Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to assess the attitudes of Secondary School Ordinary level students towards vocational education and training. Youth unemployment is becoming a greater problem in Tanzania and also globally. There are opportunities not yet fully utilized in the country which could answer the question of unemployment of youths and their attitudes towards those opportunities. Thus the specific objectives of this study were to examine student’s expressed attitudes towards vocational education, to determine the perception of the students about vocational education and training and to assess students’ willingness to join vocational education and training centres. The study was guided by Fishbein's attitude theories. In completing this study, related literature was reviewed to provide a background of vocational education, attitudes and factors contributing in attitude formation. A cross-section research design was used to collect data that involved survey of 200 students from ten secondary schools. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer program was used to analyse data. Likert scale was used to determine student’s attitudes and perception toward vocational education and training. The survey results showed that students had negative attitude towards vocational education and training. Students valued the socially prestigious and white-collar professions over technical related occupations. Furthermore, their willingness to join vocational education and training after completion of O-level education revealed to be relatively low. The study concluded that, students were lacking adequate parental advice and teachers’ guidance regarding vocational education and training. Also the school curriculum does not explicitly address the vocational subjects. The study recommends that the government of Tanzania through the ministry education and vocational studies, particularly the Institute of Curriculum Development should review and incorporate vocational subjects in the Ordinary level secondary school curriculum, teach it theoretically as well as practically. Deliberate effort should be made to distribute throughout the country the centres where students can join vocational education that will halt students from only looking at socially prestigious and white-collar jobs only for their careers than otherwise.
