Personality Types, Gender, and Career Choice Among First-Year Undergraduate Students in Kenya

Abstract

Universities worldwide often emphasize scholastic ability in career placement, yet in African education systems remain largely theoretical, overlooking innate attributes and personality interests during the university's first year undergraduate degree placement process. In Kenya, students who achieve a minimum grade of C+ in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education are admitted into available undergraduate programs, limiting opportunities for career choice. This process leads many students to revise courses or settle for available options. Guided by Holland’s Code Theory (1997), this study examined the relationship between personality types, gender and career choice among first-year Bachelor of Education students. Using a correlation design, data were collected from a sample of 220 students. The study found the dominant personality type was social (n = 40; 18.2%), with more males (n=24, 60%) possessing the social personality type than females. The least was the realistic type (n=30; 13.6%). Males outnumbered females in all personality types except the artistic personality type, where females were dominant. Results showed Holland personality types were distributed across all B.Ed programmes except B.Ed-French, where no investigative type (f=0; 0%) was found. A chi-square test of independence revealed a statistically significant association between gender and personality type, χ²(5) = 14.51, p < .012. The analysis revealed a statistically significant relationship between personality type and degree programme selection, χ²(25) = 389.75, p < .001. It was concluded that differences exist in specific personality types across gender and career choice. Findings suggest Holland’s typology can guide student appraisal, aid placement process, career counseling, and guidance practices and address the gaps in career education through further research.