The Perceptions and Attitudes of Senior High School Students about Polytechnic Education: A Case Study of Twenty Selected Schools in the Eastern Region of Ghana.

Abstract

The survey investigated the perceptions and attitudes of Senior High School (SHS) students to polytechnic education. This is to serve as the basis for understanding their mind-set, needs and wants better to enable the polytechnics in Ghana mount programmes that better position them as tertiary institutions of choice rather than of last resort. The main objective of the study was to attempt to understand the perception, beliefs, and attitudes of the average Senior High School students to Higher National Diploma (HND) concept. Literature on related works was reviewed to define the conceptual framework for the study. 27-item questions, including Close-ended, open-ended, Likert 5-points attitude measurement scale, and multiple choice questionnaires were purposively administered to a total of 1693, involving 818 female and 875 male 3^rd and final year students from 20 selected schools in the Eastern Region of Ghana. SPSS was used to analyze and present data. The study revealed that SHS students have a lot of misconceptions about Polytechnic concept. The study suggests strategies for rebranding polytechnic education in order that SHS students’ beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes to it will more positive.

Key words: Perception, Attitudes, Cognitive, Affective, Conative