Lecture 15

Added: 2026-05-07

[00:00:01][music] [music] So students it is our week number three and this lecture is the last lecture of this week number theory that is the lecture number five.

[00:00:32]In this lecture, we will try to understand the factors affecting vocational choice and vocational development.

[00:00:43]What we are going to study here? First of all, we will try to understand the meaning of the vocational choice and then we will try to understand many factors related to that.

[00:00:59]Let us start what exactly the vocational choice is. Vocational choices are influenced by a complex interplay of factors including personal interest, abilities, values alongside external influences like family, soio economic background and societal expectations. So two types of factors one is related to the individual personality that is related to the abilities, aptitude, inherent temperament of the students, emotional attachment and another factor which are supposed to be the external factors.

[00:01:46]They include the most prominent among them is the family. Definitely soioeconomic background of the family and there are expectations of the society from every and each individual and we are fulfilling our aspirations to fulfill the social expectations also to certain extent and understanding these factors is crucial for individuals making career decisions and for educators and counselors providing guidance.

[00:02:15]So what are the factors? Uh these factors which are affecting the vocational choices or vocational selection or occupational selection they are related to the personal factors related to the school related factors and family related factors we will discuss and there are many social factors which also influence the decision of the individual to select any particular course or any particular occupation. Definitely the government policies are also responsible and provides opportunities for the student to enter [snorts] in certain areas. Now we will discuss in detail about these factors.

[00:03:00]First of all we will try to understand the personal factors and in these personal factors we will first discuss the interest and abilities.

[00:03:13]interest and abilities. We are spoken we are speak talking about the interest and abilities a lot in this course of guidance and counseling because it is the basic aspect of individual personality. What are my interest and what are my abilities? They must be given significance in deciding the occupational choices. So interest and abilities are key personal factors in vocational choice. As a good fit between what you like to do that is we want to ensure that our interest are given significance and what you are good at abilities leads to greater job satisfaction. If I have the interest in certain areas and I'm capable of performing in that areas, this basically leads to satisfaction and satisfaction leads to the success in the individual life. So personal factors also influence likes and dislikes of the individual are also having a positive and the negative impact on their selection of the occupations. Sometimes there is a clash between the interest of the students and the parental aspirations and the parental expectations or the societal expectation. In such a situation we need to give significance to the interest and abilities of the students because the things have to be achieved have to be acquired have to be accomplished by the individual rather than the parents and the members of the society. So interest and abilities must be given significance and students should be given a chance to select the occupation based on these capabilities if we want to ensure their satisfaction, their happiness and successful accomplishment of that task in any occupation or any profession. So individuals are more likely to be satisfied and successful in careers that align with their passions and aptitude.

[00:05:36]If I'm not having the aptitude of the teaching, then it is not possible on my part to do the justice with the teaching profession and the teachers are supposed to be the leaders of the classrooms. So if wrong people are placed in teaching profession then they are going to spoil the life of the students. So what are my interest? What are my aptitudes? In which areas I am capable to perform better, I must be given that chance. So these factors are also the influential factors which decide the decision of the individual to select any occupation or profession. Personality traits all individuals are not alike. Even the twins are not alike in in many characteristic features. So personality traits traits are significant factors in vocational choice because they influence an individual preferences for work environment and specific roles. So our roles and our our work environment is basically decided the type of personality we have acquired.

[00:06:49]So every individual is granted by the god unique personality. We need to analyze the personality traits and these person personality traits are also become responsible factor in deciding the future course of action on the part of the students.

[00:07:09]There are many personality characteristics features like extraversion and such kinds of students would like to enter in the occupations which where uh energy and social aspects are involved where they are they can exhibit their social behavior and the social skills. Consciousness organized it is supposed to be conscientiousness is basically organized and responsible persons. It is the trades of the organized and the responsible person.

[00:07:45]Openness to experience and emotional stability can influence career. So people decide their careers on the basis of their personality. Certain peoples are introvert, others are ambulating extrovert behavior. The extrovert would like to go into the professions where they can enjoy social interaction where then they can collaborate with the members of other sex and other uh categories and other employment. So and on the other hand introvert would like to would like to enter in the areas where they are uh keeping themsel away from the social interactions and other other aspects and they want to enjoy their uh calm and conscious aptitude and concentration attitude in a in a in a particular route. But definitely uh they can be the academicians, they can be the innovators. So personality traits is another important factor which is responsible in influencing the uh decision of the individual. personal values because we are we we we develop certain values in our personality and these values also become instrumental in making our decisions. So these are the fundamental what are values? These are the fundamental beliefs and the principles that guide our behavior and decision making process.

[00:09:27]Common examples of personal values include integrity, creativity, teamwork, independence, financial security, altruism. Altruism means selfless concern for the well-being of the others and work life balance. So these are the values possessed by any individual. They will definitely change their behavior, their temperament and their in decision making processes.

[00:10:03]They are shaped by if these values are shaped by a number of factors. Take for example upbringing of the individual in a certain environment. The culture of uh the individual and the experiences which he gained while interacting with the members of the family with the members of the society and with the members and and the teachers in the school conditions and the individual reflections. what he thinks, what are his thinking process and what his or her opinion is about this whole world that is the philosophy. So the people are having their own philosophies. They are governed by their principles, their beliefs and their behaviors which ultimately decides their decision. And they enter in certain occupations because of certain values. And they do not enter in certain other occupations because that value system does not allow them to enter in that or does not fulfill their aspiration as per their personal values.

[00:11:19]Now self-efficacy another factor is self efficacy. self-efficacy or an individual's beliefs in their ability to succeed in a specific situation or accomplish a task. So this is the ability to succeed in a specific situation. What I think about myself, it is a significant factor affecting vocational choice. There are people who are having the high higher self-efficacy or individual beliefs. so-called and there are people who demonstrate low self-efficacy. The people who are demonstrating high self-efficacy that is linked to more ambitious career jobs, greater persistence through challenges and a stronger commitment to career paths. So they will be highly motivated to engage in certain types of jobs where they face challenges because they love to to engage with the challenges and thus belief is in one's ability to succeed in a particular field can impact carrier aspirations and the choices. If certain individuals are having the belief okay then I am capable of performing this task effectively definitely he will put more energy in doing that and the success will likely to enter in his path. The selfefficacy is also a very important factor to do the job. Career related skills and knowledge. This is also very important.

[00:13:04]If students are having the knowledge uh related to the uh career and they have acquired the skills related to the job then they will they would like to prefer those uh areas where their knowledge and skills can be utilized best. So career related skills and knowledge are crucial factors in vocational choice because they directly impact employability and a person's potential for success in the field without having the adequate knowledge and and the adequate development of the skill the person is not expected to do the justice with the job. So individuals innate abilities and acquired skills aligned with market needs and the demands influence their carrier options and specific training they pursue. A good understanding of the carriers required skill and how to acquire them is fundamental for making a informed and successful vocational decision. So uh now we are coming to the school related factors. What are the school related factors? Quality of vocational guidance services. Uh there are many schools where high quality vocational guidance services are available and that is beneficial for the students. So quality of vocational guidance services significantly affects vocational choice by providing information on careers, helping individual assess their interest and skills and developing decision making abilities. This basically involves three tasks. Information, providing information on carriers and helping individual assess their interests and abilities. Abilities. This is the second aspect. And on the basis of these two characteristic features, the students are able to make their decisions or they develop ability to take informed decision. to schools with robust and effective career guidance programs can significantly impact a student's vocational choices. So if adequate occupational vocational guidance services are available, this definitely will change the uh attitude of the student and they will be able to take certain different types of the decision as uh as compared to those students who are not exposed to quality vocational education services. Access to reliable occupational information is another aspect. Uh occupational in information influences vocational choice by providing data on carrier opportunities, trends of the market and the requirements of qualification and other things helping individuals align their skills, interest and values with a suitable profession. So in absence of occupational and reliable occupational information it will be extremely difficult on the part of the students to get the exploration of the job market and it is it will be very difficult on the part of the guidance counselor to provide the guidance to the student. So if occupational information, reliable occupational information is provided then students will definitely uh select the occupation based on that and their decisions will be different from those students who are not exposed to occupational information. So occupational information is also a responsible factor in making the decisions on the part of the student.

[00:17:08]This information is crucial for students to make realistic and informed decision, develop self-nowledge and plan for their future career. That is the aim of uh uh guidance. Another factor is school reputation and resources. Definitely a school reputation and reforce resources are also also uh impact on the overall behavior of the students. So school reputation and resources significantly impact vocational choices by influencing the perceived quality of education and career opportunities. So the good schools or the quality schools provide quality education and the experiences which uh which basically impact the decision of the student to select the occupations and the and the professions accordingly. So the perceived reputation resources of a school including it facilities, faculty expertise and connections to industries can influence students perceptions of the values and relevance of certain vocational paths. So good schools also provide opportunities for their students uh about the occupational information and they also provide certain experiences and they make they make a connection with the industries so that uh industry people or their expertise can be utilized in making aware to the students about the job opportunities or linking education with the occupational selection. So school reputation and resources also an influ in influential factor. Another factor is the school environment and culture. The total organization of the school in terms of a specified curricular choices it offers for the student. Its techniques of grading the work of the student.

[00:19:17]Curricular transaction approaches or the methods of the teaching adopted by the teachers. Creative stimulation and cognitive encouragement provided to the students in the school. Permissiveness and acceptance, rejection and control, exercises in the total school environment, time schedule it sets and the values it transmits are important factors and determines the vocational choices of the school student. All aspects have been covered covered in this slide. Let me sum up the this slide. Okay. A school environment is schools basically as soon as the student has entered in the school in the first period and he or she is leaving the school or the university in the last period whatever activities are going on whether curricular aspect or co-curricular aspects participation in cultural program participation in PowerPoint presentation engaging in seminars and conferences and guidance engaging in guidance and counseling cells. All factors, all factors are influential in shaping the total personality of the student in shaping the behavior pattern of the student and it looks in their temperament and they are able to have high expectation develop their potentials in a better manner and they uh this influence their choices. Effective teaching and role of the teacher is also very important. The teacher entering in the classroom, interacting with the student, raising creative questions and understanding the issues and the problems of the student, motivating the students, identifying the creative student and the slow learners and providing adequate adequate adequate adjustment to them. adequate exploration of different kinds of the subject matter to them and motivating them reinforcing them. So these factors are very important and again they basically helpful in making the entire personality develop the entire personality to the maximum full extent and students are able to develop their selfactualization and definitely teachers who actively build relationship set clear expectations and create learning learning environments also help a student develop self-awareness and skills needed to make informed decisions about their future careers. So if students are motivated and have develop a positive self-concept because of the impact of the better teaching learning and the and the guidance and counseling provided by the teacher they are able to influence their decisions also. Now we are coming to the familial factors.

[00:22:20]There are many familial factors also.

[00:22:23]Number one is parental expectations. The parents aspirations for their children carrier can create pressure influencing choices that may align with or deviate from child's own interests. Parental expectations can be false expectations or they can be true expectation. Generally parents are not educated neither they are the experts and they have little knowledge about their students about their children. Many times in Indian society the parents which they could not achieve in their life they expect the student to achieve their their targets. Although students have their own expectations have their own uh goals in their life.

[00:23:09]So this is a clash between them and sometimes sometimes students more particularly the girls uh in order to fulfill the aspirations of the parents select the occupations or the professions uh which they desired in in irrespective of the fact that they themselves are not interested in that parental role model.

[00:23:35]Children often observe and emulated emulate their parents' car careers choices and work rellated behaviors making parental professions as a strong influence that some many times the son of the doctor wants to become the doctor and son of the engineer wants to become the engineer and some of the businessman wants to become the businessman.

[00:24:00]um an opposite is also uh true in many cases. Okay. If uh a person is belonging to a um parents where the parents are teachers, sometimes the students take extreme occupational areas which is not taken by their parents. So parental role model is also a factor and parental encouragement and support is another influential factor. A positive reinforcement support from the parents can boost the child's confidence in pursuing a specific career paths. Then parental values I I I told you about the values of the individual because family also a influential factor in shaping the values of the parents values of the children. So family values including work ethics, financial stability and social status associated with to certain profession can shape a child's career preferences. So what are the value system of the family that is exercising a positive and the negative influence on the career choices of the student?

[00:25:14]Family cohesion and adaptability. It is basically a strong family relationship.

[00:25:20]An ability to adapt to change can positively impact carrier decision making on self-efficacy [clears throat] of the students. So if the family members or the parents and the sisters and the brothers are showing a adaptability attitude changing attitude believe in change believe in the abilities of the student definitely a students will get the will get to believe the change is very important and nothing is permanent than change then definitely they will shift their attention to some other areas. Parent child relationship also influential factor. A healthy and supportive parent child relationship can foster a child's confidence in making career choices.

[00:26:08]Parental education and income is again influ influential factor. Okay. If parents are having the high education then they are in a position to provide better occupational opportunities and better support and better uh opportunities of the learning and that uh ultimately influences their decision making culture and religious values of the family. As we have discussed, there are so many cultures and so so many families who would like to enter their children in certain occupations and they will not like to enter their children in some other professions. Some are giving more significance to the women education and others are not giving significance to the women education. Some believe in in religious education and others believe in modern education.

[00:26:59]Occupational inheritance is another factor. Some people would like to would like to follow those professions which are followed by their uh family and sometimes it is the expectations of the expectations of the parents they should also uh my child should also engage in that profession. So these are basically the family related factors which become instrumental. Now we are coming to understand certain social factors. The cultural expectations are also there because we are socially responsible person and we have to enter in this world, live with this word, behave in this world. So cultural expectation can only play a significant role in carrier decisions particularly for women and minority groups. So culture itself accept from their students or from their children to follow cultural values. So and they want to conserve their culture and that is the influential factor.

[00:28:03]Geographic location, cultural and economic factors in different locations can influence the availability of certain jobs and perceive restage associated with them. There are geographical locations where certain kinds of occupations are involved and people would like to enter in that because they don't want to migrate from their own places. So sometimes it also influences the choices of the students and prestige and status is also associated to certain state certain uh certain occupations. Though socialized expectations of the different carriers can influence an individual choice with some professions being perceived as more prestigious and desirable than the others. In Indian society there are few professions like ISPCS and engineering profession and medical profession.

[00:28:57]Social status is associated to this. If any and most of the students and most of the parents would like to enter in that social support is also very important.

[00:29:08]If you are having the social support means the level of social support perceived from friends, mentors and other individual can affect career adaptability and job prospects. So if you have you are you are grown up in an environment where social security is associated definitely it influences in a positive manner to complete your job.

[00:29:35]The social support also becomes instrumental in changing and making the choices of the students. Now we are coming to the last part that is the government policies. government policies particularly the national education policy because I'm I'm talking about the recent policy significantly impact students vocational choices by integrating vocational education into main stream schooling and promoting skill development with this implementation of this recommendation will definitely change the attitude of the students and many of the students who are slow learners or who want to adjust early in their life because of family and other reasons they will change their choices and they will they will get the profit of the implementation of this policies. The government policies becomes instrumental in making the decisions at many juncture. NEP aims to provide vocational exposure to a large percentage of student with a target of 50% by 2025 and a aims to extend this exposure to nearly all students by 2030.

[00:30:52]Other aspects I'm highlighting here in essence government policies are actively shaping vocational choices by making vocational education more accessible and attractive. If government is providing this opportunity to the student definitely change will be reflected in the attitude of the student and students will ensure to en themsel to enter in different kinds of vocational courses.

[00:31:21]Ensuring relevance and quality of vocational education. If quality of vocational education and relevance to the demands of the ind industry is implemented in through a spirit that will impact the decision of the students focusing on particular skills, industry collaboration and nationally recognized qualifications. So these are basically the issues which have been discussed in new education policies and they are going to be implemented in present day and they will be more implemented in future also. So providing support and resources through various schemes also essential and with this these schemes have its positive and the negative impact on the on on the students personality. Take for example Pardan Mantri Kushal Vikas Yojana is an Indian government scheme launched in 2015 to provide skill development training to youth and improve their employability.

[00:32:29]So this scheme if implemented in two true fields will make or prepare the students to enter in different job market. Another aspect probably the last aspect economic policies in regard to the development of various sectors for example industries, agriculture, real estate, establishment of a school, colleges and universities are responsible for increased employment opportunities. In such a scenario, the youngesters get attracted to courses which help them to seek employment in these areas. The selection selection of any occupation or vocation is a matter of personal choice which is influenced by a number of factors. So a number of factors are involved and they are uh shaping the behavior of the student.

[00:33:25]They are influencing the behavior of the students in many ways. Now I'm concluding my lecture. Occupational choice is a developmental process starting from the childhood to various developmental stages of the individual.

[00:33:42]It is influenced by a number of factors which may be associated to personal, familial, social and institutional aspects. So these are the important factors which are related to the personal domain, related to the family life, related to the social life and institutional life of the student.

[00:34:03]Government policies sometimes also influence the selection of occupation by the individual. Thus guidance provided to the student in schools should also pay attention to these aspect while rendering guidance. So with this we have completed our lecture and thanks for your patience listening. God bless you all.

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