FACTORS INFLUENCING STUDENT’S CHOICE OF CAREER IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS

ABSTRACT

This research work treated factors influencing student’s choice of career in some selected senior secondary schools in Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State. The instrument used was questionnaire to carry out the investigation on factors influencing student’s choice of career. It was analyzed by using simple percentage method. Findings from this study show that students are influenced by many factors in choosing a career choice. Such as parental factors, lack of guidance and counseling in some schools, peer group, student’s interest and ability, gender influence e.t.c. Finally, the researcher recommends that the interest and ability of the students should be considered in choosing a career also the parent should have interests in the education of their children as well as the guidance and counseling should be provided in schools. 

CHAPTER ONE

1.0            INTRODUCTION

1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY 

            Education in its general sense is a form of learning in which the knowledge, skills, values, beliefs and habits of a group of people are transferred from one generation to the next through storytelling, discussion, teaching, training, or research. (Assmann, 2002).

            Education may also include informal transmission of such information from one human being to another.

            In Nigeria, the new national policy on education sees education as an instrument of change and national development. Education reduces inequality. In a society, it levels up traditional classes. Also increase income distribution by increasing intent poor of human resources while are available to the society. It is also regarded as a frame work for social economic and technical development. Considering these point one can see very clearly that education is crucial and central to the development of all nations. Education this receives priority in all countries.

            Career selection is one of the main important choices in students plan. This choice of decision will have impact on them throughout their lives. Parents’ educational and occupational background may influence student’s choice of career because some students may contemplate on whether to continue with their parent’s occupation or not. What the student watches in the television also may influence their career choice. Some career demand that you have the personality to match the qualities of the occupation.

            For these reasons the necessity of a guidance counselor on schools cannot be over emphasized. A career guidance counselor is needed to unreliable and dangerous sources in search of career information such as culture, peer group which can lead to their graduating into armed robbery and other criminal business unintentionally.

            Tuché (2000) is right in suggesting that the students should think of their career in secondary schools in so doing they need career guidance. Ipaye (1983) refers to the need for one to discuss with one peer, schools counselors, parents, and teachers on the need to choose a life span work as “career convention or career conference”. However, career convention according to him is an instrument of career information. This occurs for a number of reasons, which include the following:

a.          To stimulate career thinking and widen occupational horizon.

b.         To focus attention on particular job in other to help an individual crystallize his preference.

c.          To create a situation in which parents can on one hand meet the employers and discuss the opportunities they offer and on other hand meet the career teacher or career officers with when they can exchange views.

1.2     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

            The choosing of a career choice has been a problem to secondary schools students which lead them to choose wrong choiceand there are many factors responsible for this problem. This study is to vividly examinefactors influencing the choice of career among secondary school students in Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State.

1.3     PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

            The main purpose of this study is to examine the factors influencing the choice of career among secondary school students in Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State. It will also examine to what extent the factors influencing the choice of career will aid the students positively or at negatively.

1.4     RESEARCH QUESTIONS

            The following research questions were raised to guide this study:

1.                  Is there any need for learning career choice in secondary school?

2.                  If there are reasons for reading career choice in schools, is it of benefit to the students?

3.                  How does career choice affect the academic performance of students?

4.                  Does student’s choice of career influence by their peers.

5.                  What are the factors responsible for a student’s wrong choice of career?

1.5     SCOPE OF THE STUDY

            The research work limits itself to factors influencing the choice of career among secondary schools student in Abeokuta South Local Government, Area of Ogun State.

            This research will cover five randomly selected secondary schools in Abeokuta South Local Government. Three of which are public and two private. The schools randomly selected include the following:

1.      Asero High School, Asero Abeokuta.

2.      Egba Comprehensive High School, Asero Abeokuta.

3.      Saje High School, Saje Abeokuta.

4.      Ideal Comprehensive High School, Saje Abeokuta.

5.      Faith Heritage Group of School Obantoko Abeokuta.

1.6     SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Significance of this research work is to find to what extent the factors influencing choice will influence the student’s choice of career and the attendance performance of students on the subjects that would lead them successfully towards this occupation as a life time Endeavour.

This study will be carried out in Abeokuta South Local Government, Area of Ogun State and this will be useful to the guidance counselor in assisting students in their career also help the ministry of education in curriculum planning to widen the student career choice opportunities through curriculum content of educational system.

1.7     DEFINITION OF TERMS

1.         CAREER: A chosen pursuit or course of business activity or enterprise, especially one’s professional life or employment that offer advancement and honour.

2.         CHOICE: Choice is an interactive decision making workshop that empower teens to achieve academic success in pursuit of their career and life aspirations.

3.         EFFECT: To produce a change in somebody or something.

4.         INFLUENCE: The power that somebody or something has a mark somebody orsomething behind a particular way of the influence a parents on choice of career of their children.

5.         SCHOOL: The school is a place where people need to be educated.

6.         GOVERNMENT: The group of people who govern a country or a state.