From the themes that emerged on the experience of the participants on learning Geography as a component of specialisation, the study highlighted that the experience in itself is interesting. The study revealed that the participants found learning Geography interesting not only because of the multifaceted nature of the subject and the pedagogic strategies that were sometimes employed in Geography teaching but also because Geography allowed them the opportunity to learn new skills and to go on field trips which gave them the chance to socialise with each other and to explore new places.
94
5.2.2. Challenges faced by students
The study, however, further revealed the participants faced some challenges in learning Geography. Highlighted among the challenges were curricula issues, pedagogical issues, shortage of learning materials and lecturers’ attitudes towards female students specializing in Geography. The participants disclosed an intense discomfort with some of the curricula activities (drawings and calculations), which were an integral part of Geography and were carried out in Geography. Although the participants had earlier expressed that they found Geography interesting, there were some parts of the subject they did not like.
In addition, the participants revealed that they were sometimes discriminated against, as female students, especially by some of the male lecturers who displayed more confidence in their male counterparts. What became clear was that gender discrimination exists in the Geography classrooms in the college. In addition, the participants were displeased with being discriminated against as females by the male lecturers.
Furthermore, the participants expressed some uneasiness about some of the pedagogical strategies employed in teaching them. They felt the strategies employed in teaching the subject could be improved through engaging more learner-centred teaching methods that involved more use of technology and fieldwork. This shows that despite that previously the participants had expressed that some of the pedagogic strategies made the learning of Geography interesting, it was not all of the strategies that they were pleased with.
5.2.3. Curricular influences
In relation to what influenced the participants to select Geography as a component of specialisation the study revealed that the girls were swayed by curricular influences, personal interest and personal relationships. The study showed that, primarily, their choice of Geography as a component of specialisation was dictated to them by their high school results and the college’s policy on subject choice. This speaks to that some of the students got to learn
95
Geography because college policy on subject choice required that they learn Geography with the high school grades that they attained.
5.2.4. Personal interest
The study further revealed that some of the participants chose Geography as their component of specialisation because they harboured an intrinsic interest in the subject. The interest emanated from the multidisciplinary nature of the subject. This further emphasises the importance of the multidisciplinary nature of the subject. The multidisciplinary nature of the subject not only makes it interesting but is also cause for the students’ interest in the subject.
5.2.5. Influence of personal relationships
Additionally, the influence of personal relationships is revealed by the study as another reason for choosing Geography as a component of specialisation. The study revealed that participants were influenced to select Geography by family and friends, and also by high school teachers.
This goes to tell that personal relationships continue to bear a strong influence no matter the nature of the subject or the policy of the college. The study showed that for each individual student the aforementioned factors carried a varying weight. From this, it can be concluded that the reasons for choosing a subject are interactive and none of them operates in isolation.
5.2.6. Pedagogical issues
Concerning how more girls can be enhanced to learn Geography as a component of specialisation the findings of the study pointed to some pedagogical issues that needed to be reviewed. The participants felt that improving the currently employed pedagogical strategies to include more contemporary strategies of teaching would enhance more girls to learn Geography.
96
5.2.7. Curricula issues
In relation to how more girls can be enhanced to learn Geography as a component of specialisation, the findings of the study have shown curricula issues as an area of concern that needs to be addressed. It was uncovered that the girls were not encouraged or motivated to do Geography in high school which caused fewer girls to be available in college to choose Geography as their specialisation. Another concern that was raised is that, the curriculum in high schools did not emphasise the importance of Geography but only offered Geography as a supporting subject, in a curriculum where the subjects were not related. These findings show that Geography as a subject was not accorded its due significance in the curriculum.
5.2.8. Marketing and partnership
Co-operation between the high schools and the institutions of higher learning was, according to the findings of the study, what would enhance more girls to learn Geography as their component of specialisation. Moreover, the findings of the study revealed that ignorance of the subject combinations in the colleges was what caused high schools to offer subject combinations that did not exist in the colleges. The participants suggested a liaison between the high school teachers and the college lecturers that would ensure that viable subject combinations were offered in the high schools. This same partnership would also help with the marketing of Geography, especially to the girls, in the high schools. This emphasises that co-operation between the high schools and the college is an absolute necessity.