The Influence of Gender and School Type on Secondary School Students' Personality Types and Career Aspirations in Eldoret West District, Kenya

Abstract

This paper examines the role students' gender and school type plays in determining secondary school students' personality types and career aspirations. The paper is based on a study that investigated the role of gender and school type on career aspirations and personality types among Form Three secondary school students in Eldoret West District, in North Rift Kenya. A sample of 429 participants took part in the study. This group comprised 223 girls and 206 boys from 12 secondary schools which were selected by stratified sampling. Ex-post facto research design was adopted and data analysis was done using the Chi-square and ANOVA test statistic. Gender had an influence on personality types and subsequently career aspirations. When the girls were on their own (Girls Boarding Schools), they tended to aspire mostly for Investigative careers, but the presence of the boys (seen in mixed schools) cause them to have diversity in other aspirations, for example Social and Artistic. The type of school also had significant influence on the personality types of the students. This means that although the academic work, curriculum instruction and practices in those schools may be the same, they have different environments in the different schools, hence the personality types. From the study findings, it is recommended that schools administrations and guidance counsellors organize career days for students so that they get exposed to issues on gender, school types, careers and personality types that fit different careers. The study is very significant to the curriculum developers and policy makers in education; it shows the need to expand career guidance as a department in a school setting and to ensure proper training of career counsellors, and create time for career guidance in the school's timetable.