Analysis of Vocational Choice Satisfactions and Factors Affecting Vocational Choices of University Students in According to Some Independent Variables

Abstract

The general purpose of this study is to analyze the factors affecting university students’ vocational choices and their satisfaction with their vocational choices in terms of gender and economic situation perception variables. In line with this general purpose, firstly, the affecting factors of the vocational choices of university students were determined, and then the satisfaction of university students with their vocational choices was examined. Following these determinations, the factors affecting vocational choice for male and female students and whether vocational satisfaction differs in terms of the economic situation perceived by male and female students were investigated. This research, which aims to determine the factors affecting university students’ vocational choices and their satisfaction with their vocational choices, is in a comparative type of relational screening model. The scanning model is used to detect a situation, individual or object that occurred in the past or is still ongoing, in its own conditions and as it exists. In determining the sample size, the number criterion corresponding to five times the number of items in the survey was taken as the basis. Since the number of items in the scale is 25, the sample must be at least 125. This research was conducted in 2014 with 692 university students in Anadolu University, Hacettepe University, Selçuk University and Yalova University. Data were collected with the “Vocational Choice Survey” (VCS) developed by the researchers based on literature review. VCS consists of 25 open and closed-ended questions covering vocational choice characteristics. SPSS 21 statistical package program was used to analyze the data collected from the students. Frequency distribution and Chi-Square Test were used to analyze the data. Research findings reveal that the most important factor affecting university students’ vocational choices is the employment opportunities of the department they study in. Apart from this, it is seen that the suitability of the department of study with their personality, the university entrance score obtained, the desire to meet the demands of the family and the increase in demand for the department of study are also effective factors in the vocational choices of university students. The research results show that the university students included in the research have high levels of vocational satisfaction. In addition, the results of the research reveal that university students’ perceptions of their economic situation are not a factor affecting their vocational choices and satisfaction, but gender is an important variable affecting the vocational choices and satisfaction of university students. Based on these research findings, it can be recommended to make reforms in the education system that will increase male students’ satisfaction in their professional choices and transform their social role perceptions.