Relationship Between Types of Intelligence And Career Choice Among Undergraduate Students Of Maseno University, Kenya

Training institutions in most parts of the world place high premium on those who excel in examinations based on scholastic intelligence. In Kenya, students are admitted into available undergraduate degree programmes in public universities based on their performance in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE). Yet, the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) degree programmes offered in the School of Education at Maseno University have a strong bearing on types of human intelligence and not all the students admitted can fit in them. Academic qualification remains a challenge to a majority of students (79.4%) in choosing a career; hence a significant number (94%) of students end up settling for what is available rather than their choice. Apparently, limited attention has been given to exploring the relationship between students’ innate occupational skills and interests hence the current low (7%) college career satisfaction level. The purpose of the study therefore, was to establish the types of intelligence and their relationship with career choice among first-year B.Ed students of Maseno University, Kenya. The objectives of the study were to establish the types of intelligence across among male and female students and to determine the degree of relationship between types of intelligence and career choice. The study was guided by the Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory (1983). Correlation and descriptive survey designs were adopted for the study. The target population consisted of the 490 first-year B.Ed students admitted in the Academic year 2011/2012 in the School of Education. The study sample consisted of 220 first-years B.Ed students drawn using proportionate stratified sampling. Data was collected by use of Questionnaire and document analysis guides. The questionnaire was piloted using 10% (n = 49) of the study population. Pearson Product Moment correlation was used to determine reliability at alpha level 0.05. The questionnaire had an acceptable reliability index of 0.84. Quantitative data was coded and analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mode, frequency counts and percentages. A type of intelligence was established using percentages and mean. Further, gender difference in types of intelligence was examined using mean gender differences. Further, the degree of relationship between types of intelligence and career choice was established using cross tabulation with chi-square test and Likelihood Ratio test. Qualitative data was transcribed into text form of emerging themes and reported. The results showed that first-year students scored very high in interpersonal intelligence (90.9%) and relatively lower on visual-spatial intelligence (75.5%). The study found significant difference between male and female in logical/mathematical ( df 35, p = 0.005 ), verbal/linguistic ( df 38, p = 0.004 ) and existentialist ( df 34, p = 0.000 ), music-rhythmic ( df 37, p = 0.012) and bodily-kinesthetic (df 33, p = 0.015) intelligence in favour of males and no significant difference in visual-spatial ( df 33, p = 0.06 ), interpersonal ( df 47, p = 0.142, ), intrapersonal ( df 19, p = 0.408 ) and naturalistic ( df 34, p = 0.16 ) intelligence domains. Results of the chi square test show that there is a significant relationship (r=.182, p<.000) between types of intelligence and career choice. The results of the likelihood ratio test show very high (p<.000) degree of relationship between types of intelligence and career choice. The following conclusions are drawn; Students at Maseno University can be classified into the nine Gardner’s intelligence types; Gender differences exist in specific types but not all types of intelligence and that there is a significant high degree of relationship (r=.182, p<.000) between types of intelligence and career choice. The study recommended that the need to investigate factors at the university environment which influences the development of multiple intelligence among male and female students. Significantly, the study provides a useful guide to students, education policymakers and university staff for career choice, placement training and retention efforts. Key words : Multiple Intelligence, Gender, Career choice, degree programme DOI : 10.7176/JEP/10-33-14 Publication date: November 30 th 2019