CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Career choice has become a complex science with the advent of information technology, the emergence of post industrial revolution and job competition. It was a common practice in the old days to find feudalism converting it into a family aair where the son of a blacksmith was destined to become a blacksmith and a feudal was born a leader. Industrialization and post industrialization has made it possible for a common person to be richer as long as she or he has due skills and knowledge (Wattles, 2009). Today, one has not only to make due career planning but also exhaustive career research before making a career choice so as to adjust with the evolving socio-economic conditions (Wattles, 2009). Most of students who are secondary schools do not have accurate information about occupational opportunities to help them make appropriate career choice.

According to Kerka (2000), career choice is influenced by multiple factors including personality, interests, self concept, cultural identity, globalization, socialization, role model, social support and available resources such as information and financial. Bandura et al (2001) state that each individual undertaking the process is influenced by several factors including the context in which they live in, their personal aptitudes, social contacts and educational attainment. Every student carries the unique history of his/her past and this determines his/her view of the world. That history created, in part by the student’s locality and background will determine how student make career choices. It then follows that how the student perceives their locality and home background will determine the career choices students make. Career selection is one of many important choices students will make in determining future plans. This decision will impact them throughout their lives. The essence of who the student is will revolve around what the student wants to do with their life-long work. Choosing a career is not like choosing an orange from a basket. According to Weiler (2007) successful career seldom happen by chance with very few exception, people who really get what they want in a career do so because they define their objective plans and schedules for achieving their objectives and assume personal responsibility for implementing and following these plans. These people monitor their progress regularly to improve their plans when they are not getting the desired result and persevere in the face of frequent set back until objectives are achieved. Many scholars have given their own dierent meaning to choice and career and some have further stressed their importance and objectives of selecting a better career.

The dictionary meaning of career is a way a living profession amongst career of opportunities. Many find it diicult to make choice in the sense that they lack guidance and counseling in making their choice without the help of any person. Several works have been done based on these determinant factors aecting career by students. In the same vein, there is no doubt however that there are many factors responsible for the progress of a child backwardness or retardation. Home background factors (the social-economic status of the parent) and environment factor (from the locality where the child grew up). Michael (2001) states that the home provides many things for the child, like protection, guidance, shelter and encouragement. Again the home tries by all means to educate the child with the outside world by interpreting what is happening around to him. He goes further to say that the child as he/she 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 maintains that the homes are marked by the persistent conflict and divergent aims between the parents and the child who seldom gain a sense of family of unity and hence his personal security is much more precarious. This child feels poor about the background and fumbles. “The inability of some parents and guidance to provide good background and show interest in the education of their children has a vital role to play in the performance of some learners” unless the necessary materials are provided for the learners all eort made towards his/her improvement will not work out eectively. The child without learning materials would certainly loose his sense of direction (Okeke 2003). The influence of parents has been one of the strongest and the most persistence factors that determine the child attitude towards studying dierent school and hence his choice of career. Shertzer and Stone (2003) assert that the element of interest and ability are the basic factor influencing students in their choice of subject in the General Certificate of Education and Eventual Choice.

According to them, lack of interest can always lead to low eiciency. 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 a student to achieve the necessary goals in his/her chosen subject and career he/she hails from a solid home background. Okeke (2003) asserts that school subject relevantly chosen when making a career choice and rationally balanced and studied with definite aims by any student/child at the appropriate moments could form a major factor for funding individual solution. He concluded that the school subjects shape the future choice of career and of those who pass through the pass of learning. Students should be adequately guided to choose subjects that will allow them achieve the prime objectives of education. Another important factor that aect the secondary career choice is locality of the students, locality may influence the career students choose. For example, student who has lived on an island may choose a career dealing with the water, or they may choose to leave the island behind, never to have anything to do with water again. Maybe someone in the student’s life has made significant impression or impact, leading to definite career choice. The people in the locality may influence student views on whether or not continue their education. Someone they saw on television may have influenced the student, or parents may have assumed a family business. It is obvious that some states are richer than other and have better facilities and job opportunities that are readily available. Whether one comes from a zone with a better education or job opportunity or not, will aect the type of education one can get and how far one might achieve it. The type of the person may eventually get at the end; hence excluding himself from education opportunities might lead to his exclusion from potentially meaningful jobs and this aects his choice of career.

Consequently, there is the influence of extended family system of polygamy or of large families of one religion (Christianity, Islamic or Traditional) on the choice of career. These cultural biases make the children less individualistic and less prone to making independent life time decisions on choosing a career compared to their counterparts in the western countries. Although, there is the assumption that children of high income families attend good colleges and universities for studies while those of low income earners aspire to own business that would grow to highest level. Most illiterate parents are interested in getting their children to make up for what they lamentably miss and that is good education for high status and well-paid jobs aer graduation. This is because they are expected to provide sense of life achievement for their old parents.

Which is a form of social insurance for parents, take care of their younger ones and be source of pride in their local community. Influence from teachers, parents and relations, peer group and friends also determine career choice of student. Julie (2004) in his research found out that about eighty percent (80%) of students in Akwa wish to further their education, while 20% will want to go and find jobs. In her findings, Medicine, Engineering, Social science and Nursing are the most popular courses among those who wish to further their education. She then observed that lack of adequate knowledge of the subject relevant to the courses is common among majority of the student who want to further their education as a result of the student home background in term of socio-economic status and locality of students.