The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which occupational knowledge and social influence from significant others predict intentions of undergraduate students to join their careers upon completion of their studies in Tanzania. Based on its quantitative character, a cross-sectional survey design was opted. A convenient sample of 100 first and finalist undergraduate students (63 males, 37 females; age range 19 to 40 years) participated in this study. The structured questionnaire was used to assess the demographic characteristics, level of occupational knowledge, social influence, and career choice intentions. The study found that undergraduate students' intentions to join their careers were highly determined by their level of occupational knowledge and social influence from significant individuals such as parents, friends, and lecturers. It was further revealed that there was low but positive correlation between occupational knowledge and career choice intentions. Overall, the study found that majority of students intend to join their careers upon their graduation. Both practical and theoretical implications are discussed further in this study.
Worldwide, students' in higher learning institutions face psycho-social challenges. Some of the challenges require psychological help services offered by the universities. Despite the prevalence of the challenges and availability of psychological help services, studies reported that utilization of such services is very low. The existing literature provides limited information about the university students' help seeking intentions in Tanzania. Therefore, this study assessed the extent to which attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control in uence the university students' intentions to seek psychological help. A total of 740 students from two public universities in Tanzania participated in the study. The data were analysed through descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. Results from the multiple regression analysis indicated that all three variables statistically signi cantly predicted the university students' intention to seek psychological help. Creation of awareness about the bene ts of psychological help services can help to increase university students' utilization of psychological help services. The implications of the results, limitation and direction for future studies are provided.
This article is a product of a study that deployed a qualitative research approach to examine what motivates students in Tanzania to undertake postgraduate studies, and the causes of late completion of such studies. A total of 47 participants were involved in this study through focused group discussions and semi-structured interviews. The results revealed five distinct reasons why postgraduate students enter a doctoral or master’s degree course: employment prospects, better salary, career progression or change, personal development, and prestige or self-actualization. Moreover, it was found that the determinants of late completion were both institutional and personal. Institutional factors included a non-supportive learning and research environment, cumbersome thesis and examination process, heavy supervisors’ workload, supervisors’ lack of motivation, and low entry qualifications by candidates. On the other hand, personal factors were poor educational background, social and financial problems, lack of good communication skills, research incompetence, low commitment, and partial study leave. The study concludes that efforts to improve the quality of postgraduate training should address the potential systemic, institutional and individual barriers. In the light of this, it is recommended that the institutional conditions and policies should be re-examined to ensure that supervisors and those they supervise are effectively facilitated in fulfilling their roles and responsibilities, so that postgraduate research produces good and timely quality results.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.