ABSTRACT
The study investigated the factors affecting career choice among secondary school students in Egor Local Government Area, Benin City. In order to provide direction for the study, four research questions were raised and four hypotheses were formulated. The design for the study is survey. The population comprises of all senior secondary school students enrolled in the ten public schools in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State. The sample of the study was one hundred (100) students from senior secondary schools in Egor Local Government Area, Benin City. The simple random sampling technique was used for the sampling. The instruments for the study were Factors Affecting Choice of Career among Secondary School Students Questionnaire (FACCSSSQ). The instruments were validated by test experts. For reliability of the instruments, the instruments were administered on twenty students and the data collected was subjected to Cronbach Alpha statistics, the coefficients of 0.530, -512.000, 0.619, and 0.555 were obtained for Peer group, Parental, Guidance and Counselling, and School Environment. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions while One sample T-test was used to test the hypotheses. The results revealed that peer groups significantly influence career choices, with peer successes and discussions playing pivotal roles. Parental factors, including education and occupation, notably shape students' career ambitions. Guidance and counseling services were found to contribute positively by offering valuable advice and career assessments. Additionally, the school environment, including alumni success and teacher encouragement, was influential in shaping students' career aspirations. The analysis showed no significant gender differences in these influences, indicating a generally uniform effect on career choices. Based on the findings, the researcher recommended that the school should implement regular career assessment and Counselling sessions to help students gain clarity about their career interest and also organize career fair,talks and workshop to expose children to a wide range of career options and provide opportunities for networking with professionals.
