INFLUENCE OF SELECTED CORRELATES ON CAREER ADAPTABILITY OF TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION GRADUATES IN KENYA

Abstract

The current world of work is very dynamic and needs a workforce that is well suited to help accommodate the changes at the workplace. In the recent past, trainers who pursued degree programmes in technology education have been perceived to be less flexible in handling both practical and theoretical courses at their workplaces. This study sought to investigate the influence of non-academic factors, academic factors and quality of training on career adaptability of the trainers The study was guided by Piaget’s constructivist theory. This study used a quantitative research design.In the study, questionnaire was used to gather responses from 814 trainers who were Technology Education (TED) graduates, and 30 Heads of Department in Kenyan Technical and Vocational Colleges and National Polytechnics. Snowball sampling was used to obtain the required number of trainers while purposive sampling was used to obtain the Heads of Departments. The study found out that trainers who were raised in poor family backgrounds were best adapted to their career followed by those from rich background while those from middle class backgrounds were least adapted to career. With regard to gender, the study established that male trainers who pursued technology education degree programmes were more adapted to career as compared to their female counterparts. Moreover, personality of the trainers was found to have effects on career adaptability of TED graduates. It was also established that the career adaptability of the trainers was influenced by the kind of high schools they attended. Moreover, in was established that career adaptability increases with the increase in the years of experience. This research also found out that career adaptability was also influenced by the area of specialization as well as the entry behaviour of the graduates. Lastly, it was found out that the quality of training does not significantly influence career adaptability of the trainers. The study recommends that all institutions in which individuals are shaped like families, learning institutions should do all it takes to nurture career adaptability right from early childhood to adulthood. This could be achieved through creating a conducive atmosphere as well as offering experiences that can help the learners to adapt to changes at workplaces.