2S) ITR-5th A- Final Report (08-05-2017) Bharghava Shyam (C)

 Adolescent Students Career Aspirations in Lachhuar

(Jamui District, Bihar)

A.N. Bharghava Shyam MAE15007 and Gyan Vikas Girish MAE16032

Declaration:
I declare that the Research work entitled “Adolescent Students Career Aspiration in Lachhuar” is a record of Pair Research done by Gyan Vikas and Bharghava Shyam under the supervision and guidance of Mr. Sharad Sure and Mrs. Shailaja Menon. This research I am submitting for our academic purpose. (8-May-2017)
Acknowledgement:
First and foremost I am grateful to my faculty Mr. Sharad Sir and Mrs. Shailaja Madam for guiding and supervising our research. I do appreciate for their sharing their practical experiences and knowledge to us as a faculty.
My Heart felt gratitude to all my research Participants, Friends, Faculty and my partner. I do express my thanks to JSPS High School staff and Lachhuar Community people for their support in completing my research “Adolescent Students Career Aspirations in Lachhuar”.
Abstract:
This Paper attempts to understand the Adolescent Students Career Aspirations in Lachhuar, Jamui district, Bihar. We understood that adolescence is right age for children in selecting/knowing about their aspiration. And also understood that career aspirations will strategies to step forward in life with some Ideas which are based on some choices.
In selecting aspirations we understood that Students can’t select their aspirations in isolation, they will influence by surroundings we are interested in knowing what influences their career aspirations. Influence can characterized by good and bad (Good influence we can call as Motivation, Bad influence we can call as suppressing). And in suppressing also if the child feel happy we may can’t that as Bad Influence. In our research we attempted to show the influencing factors in selecting student career aspiration.
Key Words: Adolescent/Adolescence, Student, Career, Aspiration and Influence.
Data Collection:
For Data collection we are using semi-structured interviews and observations in schools
Research Methodology 
Research Questions
 What are the student career aspirations in Lachhuar (Rural Bihar)?
 Broad Question
·        What are the significant sources of student career aspirations?
Specific Questions
·        Does Social stratifications {caste, class, gender} and peer group influences the student’s in their career aspirations?
·        Do they differ according to gender?
·        Parents acceptance and their influences on career aspirations
Research Site:
The study was done in one small rural village Lachhuar in Bihar state, Jamui District. This Village is a tourist place for Jains because it’s a play area of Bhagwan Mahavir. His birth place is 5kms far from Lachhuar village.
In Lachhuar we did our most of semi-structured interviews in J.S.P.S School with students and teachers. And parents interview done in their respective homes
There majority of the people are working as farmers and then some are working as Labours (Including Raj mystries), some as vendors (Including shopkeepers), some as employs in some companies etc. Most of the families are joint families there.
Samples and Sample Size:
Frist of all we want to know what student career aspirations, Students are prime tool for our research. We selected this participants because students only know their aspirations, it may be difficult to observe without interactions. For strong evidence we collected data from students, parents and as well as teachers
The sample for this study was the students, teachers, parents they are the vital parts to get data for our research. We did our research with 50 students, 15 parents, 7 Teachers (Planned 50 students, 20 parents and 10 teachers)
Through Purposive Sampling- Maximum Variability we selected these samples
Research Design
Our Study was descriptive/interpretative study to find out adolescents students career aspirations and its influence factors. For children asking directly the influences in selecting aspirations is not possible because it difficult for children to answer those question that why we asked parents surnames through that we can find caste through that we can interpret the data.
Data Analysis:
For doing data analysis we followed the qualitative/interpretivist framework model with our quantitative data. With interpretative model we connected our data to social stratifications to know the influences in selecting aspirations and also. In our Data analysis we are showing the product and interpretations of our research.
Findings:
1)    Age: There is lots of age difference in children, some completed their 10th class in 13 years old & some doing their 9th class in 17 years old. By seeing this We understand that parents are getting awareness on education, I think they are following the principle better late than never
In our literature review we found that level aspirations is found by level of performance in education. Here at different ages parents are sending them to school this will help in selecting their career aspirations.
2)    Caste and Occupation of Parents: There are different types of castes are there in Lachhuar, We didn’t ask their caste directly, but through surnames we got to know about their castes. Usually in this village Tati's are works as labour, choudaries works as local wine makers and small enterprisers, Yadavs are milk venders etc. are like this, but now there are many changes happen in work system. Tati's are doing cultivation, employing etc. this happened with other castes also.
Here majority (18+4) of fathers are Farmers in this mothers are also helping in field, 10 fathers are working as a Labour (Including Raj Mestries) and remaining people are employers in some enterprises. 48 Mothers are home makers (Helping in Husbands Work), only mother is working in an N.G.O.
Here I didn’t find that much caste influence for students in selecting their aspirations, but some parents (9) are decided their children’s aspirations you want to become like this.
3)    Siblings: All students (With whom we interacted) are coming from Joint Family (25 Families) and big families (25 Families) only, there is no small family is there. By this we thought that there is solidarity in between them, all are staying together, because of solidarity state will become good, I think they did 1st step in making country solidarity. All villages are like circles (Concentric circles) all are not connected, but they are connected. There are lots of members in Family, We think Joint family is very good for student for making his/her character building.
And there are big families in that minimum 3 children to 9 children are there in this most of the situations parents can't afford financially, but they are trying their level best to educate their children 50 among 24 have no challenges in reaching their aspirations. 14 have financial challenges,
We thought that because of more siblings they are getting economic problems  
4)    Gender: Students in selecting their aspirations we found that they are not that much on class and caste, but slightly gender is there. In our interaction total 11 among 50 wants to become an engineer in that 10 members are boys and 1 girl is there. 10 student’s wants to become a doctor among them 9 are girls and 1 is boy. 6 members want to become a teachers among them 5 girls and 1 boy are there. 7 students planning to join in army (Military and in air force) and only girl student want to join in that. By these we thought that gender is playing role in selecting aspiration. In these 4 careers coincidentally because of one student the stereotype regarding gender is becoming false.
5)    Support: The most of families (Parents) are supporting their children in reaching their aspirations. 38 among 50 are supporting their children’s aspiration. 3 is having conflicts with parents, one didn’t discussed with parents, 8 did not told anything to us. By this we can that family support is there for to achieve their aspirations.
6)    Influences: 28 Students are inspired/influenced by their observation of the contextual environment of they lived. 8 students are following their family instructions in selecting their aspirations.
 
BY OBSERVATIONS
7)    Teacher’s absenteeism: We also found that teacher’s absenteeism is there in school. They are not taking classes regularly. That will surely affect their education and affects their aspirations.
8)    Actively Playing: There we found all students are actively playing the games, but they are playing the games separately according to gender.
Discussions:
We both taken 80 consent forms with us, before starting semi-structure interview we taken the permission of them and then we started collecting data. We told our research purpose and then started the taking the signature of them in the consent form.
Literature review helped us a lot. And there are some interlinkages in between literature review and field that are gender influences in selecting career aspirations, the child performance helps in choosing their aspirations.
Ethical concern was some children are for just name sake interacting with us, even though we tell fell free, and in last days I felt our research was done in very mechanical way than any productive way. And also felt that teachers may not saying the correct answers. These are some ethical concerns I felt.
Limitations are we did interviews (Semi-structured) in only one government school. Much of the work may done in mechanical way. When we are interacting with students some talked with us very jovially and some talked for just name sake at that time I felt little bit biased with some students. I think these are the limitations in my (Our) research.
Conclusion: The Process
Our Hypothesis is partially right, students are influenced by social stratifications particularly gender only not by caste, but here class became the challenge for students but they (Parents) are trying to help their children in reaching their aspirations.
Section-B: A Revised Research Proposal and Learning on
“Adolescents Students Career Aspirations in Lachhuar”
 (Rural Village), Jamui district, Bihar State.
Name
Gyan Vikash (MAE16032) and A.N. Bharghava Shyam (MAE15007)
Topic
Student Career Aspirations
Introduction {Background}
Aspirations is a strong desire or goal, which student wants to achieve in life. This aspirations come from student’s self-efficacy. Student’s Self-efficacy (Bandura, 1986)(Efficacy- Capacity to produce desire) will depend on his/her contextual environment of which family, Parents, class, gender, socio-economic backgrounds, Peer groups, teachers, counsellors, etc. are constituents
Career aspirations are a major part of future planning and it gives strategies to step forward in life. In the adolescent stage students start to think about their future based on some choices. This stage is crucial stage where students choose his/her career. High school students start to think individually about their career in this stage, so this age group is right group to find about our research.
Rationale of our research
Lachhuar village is familiar to us (Gyan) it’s the main reason in selecting this site. And also no one did research regarding student career aspirations with High school students, and it’s another reason for focusing on this site. Also we want to know about caste system’s influences on their career aspirations.
Based on curiosity we selected this topic. We saw the Caste influence in selecting the career aspirations in some parts of rural Bihar/Andhra Pradesh, we are Curious/interested in knowing about this, why caste system is influencing the career aspirations.
Through this research we wish to understand career aspirations of high school students in southern part rural Bihar and also the factors influencing career aspirations.
Conceptual Framework
Students will think about aspirations from their early childhood onwards, but they put in praxis mainly in Adolescent age (A Process of developing age from Childhood to Adulthood) mainly this stage lies between 11-18 years.
“Adolescence is a period when a major turning takes place in the life of student, because the career will depend upon the subject selected at this level. Adolescence is the age in which an adolescent to make their career or to damage it” (Lal, 2014)
As we know in our Indian context after the 10^th class school curriculum has been diversified into Art, Science & Commerce. That’s why we are mainly focusing on Adolescent age student’s career aspirations.
Student career aspirations are mostly associated with level of schooling in the educational institutions. High school students are at the exploratory stage in choosing their career aspirations. Donald Super's career model is based on the belief that self-concept changes over time and develops as a result of experience. (Ginzberg, 2012) That’s why we are focusing on High Schools.
Review of Literature
In Krishan Lal’s “Career maturity in relation to level of aspiration in Adolescents” research, we found that Adolescence is period in which children will develop & adjust their aspirations. So it’s the correct period to do research for career aspirations in child.  In his research he is saying that level of aspirations are decided by level of performance. Level of aspirations is to about future which is based on his/her past experiences. It gives self-motivation to students.
They find that there are different ways of maturity that are high level, low level & average level maturity in vocational/career maturities. & also find the gender career differentials in broader sense. (Lal, 2014)
By this we understood that, when we are collecting data, we need to observe the performance of the student in class & also want to know about their past experiences in choosing that career.
Another research was done by V.R. Rajesh & V. Chandrasekaran. In their “Aspirations of High school Students” {Chennai & near to Chennai areas} research they found that there is significant difference between the medium of instruction, gender, type of family etc. which plays role in choosing the aspirations.
And they also found that Income level & back ground of family will not play significant role in choosing aspirations. We want to challenge this because it may not happen in rural areas. We want to find in our research. (Chandrasekaran, 2014)   
Here they are mainly focus in urban setting, we want to find in Lachhuar, Bihar rural setting.
One another research done by Archana das & Nilima Bagavati (In Department of education, ADP College, Nagaon District, Assam) on girl’s student’s career aspiration. In that they found that “Maximum number of girls from different caste have different level of career aspirations and also found that girls have differences in career aspirations according to class grade. They also found that no significance difference between girls career aspirations in rural & urban areas, but they rejected when formulated hypothesis.” (Bagavati, 2016)
And we are doing our research in rural area only & also want to find is there any difference in aspiration according to class grade.
In another research also done by William S Bennett & Noel P. Gist, In American society, effect of class & family on student aspiration. They found that “based on three different family classes that are Upper, middle & lower classes the aspirations will changes and they also found the difference by race & class” (Gist, p. 8; Gist, 1964)
In Indian context race doesn’t matter, but class matters, so we also to find socio-economic influence in student career aspiration.
One another research also done by Richard P. Boyle on “The Effect of High School on Student aspiration”. This research was done in St. Francisco metropolitan area, they found that high school effect on student aspiration because in high school the students comes from different background & student influenced by peer group and also by family back ground. (Boyle, 1966)
So we also want to find the influence of peer group in selecting career aspiration in Indian rural context.
One Research was done by Marc Frenette on “Career goal in High School” in Canada he found that academic performance, sex, parental education, socioeconomic background, etc. so many factors influence student career aspiration. Also this research said that student think their career aspiration which will depend on their university degree. So student thinks which type university degree will get that makes their career. (Frenette, 2009)
By this all literature review we understood that aspirations differs according to contextual environment of the student that are according to gender, Class, School, counsellor, peer interest, etc. These environments are influencing in selecting aspirations. The students will select their aspirations in adolescent age.
Here we didn’t find the caste influence in selecting aspirations, so we also want to know the caste influence in selecting aspirations.  Because caste plays major role in rural areas.
Also these research not talk about teacher’s career aspiration for their students. So we want to find this.
In this all literature the Researchers did research in urban context only. We want to do in rural context.
All this literature review gave information that very career aspiration, no career aspiration can be selected in isolation. For selecting any aspiration there must be some rationale, that rationale may be come from inspiration or from influence or from motivation, etc. These all literature review showed different influences one literature said aspirations can be decide by the performance, another research found that medium of instruction, gender, types of family show different in selecting aspirations, another research is saying that there is difference in selecting aspirations according to class and race, another research is saying that they select their aspirations along with their peer group etc. In these all research’s there is influencing factors are there in selecting aspirations. We also want to know which environment’s influences in selecting their career aspirations in Lachhuar children.
“These all are the guiding points which we got from literature review.
 
Objectives of our Research
·        To study the career aspiration of High school students in Lachhuar
·        To know about influencing factors (like Class, Caste, Gender, Region, Peer group etc.) on student’s Career aspiration.
Broad Question
·        What are the student career aspirations in Lachhuar (Bihar rural)? 
Specific Questions
·        What are the significant sources of student career aspirations?
·        Does Social stratifications {caste, class, gender} and peer group influences the student’s in their career aspirations?
·        Do they differ according to gender?
·        Parents acceptance and their influences on career aspirations
Hypothesis of our Research
·        Students career aspirations are influenced by Social stratifications (Class, Caste, Gender)
 
Research Methodology
Design of research                                               
Our Research would be descriptive as we want to find out students career aspiration and its influence factor which take important when students set a career goal.
Research Site
·        We are doing our research in Lachhuar a rural big village in Sikandra Block, Jamui district, Bihar state, India.
·        There in J.S.P.S School (a government school) and in community.
This Village is a tourist place for Jains because it’s a play area of Bhagwan Mahavir. His birth place is 5kms far from Lachhuar village.
Participants
·        Students from J.S.P.S School (Approx. 25), Parents (Approx. 10), Teachers (Approx. 5)
(Through Purposive Sampling- Maximum Variability )
Frist of all we want to know what student career aspirations, Students are prime tool for our research. We selected this participants because students only know their aspirations, it may be difficult to observe without interactions. For strong evidence we collected data from students, parents and as well as teachers
Sources of data
·        We get the data through interviewing students, parents and teachers
Tools and Techniques
·        We will do interview (Semi-Structured) with high school students, parents and teachers and also interpretations.
Contribution and Implication
·        By this research we want to contribute to an understanding of aspirations of high school students in rural Bihar.
·        What is the major factor which influence/ motivates the high school students career aspirations
Limitations
·        Because of less time we may not have adequate data, & our research is related to particular area, so we can’t generalize with another part (Village, town etc.)
Ethical concerns/Issues
·        Going into personal life of students may create some ethical concerns for that we need to give assurance for them, by keeping their details confidential.
·        We are sensitive in asking questions, the question should not trouble the participant.
·        If they are not interested in answering, we have to leave that question. 
 
References
Bagavati, A. D. (2016). A study on occupational Aspiration of Higher secondary school girl students in Nagaon District. International Jounal of advanced research in Education & Technology (IJARET), 3.
Bandura. (1986). Social Cognitive Theory.
Boyle, R. P. (1966). The Effect of the High school on Students' Aspirations. The University of Chicago Press Journals , 13.
Chandrasekaran, V. R. (2014). Aspirations of High School students. Indian Journal of Applied Research, 3.
Educational Aspirations (March 2016).
Ginzberg, D. S. (2012). Careers New Zealand. Retrieved from https://www.careers.govt.nz/: https://www.careers.govt.nz/assets/pages/docs/career-theory-model-super.pdf
Gist, W. S. (1964). Classes and family influences on Student aspirations. Oxword Journals, 8.
Lal, K. (2014). Career maturity in relation to level of aspiration. American International Journel of research in Humanities, arts & social sciences, 1-6.
 
APPENDIX - A
Questionnaire for Students
1.     Name of the Student (SUDO NAME) :
2.     Age                                                   :
3.     Sex                                                    :             Male            Female                             
4.     Name of the School                                     :
5.     Grade                                                :
6.     Number of members in the Family                 :
7.     Siblings                                             :         Sister/s      Brother/s
8.     Educational Qualification of parents            :
9.     Occupation of Parents                                     :
10. Surname                                                          :
Semi- Structured Interview (Questions)
Introduction to each other {We & Students} through rapport building
·        Tell us about your father and mother?
·        What is your surname? (We will find cast from surname.)
·        Who is your role model?
·        What are your career aspirations?
·        Why you want to become this?
·        When you got this Idea for selecting this aspiration?
·        What challenges do you foresee in achieving your career aspirations?
·        Do you see a conflict arising?
·        Whom do you like to talk about your career?
·        Is being career oriented important? Why? / Why not?
·        Do you think girls or boy cannot do certain jobs
APPENDIX - B
Questionnaire for Parents
1.     Name of the Parent’s                                   :
2.     Age                                                   :
3.     Number of members in the Family                 :
4.     Educational Qualification of parents            :
5.     Occupation of Parents                                     :
6.     Surname                                                          :
Semi- Structured Interview (Questions)
·        Is there any aspirations for your child regarding career?
·        You know any reason behind this in selecting that aspiration?
·        You are ok with that aspiration selected by your child?
·        What expectations you have on your children regarding his/her career?
·        Can you give permission for the Higher education for your children?
 
APPENDIX - C
Questionnaire for teachers
1.     Name of the Teacher                                   :
2.     Age                                                   :
3.     Sex:             Male            Female                             
4.     Grade (Which s/he will teach)             :
5.     Education Qualification                        :
·        What are the aspirations you heard from the students?
·        What are your expectations on students in their career aspirations?
Justification for Changes:
I changed the topic name to give little bit clear idea about our research.
We changed (Reduced) the sample size for our research from 80 to 40, now I thought that for Mini qualitative research (2 weeks) 80 samples is very huge to interpret the data.
And in questionnaire also we add one more question for children “when you chose this aspiration”. This shows a justification for our research for (bad- suppressing) influences to child those who told my parents said to me to become this.  
Learnings:
1)    Family is best support for children in helping and guiding the child in aspiration
2)    Everyone want to show their goodness in the first meet, they will try to not expose their mistakes for knowing the reality to need to move closely (I heard that teachers absenteeism is more in school, but teachers are saying we are not going for any lives)
3)    We need to see Unity in diversity than diversity in unity (Girls are standing separately in assembly, instead of feeling discrimination if we feel organizing you may get peace)
4)    Exposure will give experience and that will help in knowing the situations (When I visited Bihar for 1^st time I learnt their traditions)