How learners perceive tourism as a career of choice in high schools : a case study of Umlazi location in KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract

This dissertation discusses how learners perceive tourism as a career of choice in high schools in Umlazi in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. In order to examine the research topic, this study scrutinizes the following key concepts: how learners perceive tourism as a career of choice, studying tourism as a career of choice, factors influencing learner’s perspectives in tourism as a career of choice, tourism as a learning area in high schools, the role tourism teachers play to make tourism learners realise the significance of the subject as a career of choice, challenges that face tourism teachers when helping learners in preparing for future careers, the department’s role regarding tourism as a high school learning area and the White Paper on the development and promotion of tourism as a subject in South Africa. The research was guided by four research objectives: • To investigate high school learners’ attitudes and perceptions towards tourism as a career of choice. • To examine factors influencing the learners’ attitudes and perceptions regarding tourism as career of choice. • To investigate the role of tourism teachers in making the subject significant as a career. • To disclose or reveal underlying challenges facing tourism teachers and learners regarding how the subject is perceived as a career of choice. The outcomes from the interviews indicate that the majority of the learners and all the teachers from both high schools were willing and interested in participating and answering all the questions on how tourism is perceived by the learners as a career choice. Recommendations arising from the study include but are not limited to the following:  Career counselling and career choice is needed and learners who have been informed about possible careers choices and about their abilities have better

chances of choosing suitable careers. This study shows that in most high schools learners are not given career counselling especially those high schools located in the former township areas.  The teachers teaching tourism should be well equipped by attending productive workshops that will help learners to understand and love tourism.  Different approaches and strategies in teaching tourism are recommended to be implemented, with the aim of ensuring the effectiveness of tourism as a subject.  Some of the participants informed the researcher that there should be tours where the learners should learn about real life tourism situations.  The teachers stressed that they should have tourism classrooms where there is relevant information for tourism learners, these classrooms should only be used by tourism learners.  Based on the responses received, it is evident that both of the schools where the researcher conducted the study need proper career guidance for learners so that the learners can know what they are studying and what their career will involve when they are working in the tourism industry.