Influence Of Guidance And Counselling On Career Choice
Of Secondary School Students
Introduction
Background
to the Study
Counselling is a helping
relationship in which one person endeavours to help another solve his/her
adjustment problems (English and English, 1971, cited in Okebiah and Okorodudu,
2004). This helping relationship originated from the very discovery that young
people need to be guided in their career decision-making process. Okobiah and
Okorodudu (2004) emphasise that counselling is a person-to-person process in
which one person (the counselee is helped by another person (the counsellor) to
help, increase understanding and ability to solve his/her adjustment problems.
They explained further that counselling requires a wide range of activities
which should start from the infant stage of the child designed to aid
individuals in solving their problems, the problems referred to in counselling
and mostly those of decision-making and developmental problems. One of the
benefits of counselling is that it helps the individual to develop, sustain a
career and be adjusted in life (Obiunu and Ebunu, 2010).
Career, according to Okobiah and Okorodudu (2004), refers to a variety of work
and non-work situations which usually span through the entire life of an
individual. According to them, a career is generally related to a pattern of
decisions, transactions and adjustments affect one’s decision, transactions and
adjustments affect one’s role in work, education family, community development
and leisure. The National Career Development Association (NCDA) (2003) stated
that a career is the total of work. Paid and unpaid – one does in his/her
lifetime. Thus, a career embraces a sequence of positions jobs or occupations
which an individual holds during his/her lifetime (Obiunu and Ebunu, 2010).
Career counselling is a field of counselling which gives relevant information
regarding different careers. It is a process of helping and enabling people in
their career development. Career counselling helps the students to select their
careers according to their choices and interests. Career counselling is now
being increasingly stressed as an integral part of education. According to
Francis (2010), career counselling involves three steps which are:
self-analysis, occupational analysis, and true reasoning or counselling to
relate personal and occupational information.
One major variable that affects how people choose their occupations is
personality traits. Holland (1987) argued that the choice of an occupation
shares similar personality characteristics. Career interest is a second factor
that affects the choice of a career. Interest may be concerned in terms of an
activity which an individual engages in for the interest of it without
deserving an external reward. The reward is in the performance of the activity
the person does (Lazarus, 2011).
Personality and interest are not the only criteria for choosing a career. An
individual’s aptitude and intellectual abilities are equally of great
importance. An aptitude is a potential for success in an area after undergoing
some training but a layman may define aptitude as a flair for something. The
context in which people live, their personal aptitudes, and educational
attainment are other things that do influence people’s career choices (Bandura,
Barbnaranelli, Cafrara and Pastorelli, 2001).
Similarly, skill and values also affect peoples’ choices. Values are the
guiding principles that are ordered in importance and serve as standards for
judging and justifying actions (Schwartz, 1992). In addition, Osakunle and
Adegoroye (20080 identified factors that influence adolescents’ choice of
career as sex, location of the choice maker, environment, school influence
(peer and curriculum content), religious affiliation, child-rearing and family
values.
In the opinion of Morris and Levinson 91995): and Pierce, McDdermolt and Butkus
(2003), although intelligence is associated with career maturity and the
development of decision-making skills, factors other than skills, abilities,
and personality play a major role in career development and satisfaction for
people with mental retardation. Factors such as interests, social
opportunities, emotional rewards, and economic benefits influence the career
choices (of most adolescents, including those with cognitive limitations)
(Szymanski, Hershenson, Enright and Ettinger, 1998).
In addition, Krumboltz, Mitchell and Jones (1976) opined that there are four
factors that affect the career choice of individuals, these are genetic
enrolment and special abilities (such as race, gender, physical appearance and
characteristics), environmental conditions and events like social, cultural and
political, economic forces; natural forces and natural resources), learning
experiences (instrumental learning experience which consists of preceding circumstances.sti1mulus;
behavioural responses (overt and covert); consequences, associative learning
experience, and task approach skills (personal standards of performance; work
habits, emotional responses).
Fundamentally, the goal of guidance and counselling is to make it possible for
an individual to see and explore his or her unlimited endowed options. Many
scholars such as Odeck (1999), Ipaye, (1995), and Makinde (1981) opined that
the major service areas of guidance and counselling which assist students in
their curriculum and school life choices, vocational guidance and counselling
which assists the individual to choose and prepare for an occupation that is
compatible with his interests and aptitudes, and personal and social guidance
and counselling which assists the individual to behave appropriately in
relation to other members of the society.
As part of vocational guidance and counselling programme, career development
enables guidance counsellors to assist individuals to identify and learn the
skills by which they can be more effective in planning for and choosing jobs,
in making effective transitions effectively. Career development, for most
people, is a lifelong process of engaging the work world through choosing among
employment opportunities made available to them. It is a process of getting
ready to choose, choosing, and continuing to make choices (Brown, Brooks, and
Associates, 1996).
The National Career Development Association (NCDA) (1993) noted, that helping
individuals increase their self-understanding of their abilities, interests,
values, and goals is a vital foundation of the career development process
(p.2). The NCDA suggested that career development activities help students
develop positive work habits (for example, organization, following directions,
completing assignments on time), setting goals, making informed decisions,
identifying interests and abilities and exploring jobs (for example, job
shadowing and apprenticeships).
From the foregoing, the factors influencing career choices include
psychological, sociological, physical, economic, educational and choice
factors. It should be noted that the roles of guidance and counselling on the
career choices of secondary school students cannot be overemphasized.
Statement of Problem
A major turning point in
adolescents’ lives involves the career choice that they make while in senior
secondary school. Frequently, it is viewed by family and community as a mere
start to workplace readiness; however, this decision plays a major role in
establishing youth in a career path that opens as well as closes opportunities
(Lazarus, 2011).
Essentially, parental influence has been inflated in the career choice of
children (Roe 1987, Adigwe 1981, Okeke 1996, Gesinde 1986). Okeke for example
also studied the relationship between parental occupations and their children’s
occupational preferences. Okeke found that 60% of the children were willing to
take after their fathers’ occupations (medicine) while 23% were willing to
follow their mother’s occupations (nursing). Gesinde on other hand posits that
parents' influence is much more intricate and more pervasive than is shown,
students of secondary schools are often not aware of these influences and may
accept the choice of their parents as theirs. The situation owes its origin to
early childhood when the child grabs his parent’s attitude towards different
vocations. A conflict, therefore, occurs when the child submits to his parent’s
choice while at the same time deeply resenting his submissions as he becomes
aware of his loss of independence and finds his area of interest (Gesinde,
1986).
Peer groups also have an influence on the occupation choice of students. In his
view, Hinchilife (1973) observes that friends are an important factor in the
career choice of adolescents. Durojaiye (1970) also found that 76.6% of the
pupils he studied said that their classmates would be employed in professional
occupations just like them; while 24% said that their chosen jobs would be the
same as those of their friends.
Interest is also a significant factor in students’ vocational choices. Owie
(2003) advanced the position that the most important reason why a person
chooses a particular career is that the person has an intrinsic interest in the
field, while this may be highly influenced by prior academic achievement.
Moreover, Gesinde’s (1978) study showed that gender plays an important role in
determining the career preferences of students. Other research findings which
support gender differences in career preferences and choices include the works
of Yuh (1980) who in her study of some correlates of vocational orientations of
some Nigerian Secondary students discovered that significantly, more male
students preferred realistic, investigative and enterprising careers than
females.
Thus, the problem of the study is that some secondary school students are not
able to make appropriate career ch1oices due to a number of factors that affect
their career development process. This study investigated the influence of
guidance and counselling on career choices among secondary school students in
Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.
Research questions
The following research questions are generated for the study which the
researcher intends to answer:
- What is the influence of guidance and counselling on
the career choice of secondary school students?
- Is there any significant difference in the expression
of secondary school students on the influence of guidance and counselling
on career choices on the basis of sex?
- Is there any significant difference in the expression
of secondary school students on the influence of guidance and counselling
on career choices on the basis of class level?
- Is there any significant difference in the expression
of secondary school students on the influence of guidance and counselling
on career choices on the basis of age?
- Is there any significant difference in the expression
of secondary school students on the influence of guidance and counselling
on career choices on the basis of religion?
Research Hypotheses
From the questions stated above, the
following null hypotheses have been formulated:
- There is no significant difference in the expression of
secondary school students on the influence of guidance and counselling on
career choices on the basis of sex.
- There is no significant difference in the expression of
secondary school students on the influence of guidance and counselling on
career choices on the basis of class level.
- There is no significant difference in the expression of
secondary school students on the influence of guidance and counselling on
career choices on the basis of age.
- There is no significant difference in the expression of
secondary school students on the influence of guidance and counselling on
career choices on the basis of religion.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study is to
investigate the view of secondary school students on the influence of guidance
and counselling on career choices. In the course of this research work,
variables such as age, religion, sex and class levels are considered whether
they have direct significant impacts on the influence of guidance and
counselling on career choices as expressed by the respondents.
Significance of the Study
This study is highly imperative to
secondary school students because it will enable them to know various career
choices in our contemporary world. In other words, it will enlighten and
sensitize them on various career options and determinants of career choices in
our society. Therefore, the problem of wrong and ill-informed career choices
will be addressed, because the students will be more informed and sensitized by
this empirical study.
Moreover, this study will be highly useful to the school administrators in the
area of planning and curricular development in schools. It will enlighten them
on the relevance and importance of guidance and counselling on career choices
among the students in secondary schools. Therefore, emphasis will be placed on
guidance and counselling as an important mechanism for career guidance and
development.
Subsequently, this study is fundamental because it will enlighten the parents
on various career options for their children or wards ad various determinants
of career choices. This will enable them to properly guide their children and
wards towards making an informed career option or choice because teachers or
school counsellors cannot do it alone; it is a collective responsibility.
Lastly, this study is highly imperative to the Ministry of Education in their
formulation of career guidance programs for secondary school students, such
programs may include sponsoring workshops, classes, focus groups and special
presentations that focus on job skills and personal development. Also, like job
shadowing arrangements, work placement and community-based learning programs.
Operational Definition of Terms
For the purpose of clarity, the following terms are operationally defined as
used in this study:
Career Choices and Options: Career options are a series of jobs that are available for
people to choose such as medicine, law, engineering, pharmacist, and teacher.
This can also mean career options. Therefore, career choices can be referred to
as the picking of a job out of various career options available.
Career Guidance: Career guidance means those programs aimed to help students
make more informed and better educational and career choices.
Career: A career is the series of jobs that a person in a particular
area of work, usually involving more responsibility as time passes. In other
words, the period of time that someone spends in his/her life working or doing
a particular thing.
Counselling: Counselling can be defined, according to how it is used in
the study, as professional advice about a problem such as career choices.
Guidance: Guidance, according to the study, means help or advice that
is given to somebody, especially by somebody older or with more experience.
School Counsellor: A school counsellor is a counsellor who works in elementary,
middle and secondary schools to provide academic career, college access and
personal/social competencies to students.
Scope of the Study
This research work is designed to find the influence of guidance and
counselling on career choices in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State as
expressed by secondary school students. All the secondary school students of
the area are the target population but 100 respondents are selected to
participate in the study. In the course of the research work, consider whether
they have direct significant impacts on the influence of guidance and
counselling on career choices as expressed by the respondents. The
questionnaire technique will be used to collect the information/data from the
respondents.
ABSTRACT
This study investigated the influence of Guidance and Counselling on the
career choice of secondary school students in Ekiti Local Government Area of
Kwara State. This research work was to assess the extent to which the influence
of Guidance and Counselling has influenced the career choice of secondary
school students in Ekiti Local Government Area, Kwara State.
The population sample was two hundred (200) students randomly selected from
each school in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State. The researcher’s
designed influence of Guidance and Counselling in carrier choice questionnaire
(IGCCQ) was used to collect data from the respondents. Four null hypotheses
were generated to guide the study.
The finding revealed that age,
gender, religion and class level of respondents have an influence on guidance
and counselling in the career choice of secondary school students in Ekiti
Local Government, Kwara State.
It was recommended that practising counsellors from all levels of institutions
should design individual and group counselling programmes for students to cater
for comprehensive and effective education for all levels of institutions.
Through such programmes, students will be educated to appreciate good morals
and stay away from deviant behaviours in the school and outside the school.
Also, the indecent dressing should be discouraged and students should work
harder and be dedicated to their studies.
EDITOR
SOURCE: Influence Of Guidance And Counselling On Career Choice
Of Secondary School Students
