Major Factors Affecting the Pre-service Female College Trainees’ Field of Study Selection in Oromia Regional State

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the major factors affecting female TEC and TVET trainees‟ field of study or department selection. For this purpose, 295 female students from 3 TECs and 127 female students from 3 TVETs, totally 422 female trainees were randomly selected and used as source of information. Besides, department heads and gender focal persons of the sample colleges were included as source of supplementary information. All the necessary information was collected using locally developed and pilot tested questionnaire and interview. The result of the study revealed that female trainees are threatened by two major factors, i.e. internal and external factors, based on their origins. Thus, it was found that the internal factors are factors that emanate from the 'self' such as feeling of inability, subject anxiety, self undermining, fear of practice and extra work. On the other hand, external factors are factors such as peer pressure, inability to get orientation, absence of role models, failure of teachers to encourage females, traditionally beliefs and the like. Generally, the study concludes that the combination of the two factors is threatening the female trainees on their field of study selection.