can make appropriate choice of area of specialization in business education in the Federal colleges of education North-west Geo-political zone, Nigeria.

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1         Background to the Study

 

Business education is an academic discipline that provides students with appropriate skills, abilities and competences both mental and physical, that equip the learner with knowledge and makes him effective in teaching, office and self-reliant. Njoku (2006) defines business education as a discipline that provides students with adequate skills, information and competences needed to function well in teaching and office occupation, and stressed that business education is a component of vocational education that prepares students for work in teaching and office procedures in an organization.  It also provides them with operational skills of office equipment in the changing world of technology. According to Nwosu (2009) business education is a study that lay emphasis on learning by doing which eventually lead to the acquisition of practical skills and applied skills. Amoor (2009) asserts that business education is a vocational programme that is offered in colleges of education and universities to provide students with appropriate skills and knowledge to take up career in teaching, business and office occupation.

Business education is a specialized component of vocational and technical education. It is offered in the universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.  Business education programmes offered in the universities and colleges of education, however, has education components that give the graduates the options to teach in secondary schools or seek employment in other organizations. Graduates, especially from the universities can also function as administrative officers in the public and private sectors of the economy.  Business education offered in the universities comprises accounting, marketing and office studies options while in colleges of education it has basically two options namely accounting and secretarial education (also known as office technology and management education).

The philosophy behind business education is to provide its graduates with appropriate knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies to become proficient educators and administrators who utilize both human and material resources for optimal productivity and also with the skills to be self-reliant; it promotes self-employment through the skill acquisition development and also it is a tool in the hand of governments to combat unemployment and reduce poverty in the society (Amoor, 2013).  Business education is an area of instruction that has been in existence for several decades.  It plays very significant role in the life of individual, national development and economic growth such as the provision of adequate skills to provide human resources for employment in all sectors of economy.

Generally, the choice of a career is influenced by parents, friends and counsellors. Variations however occur from one group of people to another. Before making career choices, students should be provided with a list of career options from which they are supposed to make choices. Most of the students lack adequate information regarding various careers; hence the choices that they make are embedded in their perception of the ideal job and the subjects they study in secondary schools. The only support students get within the school is from career masters or counsellors as they are mostly refereed to and the teachers who are expected to support students in their career choices

Gender influences behaviors and preferences across a variety of contexts. While there is some debate about the degree to which these differences are biologically versus socially influenced, several notable trends have emerged. Among them are gender differences in interdependence and connectedness. For example, Clancy and Dollinger (1993) found that when men and women were asked to select photos that described their lives, women selected more photos of others, while men selected more photos of themselves. This finding supports the notion that women have a tendency to define themselves based on social relationships and connectedness.

The role of gender in students‟ vocational choice cannot be underplayed. In most parts of the country, the cultural role expectations of men and women are known to be clearly defined.  There are indications of relationship between gender and occupational aspirations, preference and choice.  In the Nigerian society, boys and girls often undergo different socialization experiences and they tend to learn different gender roles and behaviour patterns and hence develop different interests.  These roles and interests later tend to become the dominant factors in their career choice.    Business education develops knowledge, competencies and skills for effective and efficient economy and creation of jobs. It educates and trains individuals to become  teachers and administrators, expands the working horizon of graduates beyond their job description and produces professionals that could be self-employed and also generate employment for others so as to combat unemployment,  reduce hunger, poverty and security threats.  As important as these options offered in colleges of education are to individual, society and governments, the researcher observes that majority of business education students prefer to specialize in accounting option.

In the labour market today, according to Amoor (2014) there are numerous employment opportunities for the graduates of secretarial education especially those who are knowledgeable and versatile in the use of modern office technology and information systems for employment in manufacturing companies, banking industries, educational sectors and research institutes in Nigeria. Also, in the present democratic dispensation, there is high demand for executive secretaries/assistants and personal assistants to work as influential and trusted aides to politicians. Despite the high demand for competent graduate secretaries in the world of work today both in teaching and office occupations, the majority of the candidates seeking admission into federal colleges of education prefer accounting option to secretarial education.   This scenario prompted the researcher to look at the factors such as parental influence, career prospect, financial income and gender to determine the influence on students‟ specialization in these options.

                1.2       Statement of the Problem

 

  Business education programme offered in colleges of education in Nigeria comprise two options, that is, accounting and office technology and management (O. T. M.) only. The philosophy behind these options is to provide knowledge, competence and skills to business education graduates for the purpose of teaching, office occupations and to be self-reliant. However, the researcher observed that majority of business education students prefer to study accounting to office technology studies options in the North-West Geo-political zone, Nigeria, which has resulted into consistent inadequate number of students studying secretarial education   in Colleges of Education in the North-West geopolitical zone, Nigeria and this has a corresponding inadequate number of office technology studies teachers in secondary schools in Nigeria to teach core business studies. The consistent decline in students‟ enrolment into this option has prompted the researcher to carry out this study so as to determine the influence of socio-economic factors and gender on business education students‟ specialization in Federal Colleges of Education in the North West Geo-political Zone, Nigeria.

 

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The major objective of this study is to determine the influence of socio-economic factors and gender on business education students‟ specialization in federal colleges of education in North-west Geo-political Zone of Nigeria. The specific objectives are to:  

1. assess the influence of parental income on business education student‟s choice of area of specialization in federal colleges of education in North-west Geo-political Zone of Nigeria;
2. establish the influence of career prospect on business education student‟s choice of area of specialization in federal colleges of education in North-west Geo-political Zone of Nigeria;
3. determine the influence of financial income on business education student‟s choice of area of specialization in federal colleges of education in North-west Geo-political Zone of Nigeria;
4. ascertain the influence of gender on business education student‟s choice of area of  specialization in federal colleges of education in North-west Geo-political Zone of Nigeria;

                1.4       Research Questions

This study was carried out to provide answers to the following questions:  

1. What is the influence parental income on business education student‟s choice of area of specialization in federal colleges of education in North-west Geo-political Zone of Nigeria?
2. What is the influence of career prospect on business education student‟s choice of area of specialization in federal colleges of education in North-west Geo-political Zone of Nigeria?
3. What is the influence of financial income on business education student‟s choice of area of specialization in federal colleges of education in North-west Geo-political Zone of Nigeria?
4. What is the influence of gender on business education student‟s choice of area of specialization in federal colleges of education in North-west Geo-political Zone of

Nigeria?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses have been formulated to guide this study.

H01	There is no significant influence of parental income on business education  student‟s choice of area of specialization in federal colleges of education in North- west Geo-Political Zone of Nigeria.
H02	There is no significant influence of career prospect on business education student‟s  choice of area of specialization in federal colleges of education in North-west Geo-Political Zone of Nigeria.
H03	There is no significant influence of financial income on business education

student‟s choice of area of specialization in federal colleges of education in

North-west Geo-Political Zone of Nigeria.

H₀₄ There is significant influence of gender on business education student‟s choice of    area of specialization in federal colleges of education in North West Geo-Political

Zone of Nigeria.

1.6   Significance of the Study

The findings of this study are expected to be of great significance to the following sets of beneficiaries‟ parents, students, lecturers, management of colleges of education and the society.

Parents will benefit immensely from the study by making use of the findings to enlighten their children by giving them guide in choosing career rightly this enable them to be professional in the field of business education.

The result will serve as awareness programme on students who want to make choice of accounting or office technology options in business education to know where appropriately to choose, there by yielding positive results and consequently get the right skills and knowledge for their future endeavours.

Lecturers will also benefit from the study, because the result will show vividly where the students suppose to specialize there by easing their task as counsellors and lecturers. The result of the study would serve as a source of reference to lecturers who will engage in similar research. It will also spur other researchers to conduct similar or related researches in the area in order to consolidate the findings of this study.

It would also be of significance to the management of colleges of education in the North-west zone of Nigeria. The outcome of the study would help management to get prepared with enrolment challenges in the department of business education especially by providing adequate teaching and learning materials suitable for the number of students enrolled in each of the options.

Society too will benefit from the study as all the graduates of either of the options will come back and work for the society there by bridging the gap of the manpower requirement of the society

1.7 Basic Assumptions of the Study

For the purpose of this study, the following assumptions were made:

1. Parents influences Business Education students‟ specialization in federal colleges of education in North-west zone, Nigeria.
2. Career prospect influences Business Education students‟ specialization in federal colleges of education in North-west zone, Nigeria.
3. Financial income influences Business Education students‟ specialization in federal colleges of education in North-west zone, Nigeria.
4. Gender influences Business Education students‟ specialization in federal colleges of education in North-west zone, Nigeria.

1.8 Delimitations of the Study

This study was restricted to only five (5) federal colleges of education located in the North-west Geo-Political Zone of Nigeria.  This choice was made because the federal colleges of education have same peculiarities and characteristics.  The study was also restricted to NCE III students of 2015/2016 academic session in the federal colleges of education, North-west geo-political zone, Nigeria. These NCE III students were chosen because they were at the decision level or had already decided.  The study was further delimited to socio-economic factors such as parental influence, career prospect, financial income and gender due to the fact that they are most popular socio-economic factors.

IMPACT OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC ELEMENTS AND GENDER ON BUSINESS EDUCATION LEARNERS’ SPECIALIZATION IN FEDERAL COLLEGES OF EDUCATION, NORTH – WEST GEO-POLITICAL ZONE, NIGERIA  

 

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