COMPARE GENDER DIFFERENCES IN VOCATIONAL ASPIRATIONS OF SS2 STUDENTS IN JOS NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF PLATEAU STATE

Abstract

This study investigated the compare gender differences in vocational aspirations of SS2 students in Jos North Local Government of Plateau State, Nigeria. Guided by two research objectives and corresponding questions, the study tested two null hypotheses. Adopting a descriptive survey design; specifically, the cross-sectional survey. The  total population of 1,607 SS 2 students., made of 790 males and 817 females. The sample for the present study consisted of 321  SS 2 students selected from GSS in Jos North LGA of the study. The sample consisted of 151 boys and 170girls. The average age of the sample is 18 years. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire designed by the researcher. The questionnaire was tagged; Gender Differences in Career Aspirations Questionnaire for Students (GDCAQS). Data for the study was analyzed using the Mean and Standard Deviation while t-test was used to analyse the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significant. Analysis was analyzed using descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations) and inferential statistics (independent samples t-test and chi-square), revealing that that Medical, Artisan, technical, fashion/Design and Business professions are the preferred vocational aspirations of male and female senior SS2 students in Jos North, but engineering and Secretarial professions are not the preferred vocational aspirations of male and female senior SS2 students in Jos North. The study recommends that scope of the education should concentrate on the problems, which arises due to social maladies and malpractices, such as, gender discrimination, society stratification on caste lines, ethnicity conflicts, religious minorities problems, rural-urban disparities, poor-rich inequalities and migrant issues.