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K. SHIREESHA*, V.J. TARDE AND V.S. SHIRKE
Department of Agril. Extension, College of Agriculture, Kolhapur
This research study was undertaken at College of Agriculture, Pune and Post Graduate Institute, of MPKV, Rahuri of Maharashtra state during the year 2011-12. Expost-facto research design was followed for the study. The results indicated that slightly more than half (55.83%) of the post graduate students had secured ‘First class’ at XII standard. Nearly three-fourth (73.33%) of them had secured ‘First class’ at Under-Graduation, majority (84.17%) of them belonged to nuclear family. Slightly less than two-fifth (38.33%) of the respondents’ fathers’ were graduates. Majority (91.67%) of the respondents’ fathers’ had medium level of annual income.
Agricultural education, Academic, Personal, Socio-Psychological Variables, Post graduate students.
Agricultural education today has become highly complex and specialized and offers many opportunities to plan and choose careers to its recipients. The participation of post graduate students had been constantly increasing which reflects the raising interest of students on research in different disciplines of agriculture offered by Central and State Agricultural Universities. Agricultural post graduate students do have some aspirations and plans to pursue a specific career after getting their degree. Aspiration means a strong desire to do or get something. Indeed, aspiration can be said to be the desired future state of being with respect to standards of living, social status, marriage and family, education and career. The present research paper focuses on the academic, personal and socio-psychological variables actually studied in the main research study. The study would provide better insight into the suggestions of the post graduate students which would help in improvement of educational programme and strategies for vocational guidance not only to them but also students willing to seek admission in the agricultural colleges.
The present study was conducted in College of Agriculture, Pune and Post Graduate Institute, Rahuri which are under Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth of Maharashtra state during the academic year 2011-12. Ex-post facto research design was followed for the study. The sample constituted 93 post graduate students of Post Graduate Institute, Rahuri and 27 post graduate students of College of Agriculture, Pune with a total of 120 students by following Proportionate Stratified Random Sampling. The data were collected with the help of structured interview schedule. The statistical tools used in this study were frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation.
The independent variables used in the study were academic performance of post graduate students at XII standard and under-graduation, type of family, family education status, size of land holding, parents occupation and family annual income which were assumed to influence the aspirations of post graduate students. The results of these variables are presented as follows.
It is seen from table 1(a) that slightly more than half (55.83%) of the post graduate students had secured ‘First class’ at XII standard, while 31.67 per cent post graduate students had secured ‘First class with Distinction’ at XII standard. Only 12.50 per cent post graduate students had secured ‘Second class’ at XII standard. The mean percentage of marks obtained by the post graduate students at XII standard was 70.38.
It can be concluded that the academic performance of the post graduate students at XII standard was good. In other words, these students, who had good academic performance at XII standard, had opted for career in agriculture sector. The findings were similar with the findings of the study conducted by Iswalkar (2001).
The academic performance of the students at Under Graduation level is measured on the basis of Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). It is seen from the table 1(b) that nearly three-fourth (73.33%) of the Post graduate students had secured ‘First class’, while 14.67 per cent of the Post graduate students had secured ‘First class with Distinction’. Only 12.50 per cent of the Post graduate students had secured ‘Second class’. The average CGPA of the Post graduate students at Under-Graduation was 7.98.
It can be concluded that the academic performance of the post graduate students at under-graduation was good but the mean C.G.P.A is 7.98 only which comes under first class. The findings were similar with the findings of the study conducted by Waman et al. (2000) and Iswalkar (2001).
It is observed from the table 2 that majority (84.17%) of the post graduate students’ belonged to nuclear family and only few (15.83%) of post graduate students’ belonged to joint family. This indicates that most of the post graduate
students’ came from nuclear family.
Nuclear family gives scope to children to utilize the facilities to a maximum extent as the number of members will be less when compared to joint family. The parents can concentrate more on their children’s future and could provide them what they need to a maximum extent in nuclear families. Thus nuclear family may contribute to higher level of aspirations by the respondent students.
Family education Status is operationally defined as the formal education completed by both the parents of post graduate students’. Education has a profound impact on every aspect of life.
The data from the table 3 revealed that slightly less than two-fifth (38.33%) of the post graduate students’ fathers’ were graduates. Also 21.67 per cent of the post graduate students’ fathers’ were educated up to secondary
level and 12.50 per cent of them were educated up to higher secondary level, whereas 17.00 per cent of them studied up to primary level. Only 10.00 per cent of them were post graduates and very few (3.33%) of them were illiterate.
Regarding mothers’ education around 41.66 per cent were educated up to secondary level. About 31.66 per cent were educated up to primary level, whereas 12.50 per cent of them were graduates and 5.00 per cent of them studied up to higher secondary level. Only 1.66 per cent of them were post-graduates. The percentages of illiterates were 7.50. This indicated that majority of the parents of the post graduate students’ were well educated. The findings were similar with the study conducted by Saritha (2000).
It refers to the total number of hectares of land owned, by the respondents’ parents. Larger the size of land holding, more is the income, which in turn changes the standard of living which may possibly influence the educational aspirations or play a role in crystallizing the professional aspirations of the respondents’.
The data from table 4 indicated that a slightly more than one-fourth (27.50%) of the parents of the respondents’ students has semi medium sized land holding i.e. between 2.01 to 4.0 hectare. However 22.50 per cent each of them had marginal and small sized land holding i.e. up to one hectare and between 1.01 to 2.0 hectare respectively. About 8.33 per cent and 7.50 per cent of the respondents’ parents’ had medium sized land holding between 4.01 to 6.0 hectare and more than 6.01 hectare respectively, whereas 11.67 per cent of the respondents’ parents’ had no land at all. This indicated that most (88.33%) of the respondents’ parents’ possessed some land holding that contribute to farming.
Occupation refers to the work activity performed by the respondents’ parents. The parents are classified on the basis of their main occupation. The main occupation contributes more than 50 per cent of the total earnings.
The data from table 5 revealed that slightly more than half (55.83%) of the respondents’ father had involved in service sector as main occupation followed by 35.83 per cent of them had involved in farming. 5.00 per cent respondents’ father had dairy farming as subsidiary
occupation and 3.34 per cent of them had farming as subsidiary occupation.
The data regarding mothers’ occupation indicated that majority (70.84%) of the respondents’ mothers’ were house wives followed by 18.33 per cent of respondents’ mother had involved in service sector and 10.84 per cent of the mothers of respondents’ do farming.
It is operationally defined as the yearly income received from all the sources, of the parents of respondent students. It is shown under two subheadings i.e. Fathers’ annual income and Mothers’ annual income.
The data pertaining to respondents’ Fathers’ annual income is given in the table 6(a)
The data from table 6(a) indicated that large majority (91.68%) of the respondents’ fathers’ earning between
` 17,067/- to ` 5,52,216/- which come under medium level of annual income, whereas only 4.16 per cent had low and high level of annual income i.e. up to ` 17,067/- and
` 5,52,217/- and above respectively. The average annual income of the fathers’ of the respondents is ` 2,84,641/-This indicated that majority of respondents’ fathers’ has medium level of annual income i.e. between ` 17,065/-to ` 5,52,217/-. Hence it also contributed to the high aspirations of the respondent students. The findings of the present study were in conformity with the findings of Ingle et al. (1999) and Iswalkar (2000).
The data from table 6(b) indicated that majority (70.83%) of the respondents’ mother do not earn any income where as 20.84 per cent had medium level of annual income i.e. 0.01 to ` 76,805/- While only 8.33 per cent had high level of annual income i.e. ` 76,806/- and above.
The average annual income of the Mothers’ of the respondents is ` 22,983/-. Hence the mothers’ annual income had non-significant and also negative relationship with the aspirations of the post graduate students. The findings were similar with the study conducted by Saritha (2000).
It was observed that there was varied distribution of respondents with respect to their academic, personal and socio-psychological variables. Hence it is imperative to focus on these variations among the post graduate students while designing appropriate strategies to strengthen the selected variables of the post graduate students.