ABSTRACT
The study was designed to find out the influence of career education on career choice of in-school adolescents in Ebonyi South Education Zone, Ebonyi State. Four specific purposes of study, four research questions and two hypotheses were formulated and tested at the probability of 0.05 level of significance. Expost-facto research design was adopted for the study. A structured questionnaire was developed and used for data collection. The population of the study consists of ten Governments owned secondary school and the sample was on 148 in-school adolescents. The research instruments were face validated by two experts in guidance and counselling, one expert in measurement and evaluation, all in University of Nigeria, Nsukka Campus. The result reveals that the choice of career of in-school adolescents in Ebonyi South Education Zone is influenced by career education irrespective of location. The choice of career of in-school adolescents is guided by the career education they receive and not influenced by peer or parental pressure. Gender difference among the adolescents in the education zone does not influence their career choice. The study highlighted the implications of the study, made recommendations and suggestion for further studies were made
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page – – – – – – – – – i
Approval page – – – – – – – – ii
Certification – – – – – – – – iii
Dedication – – – – – – – – – iv
Acknowledgement – – – – – – – v
Abstract – – – – – – – – – vi
Table of contents – – – – – – – – vii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION – – – – 1
Background of the Study – – – – – – – 1
Statement of the Problem – – – – – – 5
Purpose of Study – – – – – – – – 6
Significance of the Study – – – – – – 6
Scope of the Study – – – – – – – 7
Research question – – – – – – – – 8
Hypothesis – – – – – – – – – 8
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE – – 9
Conceptual framework – – – – – – – 9
Concept of Career – – – – – – – – 10
Concept of career education – – – – – – 11
Concept of career choice – – – – – – – 12
Factor that influence the choice of career – – – – 13
Concept of adolescents – – – – – – – 18
Theoretical framework – – – – – – – 20
Review of Empirical Studies – – – – – – 26
Summary of Literature Review – – – – – – 29
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHOD – – – 32
Research Design – – – – – – – – 32
Area of Study – – – – – – – – 33
Sample and Sampling Techniques – – – – – 34
Instrument for data collection – – – – – – 34
Reliability of instrument – – – – – – – 35
Method of Data Collection – – – – – – 35
Method of Data Analysis – – – – – – 35
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS – – – – – 37
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF RESULTS, CONCLUSION,
IMPLICATIONS AD RECOMMENDATIONS – – – 44
Discussion of Results – – – – – – – 44
Implication of the Study – – – – – – – 46
Limitations – – – – – – – – – 46
Conclusion – – – – – – – – – 47
Recommendations – – – – – – – – 47
Suggestion for further Studies – – – – – – 48
Summary of study – – – – – – – – 48
References – – – – – – – – – 50
Appendices – – – – – – – – – 51
Appendix A – – – – – – – – – 54
Appendix B – – – – – – – – – 59
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
From time immemorial, the need to be self-reliant in order to provide basic human necessities has been the desire of every conscientious being. The idea to be independent in a chosen field to earn a living builds up in an individual as maturity sets in. in the past, children follow closely their parents’ handwork or career like domestic work for girls and career in agriculture for boys, ranging from farming, animal production, fishing, hunting etc.
A career is traditionally seen as a course of successive situations that make up a persons work life or the series of job or positions by which one earned one’s money. It is usually considered to pertain to remunerative work. From 21st century, there has been increased need for self-direction with multiple kinds of work available; the idea of career is shifting from a closed set of achievements like a chronological resume of past jobs to a defined set of pursuits looking forward ( Natalie 2007). In its broad sense, career refers to an individual’s work and life roles over their life span. A career is viewed as the totality of an individual’s lifetime of learning and work (Akinboye, 1990 and Super, 1990). Career in this context can thus be seen as series of jobs available for individuals as their life work to give them ultimate satisfaction and progress which can be gotten through educational groundwork.
Education is the bedrock on which better career can be founded. Odoemelam (2004) defined education as the process by which society (parents, home environments and community mould the individual by subjecting him or her to a selected and controlled environment for the purpose of attaining social competence and optimum individual development. Also, Nwabuisi (2000) see education as a deliberate, systematic and sustained effort to transmit, evoke or acquire knowledge, values, attitudes, skills and sensibilities. Here education embraces the transmission of knowledge and skills to make an individual sensible. Also Onwuka (1982) see education as the training of the young and inexperienced, so that they may become worthy human beings and citizens.
Education in fact is an intentional activity, which is directed towards helping to make the entire person (an individual) a worthwhile person. Educational guidance and counseling are school programmes geared towards helping individual student to make adequate plans, identify which subject choices are most suitable for them, having considered their particular abilities and interest. The philosophy of Nigeria education is based among many others, on the development of the individual into a sound and effective citizen fully integrated into community (Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004). Education is given to satisfy a society’s need to prepare individuals for the world of work and make them economically self-reliant. So it serves as a meal ticket and lunch pad into the world of work and prepares young individuals for their future career.
Career education programmes in schools are usually designed to promote career development, self-awareness, decision-making, career planning and enhance the acquisition of employability and survival skills. It helps individuals to acquire and utilize knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to make work meaningful, productive and satisfying part of their way of living Omeje (2002). The existence of multiplicity of career available, with their accompanying skills gives room for individuals to make their choices to gain optimal satisfaction.
The problem of choice started long ago. Some people have straightforward criteria for making choice while others have difficulty in determining which one to choose. Career is one of such areas that entertain the problems of making a choice. An individual placed amidst of career options usually has to exert a lot of energy in arriving at acceptable one. Making a career choice requires getting in touch with our selves and surroundings. Tapping into our intuition and really listening to our hearts will help us to better assess our life and create a vision of what we want to accomplish in the world Eze, (2009). Career choice was created to provide affordable, practical and personalized counselling to individuals in the process of dealing with the unique challenge of job searching and employment transition. Career choice aims to provide individualized career counseling services to in-school adolescents to overcome challenges they may have in achieving their educational, career and personal goals.
Adolescents are persons within the developmental period of transitions between childhood and adulthood Eze, (2005). The in-school adolescents are those adolescents who are privileged or opportune to find themselves in the school system. They face academic challenges especially, the problem of making career choice. These adolescents tend to adapt to changing influences in their environment as well as changes taking place within them. Career interest, dating and identity exploration are also pronounced in adolescents. Since an individual’s career has a great influence over his general life pattern, it is necessary that choice of career should be diligently handled. If career development is a life-long process beginning from birth, it is then determined by the individual’s interest, level of exposure, background, knowledge of work, knowledge of one’s abilities and capabilities etc. Ochiagha (1995).
