FACTORS MOTIVATING CAREER CHOICE AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
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FACTORS MOTIVATING CAREER CHOICE AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
CHAPITRE ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
For most people, career choice is a lifelong process of engaging in the work world by selecting among employment options made available to them.
Many elements influence each person who goes through the process, including their living environment, personal aptitudes, and educational attainment (Bandura and Pastorelli, 2001).
The profession decision that adolescents select while in high school is a significant turning point in their lives. It is frequently considered as a trivial beginning to workplace ready by family and society;
yet, this decision plays a significant role in placing adolescents in a career path that both opens and closes prospects (Akbulut, and Looney, 2009).
Choice is an emotional topic among social scientists because it is fundamental to disputes in a wide range of substantive fields. The relative importance of individual freedom of action (agency)
and the constraints imposed by one’s position in society (structure) has been hotly debated, and there are few, if any, areas of study in the social sciences that do not raise questions about individual choice (Beyer, 2008).
In light of the foregoing, the scope and aspirations of the research detailed in this work are quite modest. Its major purpose was to investigate decision-making behaviour in a specific setting, that of young people nearing the end of compulsory schooling in Nigeria (Courte and Bishop-Clark, 2009).
Choices are not made in a vacuum. The young person is influenced structurally by the social and cultural groups to which he or she belongs.
Thus, social class, gender, and ethnicity will all play a role in developing goals, as will the characteristics of the young person’s neighbourhood.
These four criteria (social class, gender, ethnicity, and location) have been found to have the most influence on individual career paths.
The Frolick, Chen, and Janz (2005) study is a well-known milestone in this field (albeit it has been criticised for utilising just the fathers’ occupation to determine a family’s social status).
Using historical accounts from over 1,200 structured interviews, Galpin, Sanders, Turner, and Venter (2003) demonstrated how multivariate statistical models can predict patterns of lifetime educational participation with an extremely high degree of accuracy (90+ percent) using only the information available at the end of an individual’s compulsory schooling.
Researchers have focused on the time of decision making, the factors influencing decisions, and the individuals participating in the decision-making process. These are described further below, before decision-making models and particularly influential studies are considered.
Career selection is not something a pupil can decide on his or her own; there is a need to sanction accurately before mentoring the youngster to do so. The term vocational is identical with occupation, career, and profession. They are both interchangeable.
Granger, Dick, Jacobson, and Van-Slyke (2007) define career as “the total composite of one’s activity throughout life.” Alika and Egbochuku (2009) describe career as the series of occupations, jobs, and positions held throughout a person’s working life.
This could be extended to include pre- and post-vocational professions. It is achieved through a process of career development, self-awareness, comprehension of the current and future environment,
and achieving maximum compatibility between the two elements. It is therefore not incorrect to state that one’s career is his life, and that the method through which it progresses is the process of career growth.
Maximum compatibility between the two elements of self-understanding and the world of work can only be achieved through vocational counselling,
which is the assistance provided by a counsellor or career master or mistress to another person, whether boy or girl, man or woman, in making effective use of his or her own resources and environment.
Opportunities for self-understanding, planning, decision-making, and problem-solving in relation to his developmental requirements, schooling, and vocational activities (Eckerman and Didow, 1988).
Every type of learning is motivated. Motivation is something within a person that causes them to behave, either positively or negatively.
Motivation can thus be defined as an internal process that an individual maintains until a goal is reached. Motivation influences how students learn and their attitudes towards a subject in a variety of ways.
Tella (2003) noted that how the learner perceives the learning influences what and if learning occurs. As a result, a person is more likely to be committed to something important than something that provides no satisfaction.
Students are motivated when a teacher demonstrates expertise and skill in something more valued than something less useful. Motivation is the process of persuading individuals to proceed in the desired direction.
Through reward systems and the provision of chances for learning and growth, the company as a whole can offer the setting in which high levels of motivation can be reached.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
A lack of awareness about one’s talents, values, and interests might pose difficulties while deciding on a career. While this is a common issue for high school students, it can impact anyone who is unsure of what he wants from a job.
A person’s decision can be influenced by a lack of career aptitude tests and career counselling. Another big issue that kids in high school encounter when choosing a career is a lack of orientation and assistance from teachers in the school context.
Confusion over selecting a relevant course owing to their inability to effectively scale through to the conclusion can influence students’ career choices. Again, peer pressure can lead to a secondary student making the wrong profession decision.
This will push kids to imitate careers that may not be fit for their personality type. Furthermore, a lack of effective parental advice might have a negative impact on pupils’ secondary school career choices.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The study investigates the influence of motivating factors on job choice among senior secondary school students. The study’s particular goals are as follows:
Examine the motivators that impact students’ profession choices.
Determine the impact of a pressure group on career choice.
Investigate the roles of guidance and counselling in students’ career choices.
Investigate the issues surrounding secondary school pupils’ profession choices.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following research questions guide the study:
What are the motivating elements influencing students’ job choices?
What impact does peer pressure have on professional choices?
What roles do advice and counselling have in students’ career choices?
What are the issues with secondary school pupils’ profession choices?
1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
For the study, the following hypothetical statement was created:
Ho: There is a considerable association between motivational variables and secondary school pupils’ profession choices.
H1: There is a substantial association between motivational factors and secondary school pupils’ profession choices.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The significance of the study is discussed further below.
School administrators may use the study’s findings to better understand the elements influencing students’ secondary school careers and, as a result, focus more on how to appropriately help secondary school students in selecting career decisions.
The study will help head teachers and the Board of Governors, parents and teachers’ associations, members of the public, district education officers, and school district inspectors understand the impact of students’ profession choices on their academic achievement.
It will also allow secondary school principals to plan systematically for students’ guidance and counselling sessions. Other education stakeholders (parents, students, instructors, support staff, and donors) will utilise the study’s findings as a reference point for similar events.
1.7 SCOPE OF STUDY
The study looks at the factors that influence senior secondary school students’ profession choices in Yaba, Lagos’ Local Government Area.
1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS
This is a critical issue that necessitates larger contributions of quality in doing or preparing a student’s future profession choice.
Motivation is the process of persuading individuals to proceed in the desired direction.
Career: This term refers to the totality of one’s activity during one’s life.
Choice: This is the ability or privilege to select a variety from which to choose. Students are recognised to exist and function in complicated and dynamic situations all around the world.
The situation forces students to devise novel solutions to fulfil the changing needs of the period and to bridge the gap between goals and actual performance.
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