Gozitan students 'choosing' trade schools

Abstract

Gozitan Students 'Choosing' Trade Schools is a study which attempts to trace the factors that influence Gozitan students in 'choosing' to go to Trade Schools. An account of Gozitan Trade Schools history is also included. This study was carried out in Gozitan Boys and Girls Junior Lyceum/Secondary Schools, in a Boys' Private School and in Boys and Girls Trade Schools, with students aged 14+, during the scholastic year 1994-1995. The research methodology used, consisted of qualitative and quantitative approaches which helped in the gathering of information from the Gozitan students, the teachers and the parents. Junior Lyceum and Area Secondary students had unfavourable attitudes towards Trade Schools but favourable attitudes to trade subjects. A number of factors influence pupils' choice. The data collected shows that Gozitan Trade School students are satisfied with their choice mainly because: they are learning a trade which will be instrumental in future work; they have a positive relationship with most of their teachers; they have appropriate discipline structures; there is a small school population and because they have more practical subjects and less academic ones.