A STUDY OF THE DETERMINANTS OF VOCATIONAL CHOICE AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Thesis Overview

INTRODUCTIONIn recent times, there has been growing interest in the interrelationships between career choice, peer group and parental influence. More importantly the focus has been on the factors that tend to move an individual towards a career. The achievement of children as they grow up has always been a matter of intense interest to parents. The young adolescent in school is expected to set high aspirations for him or herself and to work towards the achievement of those goals. Moreover, children are made to become aware of the prestige that goes along with successful career choice. Vocational ChoiceEducation, economic incentives, peer group influence and parental influence are sometimes used as pressures to induce the young adolescent into predetermined careers, regardless of the potentials, actual needs and ego of the child. The glamour associated with some careers often turn out to be an illusion. Empirical findings have confirmed to a greater extent, the impact of the family in which a person lives and the family goals and objectives on his/ her choice of career. Trost and Levin (2000) opined that the family influences the behaviour or character of a child. Tella (2003) also found that parents play an invaluable role in laying the foundation of their children’s career. In the same light Wikelund (2006), pointed out that the more intensively parents are involved in their children’s learning, the more beneficial are the achievement effects.Vocational ChoiceThus it is assumed that when parents monitor homework, encourage participation in extra curricula activities, are active in parent’s teachers’ associations and help children develop plans for their future, such children are likely to respond positively in academic activities. Alika and Egbochuku (2009) found that parental influence exerts a lot of influence on the educational attainment of the adolescent especially the socio-economic status of parents.Vocational Choice.