Methodology:
This section will provide an overview of how the researcher intends to answer her hypothesis. Thus using a quantitative research method namely questionnaires she aims to find who has the biggest influence on teenage girls’ and boys’ career choices and which gender is most affected. This includes looking at students’ chosen subject choice and current career choices.
Research methodology
This study adopts a quantitative research approach which is the collection of data mathematically, using the results in statistics, thus events can be explained (Creswell,1994). As quantitative research uses a collection of different results for the same hypothesis similarly, this study will collect the results of the same question. The results then will be analysed statistically and compared to determine where the biggest differences occur. In order to achieve accurate results, the researcher will ensure that all participants answer the same questionnaire so as to have a fair basis from which to start. Participants will be randomly selected allowing the researcher to collect data from different types of people and thus produce a more accurate result. Quantitative data was chosen instead of qualitative as it gives a clearer result for the hypothesis the researcher has formed.
With an equal amount of teenage boys and girls and with the same questionnaire, the results will compare the differences between the options given to participants. The studying being done is a quantitative research task thus using numerical values to calculate the results for the research. This sets a level of equality for all participants to answer questions honestly which can be calculated resulting in accurate results for the study. By the researcher doing survey research, is able to compare the results of each participant and come to a precise conclusion. Participants will be randomly selected allowing the researcher to obtain different types of people and different results of each to come to a broader more accurate result.
The research done will be quantitative as the researcher intends to have the participant finish questionnaires and the results will be counted. With an equal amount of teenage boys and girls and with the same questionnaire, the results of which will be accurate for the school. Quantitative analysis will also give the most obvious calculated result with no regards to emotions of the genders. In this research task, the independent variable is the age and grade of participants and thus the dependent variable are the possible influences namely, teachers, friends, family, career tests and research done by themselves.
The researcher’s questionnaire first aims at finding the general information of the participant. This includes age, gender and race as these will be compared in the presentation of findings. The questions that follow checks to see if a participant has made their subject choices and if they have changed any of them. The questions further ask which factors out of teachers, friends, family, research about the subject or other in their opinion has contributed to their subject choice and to what extent each one has contributed, if at all. It further asks if they have been for career testing and if this has influence their subject choice. The questionnaire’s last few questions asks if in their opinion their subjects or career choices will change, if any factors will influence this change and in their opinions if yes, which one? By using the results from the questionnaires as the researcher’s instrument, the results will reveal the answer to the hypothesis. By having a questionnaire that asks specific questions, the participants are able to give precise results. Having an easy to answer questionnaire allows the participants to spend less time answering it thus keeping their attention and ensuring accurate results. The participants will be between the ages of 15 and 18 in grades between and including grades 8 to 12. Using such a variety of ages, grades and ethics from the selected South African Christian high school will result in accurate results. The participants will need to bring a pen to the school library on the date determined.
Participants
The investigation is to be done with participants from a private South African Christian school in Gauteng, who are between and including the ages of 15 to 18. Using about 10 participants of each gender allows for a range of learners forming a diverse group that can offer different perspectives. In total, the researcher will work with the results from 20 questionnaires, half from males and half from females. More specifically, the researcher aims to use a randomly selectable variety of at least one participant to represent each ethnic group, to participants from each grade (one male, one female) and two participants from each age group.
Instruments
The questionnaire will ask questions about which factors influence learners’ decisions on subject choices and career choices. It will include multiple choice questions and allows the participants to show to what percentage they have been impacted by. By limiting the response they can give, the questionnaire takes less time to answer and limits the possible results enabling a clearer end result. These results can be tabulated and are thus quantifiable data. The collected data will be compared by similar and different characteristics found from this research task as well as previously done research.
Ethical Considerations
Ethical considerations take into account acceptable and unacceptable behaviour (National Institute of Environmental Health Services, 2017). Besides legal matters, ethics show a standard of conduct and consequences of not taking it into consideration may be unfavourable. In order to protect the anonymity of each participant and to enable them to participate in the research task, they will need to complete a consent form provided by the researcher. This consent form must also be signed by parents or legal guardians for participants below the ages of 18. This will ensure that parents and participants understand why the study is being conducted and how it will be investigated, as well as the requirements thereof.
The questionnaires will not ask for the participant’s name to protect their anonymity and thus in the presentation of findings no names will be given. It has been proven that a participant that has no need to be concerned with self-awareness is more likely to be honest and partake in a research study (Pinsonneault & Heppel, 1997). It is however important for participants to understand that their individual age, grade and race will be used in the study. Every effort will be made to keep all participants anonymous throughout the research task and no identifying information will be recorded. The investigation is done voluntary and participants may withdraw at any stage. There are no foreseeable negative consequences. Confidentiality will be kept and only the research and supervisor will have access to the data.
5.2 Presentation of Findings:
This segment of the research task includes the numerical results compared from the questionnaire handed out. All findings are included and labelled, followed by the analysis thereof.
The researcher will calculate correlations and differences in the data collected. The researcher will then determine the most popular influences on students between the ages of 15 to 18, between and including grades 8 to 12. By analysing the data an answer to the hypothesis will be obtained and the researcher can identify which gender is most influenced by one of the following: teachers, friends, family, research about the subject, other. The researcher can also thus identify which of the previously mentioned influences impact teenage boys’ and girls’ career choices.
The following section will present the results of the quantitative data collected through the use of the questionnaire. The data will be used to identify and explore different influences on teenage boys’ and girls’ subject and career choices. The researcher handed out 20 questionnaires, of which 16 were returned. It was planned that t a questionnaire would be given to two boys and two girls per each grade, from grade 8 to matric. Out of the questionnaires handed out every ethnic group had been included as well as grade, age and gender. The questionnaire asked a range of questions relating to possible influences on participants with regards to their subject and career choices. Some of the participants had not yet chosen their subjects but could answer the questions based on their future subject and career choices. The participants were chosen at random to ensure a variety of ethnic groups, ages, cultures and grades were included. The results are recorded in the figures below to determine the influences that contribute to subject and career choice. Due to lack of participation from grade 12 males and in order to have an equal number of male and female participants, the grade 11 results are not included in the figures, except for Figure 1.
Figures 1, 2 and 3 present the demographic characteristic of the sample by focussing on gender, age and ethnicity.
Figure 1 showing the number of participants in relation to their grade:
Figure 1: Shows the number of questionnaires received back from willing participants of each gender after 20 questionnaires were handed out. Note that only females in grade 11 returned the questionnaire and therefore all grade 11’s are excluded from the sample in the remainder of the data analyses.
Figure 2 showing the number of participants in relation to their age in years:
Figure 2: Shows the number of participants in the sample from each age group.
Figure 3 showing the number of participants in relation to their ethnic group:
Figure 3: Shows the number of participants in a sample from each ethnic group.
Figure 4 showing the number of participants in relation to the subject choice made:
Figure 4: Shows the number of participants who have chosen their subject. Note that grades 8 and 9 have not yet chosen their final subjects but may currently know their desired subject choice.
Figure 5 showing the number of participants in relation to their grade:
Figure 5: Shows the number of participants whose final subject choices were the same as in the seventh or eighth grade. Note that grades 8 and 9 have not yet chosen their final subjects but no if there current subject choice differs from the seventh grade.
Figure 6 showing the number of participants in relation to a subject change:
Figure 6: Shows the number of participants who have changed at least one subject after making their subject choice at the end of grade 9. This question was not applicable for grades 8 and 9 participants as they have not yet chosen their subjects.
Figure 7 a pie chart showing five possible influences on participants:
Figure 7: Shows the factors that contribute to the participants’ subject choices. Factors included in the category “other” were: a change in interest, higher marks in a different subject, personal preference, enjoyment of the subject and the subject needed for their future career. Each percentage was calculated from the results given by participants answering which of the factors mentioned contributed to their subject choice. It was possible for participants to select more than one thus each percentage represents the total value per factor that was considered an influence.
Figure 8 Showing the number of participants, comparing males and females, in relation to the extent of parental influence on them:
Figure 8: Shows the extent of which parental influence on learners’ subject choice represented on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is the most influenced and 1 is the least influenced.
Figure 9 showing the number of participants, comparing males and females in relation to the extent of friends’ influence:
Figure 9: Shows the extent of friends’ influences on learners’ subject choice, represented on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is the most influenced and 1 is the least influenced.
Figure 10 showing the number of participants, comparing males and females in relation to the extent of teachers’ influence:
Figure 10: Shows the extent of teachers’ influences on learners’ subject choice, represented on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is the most influenced and 1 is the least influenced.
Figure 11 a pie chart showing how many of the participants have or have not gone for a career test:
Figure 11: Shows the percentage of participants who have or have not been for a career test. Results of those who have been for the test have either forgotten the results or the results indicate that they have an unusual personality type.
Figure 12 showing the number of participants who have or who would go for a career test and would follow the advice given:
Figure 12: Shows the likelihood of participants who have gone for a career test or would go for one and the likelihood of these participants following the advice given, represented on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is the most influenced and 1 is the least influenced.
Figure 13 showing the likelihood of participants who have been for a career test to follow the advice given:
Figure 13: Shows the likelihood of participants who have been for a career test to follow the advice of the career test results, represented on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is the most influenced and 1 is the least influenced.
Figure 14 a pie chart showing the percentage of the sample of participants having discussed their future careers with five of the selected influences:
Figure 14: Shows the percentage of the sample of participants who have discussed their future careers with either their teachers, friends, family, a career test or “other”. It was possible for participants to select more than one of the options and thus the percentages are calculated from the overall possibility of everyone choosing every possible influence.
Figure 15 a pie chart showing the percentage of participants who believe their subject choice will or will not change in the near future:
Figure 15: Shows the percentage of participants who believe their subject choice will or will not change in the near future. These results include all participants.
Figure 16 a pie chart showing the percentage of participants who believe (if their subject choices change) there will or will not be influences that encourage the change:
Figure 16: Shows the percentage of the sample of participants who believe (if their subject choices change) there will or will not be influences encouraging the change.
Figure 17 a pie chart showing the percentage of participants identifying the people/process that influence a change in their career choice in the near future:
Figure 17: Shows the percentage of the sample of participants who believe the identified people/process could influence a change in their career choice in the near future. The participant who selected the option of “other”, believes that for him a “other” factor would include a change in interest.
Figure 18 showing the number of participants who were influenced by specific factors which contributed to their career choice:
Figure 18: Shows the number of participants who were influenced by specific factors namely: teachers, friends, family, research, other which contributed to their current career choice, comparing male and female results.
Figure 19 a pie chart showing the percentage of participants that believe their subject choice will or will not change in the near future:
Figure 19: Shows the percentage of the sample of participants who believe their subject choice will or will not change in the near future excluding matrics who are very unlikely to change their subjects.