Abstract:
The study assessed factors that influenced Form 2 and 3 Clothing and Textiles (C&T) students at the Senior High Schools (SHS) in the Abura Asebu-Kwamankese District in their selection of Clothing and Textiles as their field of study. The study was guided by three objectives and a hypothesis and utilised a descriptive cross-sectional design. The population of the study comprised all Clothing and Textiles students in form 2 and 3, Clothing and Textiles teachers and Heads of Department (HoD) in the Home Economics Departments in the four Senior High Schools in the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese District. The total number of respondents used for the study was 588. This comprised 371 students, 5 teachers, 4 Heads of Department and 208 parents. The study used parents whose wards were studying Clothing and Textile as a subject and are in form 2. The study employed a census sampling technique to select 371 students, purposive sampling technique to select 5 teachers and 4 Heads of Department and convenient sampling technique to select 208 parents of students. Three different Surveys were employed to collect the data from respondents. The data collected were analysed using means, standard deviation, frequencies, percentages and binomial logistic regression. IBM-SPSS software for windows version 25 was used. The study found that, student’s interest and passion for sewing influenced their choice in C&T as a subject. The study revealed that the career prospect and availability of employment in the studying of C&T was considered by parents before making the choice. Finally, teachers and Heads of Department indicated that teaching experience in C&T and mentoring of students had influence in the choice of C&T by students. The study recommends that students should be exposed to lot of career opportunities in C&T by their teachers at the Junior High Level to guide them in their choice of subject at the S.H.S. level. Stakeholders like counsellors at the schools are to educate parents whose wards are in J.H.S 3 and will be going to S.H.S. on the career prospects in C&T since parents consider career opportunities before making a choice for their wards. Also, Clothing and Textiles teachers and HoD’s are to undergo in-service training to gain more experience to assist or mentor students in their choice of subject.
