CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Career choice remains an important aspect of educational growth for any Nation. Edwards and Migunder (2011) observed that career choice has become a complex science with the advent of information technology, the emergence of post industrial revolution and job competition. Perception is the way in which something is regarded, or interpreted (www.google.com.ng). Ferry (2006) citing Bandura, Barbaranelli, Caprara, and Pastorelli (2001) observed that each individual undertaking the process is influenced by many factors including the context in which they live, their personal aptitudes, and educational attainment. Students in secondary school are constantly faced with what career to choose after school. Career development, for most people is a lifelong process of engaging the work world through choosing among employment opportunities made available to them (Ferry,2006).
Students’ perception of being suitable for particular jobs also has been found to be influenced by a number of factors including ethnic background, year in school, level of achievement, choice of science subjects, attitudes and differences in job characteristics (McQuaid and Bond, 2003). Arudo (2008) identified peer pressure as a factor that influenced career choice. This is where socialization plays an important role in shaping the way students regard certain occupations/career. On the other hand, Perrone, Sedlacek and Alexander (2001) in his study reported that anticipated earnings are the most influential factors for males while females were mostly influenced by prestigious positions. In other words, the female folk may be more comfortable as talking occupation career that make wage earners while the male folks usually use monetary rewards. From the forgoing, career choices are mostly influenced by the outcome expectancies of each career. Socialization plays an important role in career choice among youths. Young adult, through interaction with the context of family, school and communities learn about and explore careers that ultimately lead to career choice (Ferry 2006). It is therefore logical to that environment whether social, economic, cultural, political etc. interact to influence secondary school students’ perception which leads to the final career choice.
It moulds one’s character, determines one’s social status, income, style of life, one’s choice of friends, one’s mental and physical health (Denga, 1986).
The choice of occupation, according to Cohen (1964), has a persuasive connection with one’s entire way of life. The declaration of”This is what I am” (Galinsky and Fast, 1966:13), but also the result of the examination of one’s life.
Secondary school students are constantly bombarded by information which sharpens their perception of future career prospects. Occupational choice is made in a context of many influencing factors. Edwards and Migunde (2011) reported that as individuals make career choice there are often certain benefits that one expects to come with the chosen career. These expectations are referred to as outcome expectations. These researchers further reported level of influence of certain factors on career choice indicating gender, area of residence and school attended.
One of the most difficult problems confronting Nigerian society today is how to help secondary school students (Nigerian Youth) to make “a realistic occupational choice” that will enable them derive long-lasting prospects, joy and personal satisfaction in the occupation in particular and in life generally. These youths need thorough enlightenment on the essence of career choice and the appropriate steps to take in order to arrive at a realistic decision.
The intelligent choice of a career is not an easy task, yet it is the first and most crucial decision a youth has to make in his lifetime. Infact, some authorities in career and vocational guidance, there is no single decision which is potentially as central to the satisfaction of basic needs as is the occupational choice. The essence, therefore, of intelligent choice is not only to gain that self-satisfaction from one’s occupation, but also to achieve job satisfaction and effectiveness.
Man at all ages has consciously or unconsciously turned to the use of his often worked to earn a living. Effort of such psychologists are Maslow (1954), Roe (1956), Super (1957), Holland (1966), Happock (1967), and Bakare (1977), to mention but a few, are very well known in this area.
Running through these theories of occupational choice and occupational guidance are several factors which may be considered as biological as well as psycho-social in nature. Things to consider about a person making an occupational choice include his personality, his intellectual ability, aptitude, interest, sex and his/her self-concept on the one hand; while on the other, such a person might also strive to get a well-paid job, a job with family tradition, and pride, one with secured and long-lasting prospects or one that fulfills the self-needs. In short, one may say that one’s choice of occupation is influenced by one’s intrinsic values as well as certain extrinsic values.
The person’s intrinsic values or factors may include: the person’s special aptitudes, one’s combination of subjects at school; knowledge of available job opportunities in the labour market, job requirements and benefits, the opportunity one has for future education, as well as potential promotion and advancement. On the other hand, are external factors such as the institutions one has attended, parental wishes, society’s needs and demands, pressure from friends, peers and teachers.
Bakare (1977) in his “Motivation for Occupation Preference Scale (MOPS), classified motivations or factors and reasons for occupational references and choice into four broad categories namely, external influence, extrinsic reward-oriented values, self-expression values and people oriented values.
According to him, external influence refers to the source of motivation which are external to the individual such as that of significant persons and mass media, whereas, extrinsic reward-oriented values deal with reasons associated with economic or material benefits. Also, self expression values consist of reasons connected with the individual’s desire to express one’s special skills or aptitudes and creative potentialities. People-oriented values deal with reasons associated with the opportunities which the preferred occupation offers for social, interpersonal relations and interactions
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Year in year out, millions of students apply to higher institutions to pursue different disciplines which will end them in certain career. Ayanwale and Laagye (2007) reported that weak passes in the West African School Certificate Examination/Senior School Certificate Examination (WASCE/SSCE) which makes students unable to achieve their chosen career.
Guidance and counselling before a career choice seems to be lacking in most schools. Due to a number of constraints that students are faced with barriers that impede implementing their future career choice and will constantly seek ways to overcome these obstacles with the Nigerian society constantly moving towards a complete knowledge based economy, there is need to evaluate students’ perception and career choice among secondary schools in Uyo Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State is worth doing.
This study should be able to explain the factors that shape the perception of students in career choices. Perception and career choice have been taken for granted. Most times, either parents over influence their children in choice of career or are totally not interested in providing the needed guidance at this level of development. In the end, the students’ perception may be based on inadequate information or simply formed from other factors which may be inadequate to match their aptitudes with their suitable careers. Students related to this research focused on either information sources (modisprojects) or, focused on services of counsellors (Modo, Sanni, Uwa and Mogbo, 2013).
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of the study is to assess the student’s perception and career choice among secondary school students in Uyo, Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Specifically, the objectives of this study shall be as follows:
- To investigate the influence of academic factors on the career choice of secondary school students.
- To investigate the influence of parental factors on secondary school students career choice.
- To investigate peer group influence on the career choice of secondary school students.
- To investigate the influence imposed on career choice of students based on prestige attached to certain careers.
- To contribute reasonably on the solutions to the problem under investigation based on the discovered results.
1.4 Research Question
In order to achieve the purpose of this study, the following research questions are formulated to guide the study.
- How does academic performance influence career choice of secondary school students?
- Is there any influence of parental factors on career choice of students in secondary schools?
- Is there any influence of peer groups on career choice of students in secondary schools?
- Is there any significant influence of prestige attached to certain careers on careers choice of students in secondary schools?
1.5 Research Hypotheses
The following hypotheses were formulated to direct the study (as a guide to this study):
- There is no significant influence between academic performance and career choice of secondary school students.
- There is no significant influence between parental factors and career choice of students in secondary school.
- There is no significant, relationship between peer group influence and career choice of students in secondary schools.
- There is no significant influence between prestige attached to certain career and career choice of students in secondary schools.
1.6 Significance of the Study
If the study discovers any positive influence of academic, parental, peer group and prestige as factors affecting career choice of students in secondary schools, it would give parents, educators and industries an idea to where students place most of their trust in the career selection process.
The study will be useful to the school counselors in highlighting career decision making tools that have implications for effective career counselling.
In addition, the study will present current data for policy making by government and information to researchers and stakeholders in the educational sector in Akwa Ibom State.
1.7 Limitation of the Study
This study is a gradual requirement and so its major limitation is time constraint. Also, this type of study demands enough time to travel to all the secondary schools in Uyo Local Government Area but time is limited.
As a matter of fact, another important fact is the limitation of cost. Hence, it is not an easy task to raise enough fund to carry out this study in all the secondary schools in Uyo Local Government Area.
1.8 Conceptual Definition Terms
In the course of this study, it is pertinent to define the following terms.
Perception
It refers to a person’s idea as a result of how he understands something.
Career
This refers to a pattern of work related to preparation and experiences acquired through education or training throughout a person’s life.
Choice
This refers to the dominant desire of somebody that is his favourite.
Influence
This refers to the prevailing behaviour on something.
Information
Information according to Hopson and Scally (1980) in their work explains it as the vehicles for self-awareness and fuel for shaping goals, and it equal power, enabling individual to be aware of the surrounding world