Self-concept educational and occupational choice:a case of secondary school girls from Murang'a and Nairobi Districts,Kenya.

Abstract

Self-concept affects an individual's outlook to life. Different school factors such as the school environment, teachers, peers and the hidden curriculum affect the development of self-concept in secondary school girls. It was important to find out how these school factors shaped the rural and urban girls' self-concept as how they felt about themselves would determine their educational and occupational aspirations.

The study had three objectives. First, it sought to investigate how the rural and urban school environment impinged on the self-concept of secondary school girls. Second, the study determined how self-concept affected the educational aspirations of secondary school girls. Finally, it established how self-concept affected the occupational choice of secondary school girls.

To satisfy these objectives, the study used the survey research design. Using a partially structured and open-ended questionnaire, data was gathered on school factors and also on the respondents' perceptions about their self-concept, educational and occupational aspirations.

The results showed that different school factors like the natural environment, teachers, peers and the hidden curriculum among others do have an impact on a girls' self-concept. '.... The rural girl came out as appreciating the school more than the urban girl. Also, the

majority of the girls wanted to get university ~UCa1ion and aspired to enter professional careers on completion of their education. In additiotthey seemed to have a high self?­ concept though the rural girl came out as having a higher self-concept than her urban counterpart.

Consequently, recommendations were made as to how the school would effectively guide a girl to have a positive self-concept. Apart from the principal and teachers steering the girls into ways of achieving positive self-concept, the Ministry of Education should also ensure that schools are being run and managed in a way that will improve a students' self-concept.