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Title: | Factors affecting the career choice of undergraduates in Nigerian Library and Information Science Schools |
Authors: | Issa, A.O. Nwalo, K.I.N. |
Year: | 2008 |
Periodical: | African Journal of Library, Archives and Information Science |
Volume: | 18 |
Issue: | 1 |
Pages: | 23-31 |
Language: | English |
Geographic term: | Nigeria |
Subjects: | librarianship occupational choice vocational education |
Abstract: | It has been observed that not many undergraduates of Nigerian universities apply to study library and information science (LIS) in the first instance but as a last resort. This situation is unwholesome for the future of the LIS profession in Nigeria. This study investigates the low preference for library and information science as a first-choice course of study by the undergraduates of Nigerian library schools. The survey research design was adopted, with the Career Choice Influence Questionnaire, as the main data collection instrument. In all, 1,228 students from eight Nigerian university library schools participated in the study. The study revealed that for the majority of the students LIS was not their first choice, but that they ended up in the library school as a last resort. However, 38.4 percent who chose the course were influenced mostly by previous library work experience. Available sources of information on the course include parents/relations (29.9 percent) and peers (9.20 percent). There are slightly more male LIS students (50.3 percent) than females (49.7 percent), indicating its equal popularity among both sexes. That 46.9 percent of them were in the 22-26 age bracket showed that the younger undergraduates constitute the majority. The study concludes that despite the evidence of improved popularity of the LIS programme among the respondents, it remains largely unpopular among prospective undergraduates in Nigeria when compared with other courses such as accountancy, medicine and law. The paper recommends that public awareness about the profession and the programme be intensified by all stakeholders if it is to attract some of the best brains in the country who can meet the challenges of the profession in Nigeria. Bibliogr., sum. [Journal abstract] |