Career Preparation of Primary School Pupils in Tanzania

Abstract

This study employed a survey design under quantitative research approach,
to explore subject preferences, career aspirations, and sources of career
information of 287 primary school pupils. A questionnaire with open-ended
and closed questions was employed to collect data. The study found that
out of ten taught subjects, pupils ranked Kiswahili as their most preferred
subject and English as the least preferred subject. In terms of career paths,
a total of nine careers were listed for pupils to select the most preferred
one. It was revealed that most of the pupils aspired to become medical
doctors, teachers, soldiers, and engineers. These pupils’ career aspirations
emerged to be gender-stereotyped, with only a few girls showing a keen
interest in science and engineering fields. Moreover, the pupils identified
their parents as the most trusted sources of information on careers. Based
on these findings, career preferences appear to unfold during childhood
with a range of factors such as parents, teachers and the quality of career
information received through socialisation nurturing and shaping these
choices.
Keywords: career aspirations, primary pupils subject preferences,
sources of career information.