Investigating the Psychosocial Factors Militating Against Students’ Interest in Skill Acquisition and Vocational Training in Selected Colleges in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State

Oluwafunmike B. Adenigba, Tolulope.G .Daini, Ayodele R. Sowole,4Helen N. Adetoyi, & Alice O.Bakare, Volume 3 Issue 2, December 2022 Pages 78-84, Published: 2022-12-09

Abstract

Vocational education and skills acquisition is considered a panacea to the sudden reality of the recent high prevalence of unemployment and low living standard among Nigerian youths. Against this fact, the psychosocial factors influencing students’ interest in skill acquisition and vocational training in some selected high colleges in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun-State, were investigated. The study was a cross-sectional survey with two hundred and fifty (250) students sampled from private and public high colleges adopting a simple random sampling technique. Data was collected from a structured, self-administered questionnaire. The study showed that more than half (52%) of the respondents were from public schools, 52.4% were female, and 66.8% were within the age bracket of 14-19years. SS3 and SS2 were the majority of the respondent. Christianity (62.0%) was the most dominating religion among the respondents. There was a positive significant relationship between parental background (N=250, r= .323, P< 0.05), school environment (r=.240, N=250, P< .05), peer pressure (r=.160, N=250, P< .05), self-esteem (r=.160, N=250, P< .05) and students’ interest in skill acquisition and vocational. The multiple correlation coefficient (R=0.362 and a multiple R2 of 0.131). Significance contribution was tested (P< 0.05), while multiple Regression shows that parental background (=.254, P < 0.05), School Environment (=.109, P >0.05), Peer Group (=.037, P > .05), and Self-Esteem (=.098, P > .05) respectively influences students’ interest in vocational study. In conclusion, parental background independently and significantly predicts students' interest in the vocational study.