Factors related to the post-secondary choices of high school graduates from the Burin peninsula

May, George Robert (1975) Factors related to the post-secondary choices of high school graduates from the Burin peninsula. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

The primary concern of this study was to compare selected family, school, and personal characteristics of high, school graduates from the Burin Peninsula who were attending vocational school with the same characteristics of those graduates who were attending Memorial University and those who were not attending any post-secondary institution. Further the study compared how the graduates who were attending vocational school differed from those who were attending Memorial University on the importance of selected proximal influences in making their post-secondary; decisions. -- The population consisted of 182 1973/74 high school graduates from the Burin Peninsula who were either attending vocational school, Memorial University, or not attending any post-secondary institution. Data pertinent to family, school, and personal backgrounds were obtained from the Committee on, 1973 Enrollment, Memorial University. -- The analysis revealed that students who were attending vocational school had mothers and fathers with fewer years of schooling, and fathers with lower occupational status than did fathers and mothers of students who were attending Memorial University. .However, on the above factors, the parents of vocational students were significantly better educated than the parents of nonattenders. -- On school related factors, a significantly higher percentage of Memorial University students came from the academic high school program, and perceived themselves as knowing more about the courses of study, costs and entrance requirements at Memorial University than did the vocational group and. the nonattenders. On the other hand, a significantly higher percentage of the vocational group came from the academic high school program than did nonattenders. The vocational students also perceived themselves as knowing more about the courses of study, costs, and entrance requirements at vocational school and gave a significantly higher positive assessment of the social environment at vocational school than did the Memorial University group and the nonattenders. -- On the personal related factors, vocational students had significantly lower aspiration, expectations, and self concept of ability than did the Memorial University students. Yet, the vocational students on the above factors were significantly higher than the nonattenders. -- It was also found that vocational students perceived the school being close to home, being paid to attend, the shorter training period, being able to find accommodation with relatives, or friends, and the information provided by post-secondary personnel as significantly more important factors than did Memorial University students. -- The implications of the study are clear. If we, as educational administrators are to give proper carreer guidance to our high school students on the Burin Peninsula, then we must be fully cognizant of the environmental forces at work in their decision making.

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