This research focused on employment trends among female junior college (2-year college) students, who are thought to stress home-oriented work such as housework and rasing children, comparatively more than female university (4-year college) students. In this research, consideration was given to the changes in value senses, lifestyle awareness and sense of unity with employer, as well as trends such as increased higher education for women, increasing participation of women in the workplace (company), provision of career paths for women, continued employment by women, and acceptance of sexual equality for employment opportunity.
Data from questionnaires filled out by 2555 female junior college student respondents in 10 girls-only junior colleges in Fukuoka Prefecture (Kitakyushu, Chikuho, central Fukuoka and Chikugo) were reduced to 1000 responses through random sampling based on a random number table (N=1000). This survey data was subjected to multivariate analysis, and the results evaluated from the aspect of behavioral science and mathematical statistics, with respect to the reliability of the employment factor model for modern female junior college students.
The survey consisted of two parts, the first probing the objectives of the students in employment, and the second their perceptions toward seeking employment and working. This paper covers only the first part. Data analysis for part 1 was implemented with univariate and multivariate analysis, and for part 2 with univariate analysis.
Part 1 was specifically designed to apply multivariate analysis to research the objectives of female junior college students in employment, and consisted of a five-level (equidistant) ranking of the perceived importance of 20 factors including items such as clothing and marriage. The resultant data was analyzed through multivariate analysis for presentation here. In this research, however, the most commonly-used types of multivariate analysis, namely principal component analysis and factor analysis for the descriptive model, were used.
The author wishes to express his appreciation to the late Dr. Shingoro Ushiro, the founder of the Higashi-Chikushi Junior College, for his discussion in "Chikushi no Kokoro."