THE INFLUENCE OF VOCATIONAL COUNSELING AND CAREER CHOICE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS.

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   CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Career plays a very fundamental and significant and role in the life of the individual not only because they determine the pattern of income but also because they affect the individual personality and concepts in life. Career therefore is a choose pursuit, life work or success in one’s profession occupied by a person throughout his/her lifetime. In a nutshell, career is the totality of work one does in his life time and is person centered, it is of utmost importance to every individual he or she prepares for the future. The essence of who the students are will revolve around what the students want to do with his or her choice of career. The oxford advanced learners dictionary, defines choice as the right to choose or the ability of choosing and also defined career as a job or profession especially one with opportunities for promotion. People who really get what they want in a career do so because they define their objective plan and schedules for achieving their objectives, and assume personal responsibility for implementing and following the plans.

    Many scholars have given their own different meaning to choice and career and some have further stressed their importance objectives of selecting a better career. The dictionary meaning of career is a way of making a living profession amongst career of opportunities.

     Many students find it very difficult to make the right choice of career in the sense that they lack vocational guidance counseling, making their choice without the help of any counselor. Several works have been done based on the determinant factors affecting career by students. However there are many factors responsible for the progress of a child backwardness or retardation viz; Genetic factors (that are inherent in the child himself) and Environmental factor ( from the environment where the child grew up).

   Abang (2002) stated that the home provides many things for the child, like protection, guidance, shelter and encouragement. He went further to say that the child as he is not yet informed of the factors and realities of life but with the help of the parents he will be very much aware of the tracks or steps to follow if he is to be useful in life. He still maintain that the child without learning material would certainly loose his sense of direction and also that the influence of parents has been one of the strongest and the most persistent factor that determines the child attitude toward studying different school subjects and hence his choice of career.

   Shertzer and stone (2003) discovered that the element of interest and ability are the basic factor influencing students in their choice of subject in the general certificate of education examination and eventually choice. Thet went further to stress that the developing interest in a subject goes a long way to enhance a very high performance in any examination as a result, a good choice will help one achieve the necessary goals in one’s chosen subject and career.

   McMahon & watson (2008) also noted that the problem of career choice is compounded by the present state of the country; inadequate professional or qualified counselors in our secondary schools to offer career guidance to the students, the school should plan the subject that will lead him to a job in which he/she would fine job satisfaction.

      In other words, one’s chosen career ought to suit his/her occupational development. For people to achieve these goals, going to work may have fun and pursuing their personal values for those who fail fail to evolve their career feel trapped and frustrated at work.

    Portfeli (2009) in his motion observe that school subjects relevantly chosen when making a career choice and rationally balanced and studied with definite aims by any students at the appropriate moments could form a major factor for finding individual satisfaction. He concluded that the school subjects shape the future choice of career and of those who pass through the path ways of learning. Students should be adequately guided to choose subjects that will allow them achieve the prime objectives of education.

   It is against this backdrop that the researcher intends to investigate the influence of vocational counseling and career choice of secondary school students in Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State.

1.2 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

This work is based on the following theories;

1.2.1 HOLLAND’S VOCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT THEORY (1959).

   The theory of vocational choice developed by John Holland is one of the most widely researched and applied theories of career development. Based on the premise that personality factor underlie career choices, his theory postulate that people project self-and world-of-work views into occupational titles and makes career decisions that satisfy their preferred personal orientations.

    Applications of Holland’s theory of vocational choice involve assessing individual in terms of two or three prominent personality types and then matching the respective types with the environmental aspects of potential careers.

    According to Holland’s theory, he classified people and work environment into six(6) different types. He based his theory on his basic assumption that a person’s vocational interests, preferences, values, ability and attitudes are different ways of expressing his personality. He further posits that everyone is required to adjust to each of the environments and develop certain skills with reference to the settings. The six(6) occupational environments into which he divides the career world are;

  1. Realistic (motoric) type

  2. Investigative (Intellectual) type

  3. Social (supportive) type

  4. Artistic (aesthetic) type

  5. Enterprising (persuasive) type

  6. Conventional (conforming) type

THE INFLUENCE OF VOCATIONAL COUNSELING AND CAREER CHOICE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS.