Abstract
Career choice and development are influenced by societal institutions and organisations in the structure of education and employment (Brown, 2002). Career education in the South African context was instituted in 1943 and posed many challenges and limitations due to job reservation in apartheid structures, poor achievement, negative self-perceptions and the limited numbers of trained school staff needed for adequate career education and guidance (Akhurst & Mkhize, 2006). A further hindrance to career education was the obligatory subject choice and decision-making process at the end of Standard 6 (currently Grade 8). In 2019, subject choices are made at the end of Grade 9 or the end of what is known as General Education and Training (GET). At the ages of 14 and 15 years, learners are at the onset of career exploration where school subjects are chosen that will have a direct influence on their future careers. However, they may rely on uninformed peers for key information and may experience peer influence and pressure in making such choices. The notion of fellowship becomes particularly important during adolescence, yet the ability to withstand peer pressure is not fully developed until around age 18 when learners are in their final Grade 12 year (Stautz & Cooper, 2014). During the senior phase of learners’ lives, career choices are a pertinent theme and take place during a restricted period of time during which a set of activities, such as orienting, planning and subject choice decision-making are needed for choices and decisions regarding education and work (Van Tuijl & van der Molen, 2016). Studies show that peer relationships have a major influence on career uncertainty of learners in their career exploration phase which is not fully understood. This study responds to a gap in research and contributes to the scarcity of literature on the effects of peer influence on senior phase learners’ subject choices paramount for reassuring their future vocations as they enter into the FET phase of their schooling careers. Furthermore, this study attempts to reveal the direct influence by peer groups on senior phase learners’ subject choices within the learning context that has not yet been acknowledged and integrated for subject choice decision-making at Grade 9 level proposed by the National DBE. Conceptualised within an interpretivist research paradigm and utilising a generic, qualitative research design, this research aimed to explore the effects of peer group influence on FET viii phase learners’ career choices in their Grade 9 academic year and the impact of the peer group on their current career development. A generic qualitative research design was used to explore the effects of peer influence on the participants’ career choices because this design allowed for thorough exploration and included elements of description, interpretation and understanding. This type of research design aimed to examine the participants’ reports of their subjective opinions, attitudes, beliefs, and reflections on their subject choice experiences in their Grade 9 year. Four FET phase participants from a private school setting took part in this research and data collected included three specific data sets, namely, individual semi-structured interviews, individually crafted collages in a group setting and a focus group interview. The data has been analysed using qualitative content data analysis in order to identify themes and recurring patterns as described by the participants. From this research, it was found that first, peers’ role on the participants’ subject choice selection processes at the end of their senior phase of schooling was beneficial for them in determining their individually preferred career choices for the future. Therefore, the significance of the effects of peer influence on the participants’ career choices was significant and noteworthy. Secondly, the findings of this research confirmed that familial and other relevant secondary influences were present on the majority of the participants’ subject choice selection experiences and were perceived as hindrances for them in determining their individually preferred career choices for the future. Thirdly, findings showed that the subject bands selected by the majority of the participants have a significant impact on the course options available to the them in the pursuit of their HETCs. Despite their school’s subject choice requirements, a significant number of the participants in this study expressed that they would have preferred to have picked a different school subject or a band of subjects if they were not required to adhere to the subject band options offered by their school. Finally, findings showed that research participants had definite career aspirations related to their intentions and attitudes towards pursuing their preferred occupations. Recommendations based on the findings of this research are for acknowledged and integrated peership in subject choice by the DBE, parents and teachers for reassuring career choices by Grade 9 learners. Information regarding peer influences that may affect learners’ attention towards potential professions should be readily available to senior phase learners in career guidance, career guidance websites and on-site school settings. Furthermore, the role of peership in the compulsory subject choice selection processes at schools should be ix integrated within the Life Orientation curriculum when learners are exposed to topics related to subjects, career fields and study choices, decision-making skills, diversity of jobs, opportunities within career fields, and trends and demands in the job market...
M.Ed. (Educational Psychology)