The perceptions of students at a South
African Open and Distance Learning
(ODL) Institution regarding career
guidance
International Career Guidance Conference
CAPE TOWN
2011
Authors:
B. Joyce Mohapi
Department of Social Work
M. Convy Baloyi
Executive Director: Dean Of Students
Contents
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Introduction
The Unisa Context
Aim of the study
Methodology
Results of the study
Conclusion
Introduction
• The importance of career guidance in higher
education influenced by change in student
profiles
• Students are more diverse, and career
guidance and counselling needs to be
responsive to the changing profile of
students (Lairio & Penttinen, 2006).
• Need for Universities to invest resources in
developing and implementing career guidance.
Career Guidance
• Career guidance includes a range of services which are
aimed at assisting students to make educational and
occupational choices and to manage their careers (Watts
and Sultana, 2004).
• This means that career guidance should facilitate the
process of choosing the correct field of study at a
University, and by so doing assist in choosing a
suitable occupation. These services may be face-toface or offered in a distance mode.
• Career guidance should have the aim of increasing the
students’ readiness to make decisions relating to careers
(Pace Career Centre, 2004).
Ethiopia 941
Zimbabwe 9962
Swaziland 1425
Namibia 2062
Lesotho ???
UK 943
Switzerland 49
Spain 10
Scotland (UK) 11
Germany 124
England (UK) 112
United Arab Emirates
239
Thailand 18
Taiwan 45
South Korea 48
New Zealand 144
Unisa in Africa
Americas 460
& abroad
Canada 124
USA 298
Australia 305
South Africa 262518
Department of Information and Strategic Analysis
Career Guidance at Unisa
• At Unisa, the career guidance function is located under Directorate:
Counselling, Career & Academic Development (DCCAD).
• It is under the Department of Tuition and Facilitation of
Learning
• This Directorate offers career, academic and personal counselling
in-person, electronically, by fax and post.
• Prospective students are reached and served through the
dissemination of information by means of the media mentioned
above as well as visits to schools and participation in careers
exhibitions or fairs.
• Registered students through the described media with particular
emphasis on the development of Internet links which are only now
slowly taking off overseas.
Aim of the study
To explore the perceptions
of students at an open and
distance learning institution
in South Africa regarding
career guidance.
Research Question
“What are the perceptions of
Unisa students regarding
career guidance?”
Data Collection
•A quantitative study
•Used a survey design to collect data from students
registered at the University of South Africa, which is the
only Open and Distance Learning University in South
Africa.
•A questionnaire was distributed electronically to
students in the different regions of the University.
•The questionnaire had two sections: the first section
focused on the biographical data of respondents, and the
second section had questions which focused on the
respondents’ awareness and perceptions regarding career
guidance services at the university.
Data collection
•The respondents were from the different colleges in
the University, namely, the College of Human
Sciences, College of Law, College of Economic and
Management Sciences, College of Agriculture and
Environmental Sciences, College of Education, and the
College of Engineering, Science and Technology.
•The data was analysed using tables, graphs and
diagrams.
•There were 99 respondents from the regions of
Gauteng, Kwa-Zulu Natal, Mpumalanga and NorthWest.
Data presentation
Data collection
• Respondents’ perceptions regarding
career guidance
– Questions were posed to respondents relating
to the importance of career guidance,
awareness regarding career guidance
services and the usefulness of the information
received.
– The responses are given in the following
tables and figures:
Data presentation
Research results
Additional Comments:
•Respondents were requested to make additional comments.
•The comments made are summarised below
•Sharon Hempsey should be promoted
•More involved with students
•Visibility on campus
•Satisfied with service
•Poor service
•CSET needs more companies at expo
•More information about career guidance before the expo
•Need counselling
Findings
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Several issues emerged from the study which are relevant to the practice of
career guidance at the University of South Africa.
It is clear that the majority of students regard career guidance as
essential, and that this practice should continue.
The information received from the career guidance practitioners is also
valued, as it is regarded as helpful.
Awareness regarding career guidance services was relatively lower,
and this may be an indication that there should be more visibility or
reaching out to students using different modes (face to face or
computer based services).
Since Unisa is an Open and Distance Learning Institution, the use of
technology could be used more in reaching out to students in all the
regions.
More careers guidance practitioners could also based at different
regional offices to offer a face to face service to students who are
outside the main campus.
The above is also confirmed by the Bureau of Market Research (2010)
which found that awareness regarding career guidance was not rated as
“extremely important” but more as “important” and “less important”..
Findings
• The ability of students to make choices based on information
received from the career guidance section was also relatively low.
This is an indication that the information received was insufficient.
This is also confirmed by the Bureau for Market Research, Unisa
(2010) which states that students think that staff members do not
have sufficient knowledge to address student enquiries on course
content.
• The report further states that “ some students perceived staff
as incapable of assisting with course choices relevant to career
aspirations mainly due to lack of exposure and insight into
certain highly specialised fields such as engineering, science
and technology”.
• The above has implications for staff training in the field of career
guidance, and continuous updating of information on new fields.
Conclusion
• The study achieved its aim of exploring the
perceptions of students regarding career
guidance, and also provided and answer
to the research question.
• It also raise issues which may be
researched further to shed more light
on the subject of career guidance
practice at an Open and Distance
Learning institution of higher learning.
We thank you
Joyce Mohapi
Convy Baloyi