Assessment of Major Factors Affecting Female Pre-service College Trainees' Field of Study Selection: The Case of TECs and TVETs in Oromia Regional State.

Abstract

The Purpose of this study was to investigate major factors affecting female TEC and TVET trainees’ field of study or department selection. To achieve this objective, 295 female students from 3 TECs and 127 female students from 3 TVETs, totally 422 female trainees, were randomly selected and used as source of information. Besides, department heads and gender focal persons of the sample colleges were included as source of supplementary information. All the necessary information were collected using pilot tested questionnaire and interview. The result of the study indicates that female trainees are influenced by two major factors: internal and external based on their origins. Thus, it was found that the internal factors are factors that emanate from the 'self' such as the feelings of inability, academic anxiety, low self confidence, and fear of practice as well as extra work. On the other hand, peer pressure, inability to get orientation, absence of role models, failure of teachers to encourage females, traditional beliefs and the like are external factors. Generally, the study concludes that the combination of the two factors affects female trainees in the selection of their field of study.