An Analysis of the Socio-Economic Root of the Technical Programme Choice in Higher Education: A Sample from Tarsus Technical Education Faculty

This study aimed to investigate the social class basis of the technical education choices with reference to the students socio-economic features in Tarsus Technical Education Faculty. The data were obtained through a questionnaire from 427 students studying at Tarsus Technical Education Faculty, Mersin University. The data were analyzed with frequency and percentage analysis from the descriptive statistical techniques. The main concern of the study was to make an analysis of the foundations of the social classes for the preference of technical education. For this purpose, the prevalence of the students' socio-economic features has been tried to be specified. Although this prevalence rate increases, more students' socio-economic features are accepted to be matched. According to the findings, the socio-economic features of the students show a homogeneous distribution. This homogeneity has mostly been observed in tower socio-economic features. Accordingly, the students at Tarsus Technical Education Faculty are mostly lower socio-economic rooted. The number of students with upper socio-economic features is rather small. Almost all of the students come from families whose incomes are below the poverty threshold. Parents of the students are mostly working in arm dense, poor quality, unqualified or semi qualified jobs. Once more, it is specified that the parents' education level is low and the number of students whose parents graduated from higher education is also tow. Findings of the other social and economic features have the characteristics of tower socio-economic status. These determinations indicate that there are direct links between social class and educational choices.