Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to survey the vocational interests of Mathayom Suksa Three and Mathayom Suksa Six students in the Central Region for the Academic Year 1984, according to the following variables: class level, sex, students level of achievement, fathers occupation, mothers occupation, parental levels of education, parental level of income, students level of proper understanding of job, knowledge and capability required for occupations in which students are interested. The subjects for this survey were 1,088 Mathayom Suksa Three students (548 boys and 540 girls) and 654 Mathayom Suksa Six students (301 boys and 353 girls), selected by multiple stratified random sampling. For data collection, the researcher along with the cooperation from five graduate students collected data through a questionnaire developed by the Team of researchers. The questionnaire consisted of two parts; the first part dealt with students personal data and the second parts; the first part dealt with students personal data and the second part dealt with students vocational interests. Data on vocational interests of Mathayom Suksa Three and Mathayom Suksa Six students were computerized and analyzed through percentages. The findings of the study are as follows: 1. Both boys and girls in Mathayom Suksa Three and Six show the highest degree of vocational interest for the first, the second and the third order of preference in the Professional-Technical occupations. 2. The students vocational interests for each occupation among Mathayom Suksa Three students are as follow: boys are most interested in Armed Forces, Electrical Technicians, Policemen, Physicians and Engineers, respectively, whereas girls prefer Nurses, Physicians, Secretaries, Bank officers and Teachers, respectively. Boy form Mathayom Suksa Six : Policemen, Armed Forces, Engineers, Self employed business and Electrical Technicians, respectively, and girls prefer Nurses, Teachers, Self employed business, Pharmacist, Secretaries, Tourist guides, Bank officers and Business. 3. For all three orders of vocational interests among boys and girls in Mathayom Suksa Three and Six, with respect to the variables of parental careers, the subjects also show preferences to the Professional-Technical occupations. 4. In the comparison among the variables of parental levels of education and income and the students level of academic achievement, it was shown that Professional-Technical occupations are highly attracted to the students at both levels. 5. When considering reasons for vocational interests in the Professional-Technical occupations, Mathayom Suksa Three and Mathayom Suksa Six boy students mention high remuneration and girl students mention devotion to others, to the community and to the country. 6. For vocational interests in the first order of preference, boy and girls for both Mathayom Suksa Three and Six show a high level of proper understandings of the nature of the job and a high level of knowledge of the abilities required for those particular occupations.