TABLE OF
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
of the Study
1.2 Statement
of the Problem
1.3 Purpose
of the study
1.4 Research
Questions
1.5
Research Hypotheses
1.6 Significant
of the Study
1.7 Scope
of the Study
1.8 Definitions
of Terms
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF THE
RELATED LITERATURE
2.1.1 Concept
of Self-Efficacy
2.1.2 Career Decision in Self-Efficacy among
Primary Education Studies Students
2.1.3 The
Career Decision Self-Efficacy Scale
2.2.1 Career
Selection among Regular and Sandwich Students in PES
2.2.2 Teaching
Profession and Teacher Education Programmes in Nigeria
2.3 Sources
of Self-Efficacy
2.4 Self-Efficacy
for Learning
2.5 Self-Efficacy
for Employment
2.6 Factors
Affecting Regular and Sandwich Students with Self-Efficacy
2.7 Career
and University Goals
2.8 Improving
Self-Efficacy for Primary Education Studies Students
2.9 Appraisal
of Literature Review
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Research
Design
3.3 Population
of the Study
3.4 Sampling
and Sampling Technique
3.5 Research
Instrument
3.6 Validation
of Research Instrument
3.7 Reliability of the Instrument
3.8 Data
Collection
3.9 Method
of Data Analysis
CHAPTER
FOUR
RESULTS
AND INTERPRETATION
4.1 Descriptive Analysis of Respondents’
Demographic Data
4.2 Answering Research Question
4.3 Testing of Hypotheses
4.4 Summary of Findings
CHAPTER
FIVE
DISCUSSION,
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Discussion of Findings
5.2 Conclusion
5.3 Recommendations
5.4
Suggestions for Further Studies
REFERENCES
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
of the Study
All men are created equal and are
entitled to certain liberties as citizens of the nation. One such liberty that
all men have is to receive a free and appropriate education. Despite
educational initiatives and numerous efforts at the federal and state level,
children from various demographic subgroups do not receive an equal education.
These tests have consistently shown gaps in achievement for certain groups of
students. Students from low-income homes, students who are not Caucasian, and
students with disabilities score below their counterparts on academic
assessments. While some of the gaps have narrowed over time, the gap between
students from low-income households grew 40% from the 1970s to 2000. A report
by Auguste, Hancock, & Laboissiere (2009) described how the achievement gap
has resulted in untapped potential for American citizens year after year, which
has led to a loss of hundreds of billions of dollars in potential economic
gains. In 2009, the poverty rate in the United States was 14.3% (Redd, Karver,
Murphey, Moore, & Knewstub, 2011).
This percentage rose to 15.1% in
2010. The percentages were even higher for certain types of families, with
40.7% of single-mother homes living in poverty. In 2011, 46.2 million Americans
were officially labeled as living in poverty, with 2.8 million children
classified as living in extreme poverty (Coley & Baker, 2013). This
statistic is important for schools. A report published by the National
Education Association (2015) reported that American schools have experienced a
continuous rise in the number of low-income students enrolled in its schools
over the past few decades. The National Education Association explained that
addressing the achievement gap issue is of great importance socially,
economically, and morally for the society and its citizens. Students with low
household income must be studied in order to understand how to help them
counteract disadvantages.
Self-efficacy is
construct which roughly corresponds with a person’s belief in his own competence.
It refers to the belief that one is capable of performing in a certain manner
to attain a certain set of goals. In academic setting, self-efficacy refers to
a student’s belief that he can successfully enter into and complete a course of
study. It is an individual’s confidence in his ability to organize, execute,
and regulate performance in order to solve a problem or accomplish a task at a
designated level of skill and ability. It deals with the belief system of the
student; that he is capable of entering into an academic task and accomplish
the course outcome (Redmond, 2013). It therefore refers to a person’s
conviction that he can successfully achieve at a designated level in a specific
academic subject area. The student believes that he has the competence needed
in any academic exercise like completing assignments, reading hard and passing
the course examinations and even meeting the requirements for going or moving
to higher levels.
According
to Bandura, Albert (1982) , Self-efficacy is
an individual's belief in his or her innate ability to achieve goals. Albert
Bandura defines it as a personal judgment of "how well one can execute
courses of action required to deal with prospective situations".
Expectations of self-efficacy determine whether an individual will be able to
exhibit coping behavior and how long effort will be sustained in the face of
obstacles. Individuals who have high self-efficacy will exert sufficient
effort that, if well executed, leads to successful outcomes, whereas those with
low self-efficacy are likely to cease effort early and fail. Psychologists
have studied self-efficacy from several perspectives, noting various paths in
the development of self-efficacy; the dynamics of self-efficacy, and lack
thereof, in many different settings; interactions between self-efficacy
and self-concept;
and habits of attribution that contribute to, or detract from, self-efficacy.
Kathy Kolbe adds, "Belief in innate abilities means valuing one's
particular set of connotative strengths. It also involves determination and
perseverance to overcome obstacles that would interfere with utilizing those
innate abilities to achieve goals.
Self-efficacy affects
every area of human endeavor. By determining the beliefs a person holds
regarding his or her power to affect situations, it strongly influences both
the power a person actually has to face challenges competently and the choices
a person is most likely to make. These effects are particularly apparent, and
compelling, with regard to behaviors affecting health. The concept of
self-efficacy is central to psychologist Albert Bandura’s social
cognitive theory, which emphasizes the role of observational
learning, social experience, and reciprocal
determinism in developing a personality. According to Bandura,
a person’s attitudes, abilities, and cognitive skills comprise what is known as
the self-system. This system plays a major role in how we perceive situations
and how we behave in response to different situations. Self-efficacy is an
essential part of this self-systemyourself, but whether or not you successfully
achieve your goals in life.
The concept of self-efficacy is
central to psychologist Albert Bandura’s social
cognitive theory, which emphasizes the role of observational
learning, social experience, and reciprocal
determinism in developing a personality. According to Bandura,
a person’s attitudes, abilities, and cognitive skills comprise what is known as
the self-system. This system plays a major role in how we perceive situations
and how we behave in response to different situations. Self-efficacy is an
essential part of this self-system. According to Albert Bandura,
self-efficacy is "the belief in one’s capabilities to organize and execute
the courses of action required to manage prospective situations." In other
words, self-efficacy is a person’s belief in his or her ability to succeed in a
particular situation. Bandura described these beliefs as determinants of how
people think, behave, and feel. Since Bandura published his seminal 1977 paper,
"Self-Efficacy: Toward a Unifying Theory of Behavioral Change," the
subject has become one of the most studied topics in psychology. Why has
self-efficacy become such an important topic among psychologists and educators?
As Bandura and other researchers have demonstrated, self-efficacy can have an
impact on everything from psychological states to behavior to motivation. Our
belief in our own ability to succeed plays a role in how we think, how we act,
and how we feel about our place in the world. Self-efficacy also determines
what goals we choose to pursue, how we go about accomplishing those goals, and
how we reflect upon our own performance.
1.2 Statement
of the Problem
Poverty
can create risk in every dimension of a child’s life” (Richardson, 2008).
Problems presented by disadvantages related to low household income continue
across generations, creating a cycle of low academic attainment and persistent
poverty. Burney and Cross (2006) stated that there are intelligent students in
low-income areas who have great potential, but these students may need
extensive support in order to succeed academically. These researchers explained
how these students must be convinced of the potential to escape their financial
circumstances and rise above poverty by receiving help to nurture their
academic potential. Education can be used as a method to help students from
low-income homes achieve higher educational goals and increase the likelihood
of economic success as adults.
Social Cognitive Career Theory is a
set of beliefs about processes through which people make decisions regarding
educational and career goals (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 2000). For many
low-income students, financial aspects and environmental barriers prevent them
from pursuing certain careers or college paths. Additionally, impoverished
students are in need of support to help them set higher academic and career
goals and potentially break the cycle of poverty. Educators must understand the
beliefs of students from low-income homes to inform the unique needs of this
population of students, which could lead to a solution to persistent academic
and economic achievement gaps among students and families.
Career choices for primary education
studies among University of Ilorin both sandwich and regular students is a
contemporary issue to be discussed, this is because, many factors affecting
self-efficacy in learning for the students, thus this study bridge the gap
in-between employment between regular and sandwich students through the
self-efficacy.
Problem
of learning by self interest among regular and sandwich students needs to be
suggest ways out for, as well on how to be employed with self-efficacy. It is based on these problems that
this study examined assessing self-efficacy for learning and employment between
regular and sandwich students of primary education studies.
1.3 Purpose
of the study
The
specific purpose of this study is to assess self-efficacy for learning and
employment between regular and sandwich students of primary education studies
in University of Ilorin, Ilorin Nigeria. The study is to;
i.
Assess the self-efficacy for learning
among regular and sandwich degree students
ii.
Assess the self-efficacy of employment
among regular and sandwich degree students
iii.
Establish whether there is significant
difference in self-efficacy for learning and employment among regular and sandwich degree students
1.4 Research
Questions
The following research question will
be raised to guide the study:
i.
What is the level of self-efficacy and
learning and employment among Regular students?
ii.
What is the level of self-efficacy and
learning and employment among Sandwich students?
1.5 Research Hypotheses
The following research hypotheses
will be formulated for the study:
H01 There is no significant difference between
self-efficacy for learning among regular and sandwich degree students
H02 There is no significant difference between self-efficacy
for employment for regular and sandwich degree students
H03 There is no significant relationship between in self-efficacy for learning and
employment among regular and sandwich degree students
1.6 Significant
of the Study
Hopeful,
this study will help students of Primary Education Studies to be self
independence after graduate from the school
It
will add knowledge for lecturers in Primary Education Studies in their teaching
profession
The
findings of this study will inform stakeholders in Education about reasons of
choice of education as a course of study
The
information will be useful to parents, guidance and counsellors in providing
advisory services concerning education as a course of study and teaching as a
career.
1.7 Scope
of the Study
The focus of this research is on students
of the faculty of Education, University of Ilorin, in 2017/2018 session. The
target population was all part four students in the Faculty of Education,
University of Ilorin, Ilorin Nigeria.
1.8 Definitions
of Terms
Economically Disadvantaged:
Students are classified as economically disadvantaged if their household income
is less than or equal to 185% of the Federal poverty level
Socioeconomic Status:
Socioeconomic status is the social ranking of an individual related to
education, job, and salary.
Self-Efficacy:
Albert Bandura defined self-efficacy as the belief in one’s own ability to
accomplish a goal (Bandura, 1997).
Career:
a chosen pursuit or course of business activity or enterprise, especially one’s
professional life or employment that offers advancement and honour. In this
study, the career focused on is teaching.
Academic Self-Efficacy:
Academic self-efficacy is a person’s beliefs in his or her ability to succeed
in a learning environment (Jinks & Morgan, 1999).
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