Level of Determinants of TVET Career Choice and Relation to Locale: A Study on Diploma Level Engineering Students

Abstract

Career choice of students differs due to many factors which influence their decision on whether or not to pursue their career of choice. Since making a career choice becomes a turning point in a student’s life, it requires careful consideration. This research identifies the level of the five determinants (academic interest, self-efficacy, financial benefits, non-financial benefits, and family expectations) of TVET career choice, especially in diploma-level engineering students, and their association with each other. The study adopts a quantitative approach by using a survey design. The respondents are selected using a simple random sampling technique. The data are collected by questionnaire through google form at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Out of the total of 215 questionnaires emailed to the first-year students, 205 questionnaire forms are counted as valid. The data are analysed descriptively and inferentially using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 25 as the main analysis tool. The finding shows a high level of self-efficacy, and all five determinants are strongly associated with one another. Also, these five determinants differ across the locale.