PRESBYTERIAN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, GHANA

FACAULTY OF EDUCATION

FACTORS INFLUENCING CAREER CHOICE AMONG SENIOR

HIGH

SCHOOL STUDENTS: A CASE STUDY OF KWAHU SOUTH

DISTRICT

BY

FAUSTINA AKUETTEH

2020

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS.....................................................................................................2
CHAPTER ONE...............................................................................................................4
INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................4
Background of the Study...........................................................................................4
Statement of the Problem.........................................................................................9
Research Objectives................................................................................................10
Research Questions.................................................................................................11
Significance of the Study.........................................................................................11
Delimitation of the Study........................................................................................12
Limitation................................................................................................................12
Organization of the Study.......................................................................................13
CHAPTER TWO............................................................................................................14
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE...............................................................................14
Introduction............................................................................................................14
Conceptual Review..................................................................................................15
Definition of a Career..........................................................................................15
Career Choice......................................................................................................15
Family Influence on Student’s Career Choice......................................................17
Peer Influence on Students’ Career Choice.........................................................20
School Environment Influence on Students’ Career Choice................................21
Empirical Review.....................................................................................................22
The Level of Family Influence on Students’ Career Choice..................................22
Level of Peer Influence on Students’ Career Choice............................................25
School Environment Influences Students’ Career...............................................27
Strategies to Assist Students in Making Appropriate Career Choices..................28
Chapter Summary...................................................................................................30
CHAPTER THREE..........................................................................................................31
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY........................................................................................31
Introduction............................................................................................................31
Study Area...............................................................................................................31
Research Design......................................................................................................31
Population...............................................................................................................33
Sample and Sampling Technique............................................................................33

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Data Collection Instrument.....................................................................................35
Data Collection Procedure......................................................................................36
Data Processing and Analysis..................................................................................36
Ethical Consideration..............................................................................................38
Chapter Summary...................................................................................................38

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 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Our successful existence in the contemporary world means an ability to solving

numerous problems and making countless choices. Fast changes around us

show that the number of choices to be taken grows daily. Some of such choices

are about friends to move with, types of school to attend, programmes of study

and choice of career (Fabea, 2014). Students in secondary schools like many

other young adults are always worried about what they will do with their lives

and the kind of adult they will become. They are concerned about early entry

into the occupational world and finding productive and rewarding places on the

job market (Olamide & Olawaiye, 2013). In every society, the quality of

workers as well as their degree of job satisfaction contributes directly or

indirectly to economic stability and the smooth running of the affairs of the

nation. If workers are unable to derive satisfaction from their job, frustration

sets in with accompanying decline in productivity and civil unrest due to the

workers thwarted goals (Udoh & Sanni, 2012).

In today‘s competitive world of knowledge and the continuous

economic hardship, one has not only to make due career planning but also

exhaustive career research before making a career choice so as to adjust to the

evolving socioeconomic conditions (Wattles, 2009 as cited in Woasey, 2015).

Career choice has become a complex science with the advent of information

technology, the emergence of post industrial revolution and job competition

(Quinter & Edwards, 2011). The essence of who the student is will revolve

around what the student want to do with their life - long work. The choice of

career has been a serious problem among the secondary school students
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(Olamide et al 2013). Bandura (2002) as cited in Mtemeri (2017), believes that

the major part of people‘s life is spent in occupational activities and these

pursuits do more than simply provide income for livelihood. Career selection is

one of many important choices students will make in determining future plans.

This decision will impart them throughout their lives

Career choice was a common practice in the old days to find feudalism

converting it into a family affair where the son of a blacksmith was destined to

become a blacksmith and a feudal was born a leader (Quinter et al, 2011). A lot

of student in secondary schools believe that their future is a glorious adventures

in which they are bound to succeed. Many of them have the idea that they

would be able to work in the public or private establishments as soon as they

complete secondary school education (Olamide et al, 2013). Many students

have the idea that they would be able to work in the public or private

establishments as soon as they complete secondary school education. Some

have planned to become lawyers, engineers, medical doctors, accountants and

so on.

According to Mtemeri (2017), students go through high school with

knowledge of their preferences and interests because of their interactions with

many stakeholders in their environment. A career choice is a decision that most

human beings make sometime in their lives; it is a decision that should be

carefully considered since it can affect the rest of a person’s life (Eyo, 2011).

Most students who are in secondary schools do not have accurate information

about occupational opportunities to help them make appropriate career choice.

According to Kerka (2000) as cited in Quinter et al, (2011), career choice is

influenced by multiple factors including personality, interests, self concept,

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cultural identity, globalization, socialization, role model, social support and

available resources such as information and financial. (Germeijs & Vershueren,

2007 as cited in Ausman, Javed, Ahmed, Samad, Pour, Matthew & Sreedharan,

2013) also believes that many factors influence the career pathway a person

enters. Most individuals make this choice during their years in secondary

school due to rigid academic streams where they choose elective courses based

on future academic goals, and stay with this choice until programme

completion.

According to Hewitt (2010), factors influencing career choice can either

be intrinsic or extrinsic or both. Hewitt (2010) added that most people are

influenced by careers that their parents favour, others follow the careers that

their educational choices have opened for them, some choose to follow their

passion regardless of how much or little it will make them while others choose

the careers that give high income. Adebowale (2011), is of the view that senior

High School education, a formal education leads individuals to their respective

professions. Olamide et al (2013), is of the view that the choice of career is a

delicate issue that requires caution and serious considerations. Olamide et al

(2013) added that, the kind of career the youths pursue can affect their lives in

many ways. For example, it can determine where the individual lives and the

type of friends kept. It can reflect how much education one had and determine

the amount of money one will earn. People desires from a career are different,

many people desire high income; others want adventures while some others

want to serve people to make the world a better place.

According to Hiebert (2009) as cited in Mtemeri (2017), countries need

citizens who are able to make the best use of their talents and make career

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choices that will help them to be motivated and productive. It is therefore

important for students to be guided when choosing a programme that will lead

to a desired career. Course selection strongly shapes the choices students have

after they leave high schools (Naude, 2014). Ramirez & Dizon, (2014) are of

the view that most graduating students from secondary schools may not have

solid decision on where to go in college and what degree programme they may

possibly take. They are planning to enter college without clear idea of what

career to pursue for their future. Most students may sometimes consider the

people and the information they received within their environment (Aguado,

Laguador & Deligero, 2015).

According to Aguado et al (2015), the decision on good career choice

and school sometimes depend on how students perceive the world and their

future. Some of them may not have enough knowledge and consciousness

about how they should process information from personal, social, economic,

political, spiritual and environmental aspects of putting into context and

realization of having a successful profession. According to Splaver (2000) as

cited in Olamide et al (2013), a student’s personality must be self-motivated

type, as to investigate career possibilities from early on in their lives, and not

the procrastinating type that waits till they are compelled to decide. Career

guidance programmes are therefore important to help students understand their

own potentials and develop them to the full. However, it seems most students

often make wrong career decisions due to lack of information, peer pressure,

wrong modeling or as a result of prestige attached to certain careers without

adequate career guidance and career counselling. Kidd (2006) as cited in

Woasey (2015), purports that when people are provided with adequate

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information at the right time, it can make a big difference in career planning.

When students are therefore given effective guidance and counselling on how

best they can choose a career, people will not end up doing things they never

planned of doing.

According to UNESCO (2002) as cited in Mtemeri (2017), career

counselling consists of four elements,

a) helping individuals to gain greater self-awareness in areas such as

interest, values, abilities and personality style;

b) connecting students to resources so that they can become more

knowledgeable about jobs and occupations;

c) engaging students in the decision making process in order that they

can choose a career path that is well suited to their own interests, abilities

values and personality style; and

d) assisting individuals to be active managers of their career paths

(including managing career transitions and balancing various life roles) as well

as becoming lifelong learners in the sense of professional development over the

life span. Guidance counselors can help students by trying to match the

personalities of students to careers that would fit them best (Alfred-Davidson,

2009 as cited in Woasey, 2015). Unfortunately it seems these career counselors

are not readily available in many of our Senior High Schools in Ghana

although it is mandatory for them to have counselling centers. The few schools

that have counselling centers are also plagued with many challenges. So many

people have missed the actual courses and programmes they wanted to pursue

in senior high schools due to lack of information and other factors hence
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missing their choice of career. This has gone a long way affecting their lives

and the economy at large.

Statement of the Problem

It has been established earlier that a person’s career choice plays an

important role in his or her entire life. The need for career choice then becomes

quite obvious. Indeed career choice is as important as choosing a life partner

since it is also a lifetime process (Fabea, 2014). Career choice decision making

is not an easy task, yet at one time or the other, individuals are faced with the

task of making choice in career, preparing for it, starting it and making

progress in it. This choice point is undoubtedly the most critical stage. This is

because making a wrong career decision can mar one’s happiness in life as this

could result to career maladjustment. According to Olamide et al (2013),

inappropriate career decision made may spell doom not only for the individual

but also the entire society. Students at the age of choosing career are

susceptible to influences from a number of external sources as well as

perceptions relating to their future careers. For example, it has been found that

students with authoritative parents are more decisive in their career choices

(Cenkseven-Onder, Kirdok & Isik, 2010 as cited in Ausman et al, 2013)

In a study conducted by Mtemeri (2017), in the context of the current

study, it was established that family members, both nucleus and extended, had

an influence on students’ choice of careers. The influence of mothers and

fathers was rated highly as compared to other family members. The study also

revealed that schools had an impact on high school students’ choice of careers.

Career guidance, especially school career days, was cited as having a positive

impact on students’ choice of careers. The study recommended the training of

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parents, peers and teachers to enhance students’ choice of careers. The findings

of the study may not necessarily hold for all senior high school students since

the geographical areas differ. The elapse of time may also affect the findings of

the study.

Now every student, family members and other stakeholders of

education are very keen about the type of courses and programmes students

choose in their secondary education. This choice affects the kind of job they

will do after pursuing the courses in tertiary institutions. The country at large is

concerned about the kind of careers students choose since that also affect the

economy at large. For example if many graduates come with agriculture related

certificates that will affects the economy. It is therefore obvious that factors

affecting students’ career choice is held in high esteem in all areas in Ghana.

The factors affecting senior school students’ career choice in the Kwahu South

District cannot be overlooked. Most students in senior highs in Kwahu South

make some career choices which really affect them in the sense that getting

employed either self, by government or a private entity becomes very difficult.

This concern if not consistently addressed will go a long way to affects

students after school and affects their families and the country at large.

Informed by this, the current study seeks to examine the factors influencing

career choice among Senior High School Students in the Kwahu South District.

Research Objectives
The main objective of the study is to examine the factors influencing career

choice among senior high school students in the Kwahu South District.

Specifically, the paper seeks to;

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 1. investigate the level of family influence on students’ career choice

among Senior High School students in Kwahu South District

2. find out whether peers have influence on students’ career choice among

Senior High School students in Kwahu South District

3. establish the extent to which the school environment influences

students’ career choice among Senior High School students in Kwahu

South District

4. develop strategies that may be used to assist students in making appropr

iate career choices among Senior High School students in Kwahu South

District

Research Questions
The study was guided by the following research questions:

1. What is the level of family influence on students’ career choice among

Senior High School students in Kwahu South District?

2. What is the level of peer influence on students’ career choice among

Senior High School students in Kwahu South District?

3. To what extent does the school environment influences students’ career

choice among Senior High School students in Kwahu South District?

4. What strategies may be used to assist students in making appropriate ca

reer choices among Senior High School students in Kwahu South

District?

Significance of the Study

The significance of this study lies in the contribution it might make in

helping students to make good career. Thus career choices that will give ready

jobs after school. Family members especially parents will be informed as to

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how to guide and help their children make choices of career that will help the

child and the family. The findings of the study will help the Ministry of

Education, Youth and Sports, student counsellors, teachers and heads of SHS

institutions to better understand students and guide and counsel them as to how

make better choices of career since that is a vital thing in the life of students.

The study will draw the attention of school authorities on how important

programmes like career day and other career related programmes are to

students at the senior high school level. The findings of the study may also help

national planners of curricula to make informed decisions with regard to career

guidance and counselling. Finally, the study will be adding to the body of

knowledge in the area of factors influencing career choice among Senior High

School Students, a source of reference to academics, researchers and students

interested in future studies on factors influencing career choice at different

levels of education.

Delimitation of the Study

The study is limited to Three Senior High schools in the Kwahu South

District. The implication is that the results obtained will be generalized within

Senior High School in Kwahu South, East and West. However, Senior High

Schools within Kwahu East and West can make use of the results of the study

that have similar characteristics like the studied schools in the study area. The

researcher administered the questionnaires herself using the captive audience

method hence reducing the external influence like respondents ticking the same

responds from colleagues.

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Limitation
The use of questionnaire as the main tool may affect the reliability and

validity of the study. The use of only questionnaire will limit the extent to

which the respondents will respond to the items. Respondents might false

responses that will affect the relevance and validity of the study. Some may

also fake responses in the questionnaire in a bid to please the researchers. The

population from which the sample is drawn is limited as it excludes Form Two

Gold-Track students and the Form One Gold-Track students. Also, time

constraint and unavailability of resources to integrate other tools for data

collection like observation, test and interviews could have yielded a more valid

response from the respondents.

Organization of the Study

This study is organized into five chapters. Chapter One constitutes the

introduction which is made up of background to the study, statement of the

problem, purpose of the study, research questions, significance of the study,

delimitation of the study, limitations of the study. The Chapter Two reviews

related literature with respect to the problem of the study. Chapter Three also

focuses on the methodology which comprises the research design, population,

sample and sampling procedure, research instruments, administration of the

instruments and data analysis of the study. The Chapter Four is devoted to the

analysis of the results obtained from the study and the discussion of the

findings of the study conducted. The last chapter which is the Chapter Five,

deals with the summary, conclusion and the recommendation and suggestion

made on the entire research.

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 CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Introduction
This section of the research seeks to examine related studies which are

relevant to the purpose of this study. Specifically, it reviewed literature in two

(2) phases that is conceptual review and empirical review. The section that

concerns the conceptual review considers issues such as Career; Career Choice;

Family Influence on Student’s Career Choice; peer Influence on Students’

Career Choice and School Environment Influence on Students’ Career Choice.

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For the empirical review, issues such as related studies on the factors

influencing career choice among senior high school students specifically on the

current study’s research questions are discussed.

Conceptual Review
Definition of a Career
Avugla, (2011) sees career as a job or profession that one has been

trained for, and which one undertake for a long period of their life. Similarly,

UNESCO (2002) as cited in Mtemeri (2017), defined a career as the interaction

of work roles and other life roles over a person’s lifespan including both paid

and unpaid work. On the other hand, Oloasebikan & Olusakin (2014), also see

career as the progress and actions taken by a person throughout a lifetime,

specially related to that person‘s occupations. A career defines how one sees

oneself in the context of one’s social environment, in terms of one’s future

plans, one’s past accomplishments or failures and one’s present competences

and attributes (Raynor & Entin, 1982 as cited in Mtemeri, 2017). Olaosebikan

et al (2014), believes that a career is often composed of the jobs held, titles

earned and work accomplished over a long period of time, rather than just

referring to one‘s position. Career is seen as an occupation or profession,

especially one requiring special training, followed as one‘s lifework. Fabea,

(2014) sees career as a lifelong experience, which enables individuals to earn

money or to get all his or her needs provided.

Career Choice
According to Olamide et al (2013), career choice defined as broad

opportunities that exist for lifelong vocations. Olamide et al (2013), added that

these vocations are set out in a framework of strategies moving toward

personal goals. Career choice is a complex decision for students since it

15
determines the kind of profession that they intend to pursue in life. As students

try to make career choice while in secondary school, they face problem of

matching their career choices with their abilities and school performance

(Quinter et al, 2011). In conformity, Olaosebikan et al (2014), adds that

choosing a career is an extremely important decision that impacts an

individual‘s entire future. It is therefore important to have much information

concerning the choice of a career since that may go a long way to affect your

life positively or negatively. The study adopts steps theorized by UMass (2015)

as cited in Woasey (2015) that can guide an individual to make a good career

decision.

Step One: Identify the Decision to be made

Before an individual begins gathering information, it is important that he/she

have a clear understanding of what it is he/she is trying to decide. Individuals

can ask questions such as: Should I have pursued a college or university

education? What should my major be? Do I want to be a full-time or part-time

student? and What do I want to do when I finish my education?

Step Two: Know Yourself (Raise Consciousness)

To make an informed career decision and prior to any exploration of the world

of work, it is important to have a good understanding of his/her own personal

attributes. Questions such as what kinds of people would I like to work with?

What kind of job settings would I most enjoy? What are my strengths and

weaknesses? And what are my strongest skills and abilities? Will they help me

make informed decisions?

Step Three: Identifying Options and Gathering Information (Explore Options)

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To continue gathering information and researching careers, an individual will

need to start identifying his/her options. Some things to think about are: Do I

have a strong interest in specific careers? What other types of careers should I

be considering? What information do I already have about my career

preferences? And how can I get more information and access more resources

about the career(s) I am interested in?

Step Four: Evaluate Options that will solve the Problem

After completing your research, the individual is now ready to evaluate each of

the options he/she has been exploring.

Step Five: Select one of the Options

Based on the information gathered and analyzed, the individual should now be

able to choose one of the career options and start creating a plan of action.

Family Influence on Student’s Career Choice

Berns (2010), defined family as two or more persons related by birth,

marriage or adoption who reside together. In this study, a family can either be

nuclear or extended or the guardians of the student. There is no doubt that most

parents have influence in the choice of career their children make. Mtemeri

(2017), states that research on family influence has increased rapidly during the

last couple of years, yet an understanding of family influences on career

choices still remains sparse. Most of the researches on family influence focus

on individual parents’ careers, for instance, mothers or fathers influencing

children to take up a certain career. This research considers family members’

influence on career choices which includes parents, siblings and extended

family members. Parents are always assumed to play significant role in shaping

17
and influencing how their school going children make wise career decisions,

which inevitably, impact their future career choice (Hashim & Embong, 2015).

Similarly, Bollu-steve & Sanni (2013), believe that the first interactions of a

child with people takes place within its home among members of its family

who include parents, siblings and relatives. Woasey (2015), believes that

parents influence their children‘s career development and that the family

provide resources that are significant concerning young people‘s idea about

their future. It is believed that families provide financial and emotional support

and also transmit values, goals and expectations to their children, which can

impact the career development process. According to Olamide et al (2013), the

income level of secondary school students’ families may determine what career

a student chooses during a specific time in the student’s life; choices that will

determine a large part of that student’s future.

Agarwala (2008), is of the view that an individual’s choice of career is

likely to be influenced by several factors, including personal and cultural

values, family background, career expectations, etc. Udoh et al. (2012), put

forward that a child is raised in accordance with the values of the family and as

he grows he learns, internalizes and concretizes the behaviour patterns to which

he is exposed. All these behaviour patterns and training which the child learns

from the family often determines his job perception and subsequent

occupational decision. Paul (1962) as cited in Udoh et al. (2012), classified

parental work attitudes into four broad categories as expounded below:

The silent attitude: Here parents do not discuss work openly due to a lack of

interest in the vocational life of the children. Parents here seldom discuss their

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own work and much less that of others. They do not make vocational plans for

their wards thus leaving their children’s occupational aspirations to chance.

The Resentful Attitude: Parents with this kind of attitude only make

incidental remarks about work. They leave their children’s occupational choice

to fate and schooling and never attempt to consciously discuss vocation with

their children.

The Participating Attitude: Parents with this kind of attitude are keen on their

jobs and discuss them freely and with obvious enthusiasm with their children

thus exposing their children to these occupations.

The Candid Attitude: This describes parents that openly and candidly discuss

all aspects of work, the advantages and the disadvantages thereof, with their

children.

This suggests that children from these categories of home will have

differing attitudes towards work assuming that other influential variables are

kept constant. Again, children from the third and fourth categories would

mature vocationally earlier than children from the first and second categories.

In addition to parental attitude towards work, Udoh et al. (2012), added that

parental occupation and education also impact strongly on the occupational

choice of children. Children raised in a home dominated by a certain

occupation are likely to be influenced by that occupation. Some families are

noted for maintaining certain occupations across several generations.

The level of parental formal education is another factor that influences

the vocational interests of children. Parental education level determines the

amenities and the cultural level of the home. Nevertheless, it seems in Ghana,
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most parents though did not get formal education and that they are not doing a

white colour job, they are working tirelessly to put their children at an enviable

job positions. Parents armed with adequate education often get gainful

employment. Thus, with their level of income and exposure, they are better

disposed to procure educational materials for their children and discuss job

opportunities with them.

Peer Influence on Students’ Career Choice

Peers are also seen to be another strong factor in influencing students in

decision making. Some students in senior high schools end up doing a course a

best friend is doing with having any idea as to the job opportunities available

for the individual. So many people do courses that they don’t have interest in

and so they perform poorly. Abbasi and Sarwat (2014), found that students

were influenced by their peers in a variety of ways such as peer counselling,

peer interaction, peer advice and peer relationships. Peer counselling is a way

of relating, responding and helping aimed at exploring feelings, thoughts and

concerns with the hope of reaching a clear understanding (Odirile, 2012 as

cited in Mtemeri, 2017). Bett (2013), purported that the rationale of peer

counselling is based on the assumption that people who share similar

characteristics and ages tend to influence one another.

From the literatures above, it can be suggested that peers influence

career choice through peer interactions. As the students interact, they share

information about careers. Students' career planning is not only influenced by

the overall supportive mindset of their peers but also by the opportunity to

learn from them (Fisher & Griggs, 1995as cited in Njeri, 2013). Mtemeri

(2017) is of the view that for peers to understand the world of work, their

20
interaction makes it possible for them to venture into careers they were

unaware of. According to Njeri (2013) students turn to peers who have similar

experiences for mentorship, information and guidance on career issues

especially when other proper avenues like school career guidance are not

properly functioning.

Salami (1999) as cited in Njeri (2013) found out that in Nigeria, many

youths go into unsuitable careers due to a number of factors among them being

peer pressure and advice from friends. Consequently, many of them are

unsuited for their careers as they usually find themselves in jobs where they

could not satisfy their value needs. When this occurs, they constitute nuisance

to themselves and their employers. They are usually unable to contribute

meaningfully to the society and ultimately become liability to the nation. In the

absence of proper career guidance and teacher mentorship, students resort to

peers mentorship.

School Environment Influence on Students’ Career Choice

The kind of school a student attends has influence on the student’s

choice of decision. When school authorities understand that a student’s

decision taken today goes a long way to affect his life positively or negatively,

they take delight in helping students to take appropriate decision especially

concerning their career. According to Dodge & Welderndael (2014); Sun &

Yuen (2012) as cited in Mtemeri (2017), if students have too many choices of

careers or have not made a decision on which career to take, school career

guidance is helpful in selecting their study paths and in identifying their

potential strengths to enhance their competitiveness for positions. Career

guidance interventions in schools are concerned, not with telling students what

21
to do, but with helping them acquire knowledge, skills and attitudes that will

help them make better career choices and transitions hence ameliorating the

problem of career decisions (Watts & Sultana, 2004).

Career guidance is offered at institutions of learning such as schools,

colleges and universities among others. High schools are a transition to higher

institutions of learning and the world of work so they have a critical role in

assisting students choose careers (Baloch & Shah, 2014). Quinter et al. (2011),

purported that it is in schools where students learn about and explore various

careers before they make career choices. According to Kimiti & Mwova,

(2012), when students are not guided in their choice of careers, they do not

know what is good for them or even what they want. Hence, a lack of career

guidance may cause students to make wrong choices and enroll for studies they

have little knowledge or nothing about. This implies that schools play a pivotal

role in preparing students for future careers. Mampane & Bouwer (2011) as

cited in Mtemeri (2017) adds that it is the role of the school from early

adolescence, to assist learners to find meaning in their present and future lives

Empirical Review
A number of studies have surveyed the factors influencing the career

choice among senior high school students in the Kwahu South District. The

empirical reviews cover such related studies specifically on the current study’s

research questions.

The Level of Family Influence on Students’ Career Choice

Otwori, Mutisya & Ndeke (2018) conducted a research on the topic

“Influence of Family Factors on Careers Choice among Secondary School

Students in Kitui Central Sub County”. The purpose of the study was to

22
investigate how family factors influence career choice among high school

students in Kitui Central Sub-County, Kenya. The researcher adopted a

concurrent triangulation research design to explore the topic of study. The

target population Constituted 42 secondary schools in Kitui Central sub-

county. A sample of 8 schools, which was 20% of the total schools, was used.

The findings of the study revealed that family factors such as parents

influence, siblings’ careers and family social economic status were factors

influencing career choice among senior high school students in Kitui Central

Sub-County, Kenya. The findings of the study as at the time of the study may

be accurate but the elapsed of time might affect the validity of the findings

hence the findings of the study may not hold for senior high school students of

Kwahu South currently. The different geographical area of the study might

have had influence of the findings hence may not hold in the current study

area. Informed by these, the current study therefore seeks to investigate the

level of family influence on students’ career choice among Senior High School

students in Kwahu South District.

Mtemeri (2017) conducted a research on the topic “Factors influencing

the choice of career pathways among High School students in Midlands

Province, Zimbabwe”. The study sought to investigate factors that influence

the choice of career pathways among High School students in Midlands

Province of Zimbabwe. The investigation was to serve as a springboard to

establishing a career guidance model that would assist career guidance teachers

in high schools in their endeavours to help students make career choice from a

well informed perspective. The study adopted a quantitative survey design and

made use of questionnaire in the collection of data for the research. The study

23
used one thousand and ten (1010) High School students and twenty (20) career

guidance teachers.

The findings of the study revealed that that family members, both

nucleus and extended, had an influence on students’ choice of careers. The

influence of mothers and fathers was rated highly as compared to other family

members. The finding of the study implies that the influence from the family

on student’s career choice is of high level but that is from the nuclear family.

Though the findings of the study may be almost accurate at the time of

the study, time has elapsed and may affect the findings of the study.

Geographical area of the study differ from the geographical area of the current

study and the findings may not hold for students in the Kwahu South District of

the Eastern region of Ghana. For these reasons the current study seeks to

investigate the level of family influence on students’ career choice among

Senior High School students in Kwahu South District

Olaosebikan et al. (2014) conducted a research on “Effects of Parental

Influence on Adolescents’ Career Choice in Badagry Local Government Area

of Lagos State, Nigeria”. The purpose of this study was to investigate the

effects of parental influence on adolescents’ career choice on secondary

schools students in Badagry Local Government Area of Lagos State. The

sample consisted of three hundred respondents who were randomly selected

from ten purposely selected secondary schools (3 Model Colleges, 4 Non-

Model Colleges, and 3 Private Colleges). The study made use of the

quantitative method made use of questionnaire in the collecting the data for the

study.

24
 The findings of the study showed that 48.36% of the respondents

agreed to parents influencing their career choice. On the average, 21.5% of the

respondents agreed that their parents’ line of business influenced their career

choice. On the whole, 30% of the respondents agreed that they chose the

family career because they need to sustain the family business. The finding of

the study implies that respondents of the study agreed that the family have

influence on the career choice of students in secondary schools.

The findings of the study may be the real representation of the

knowledge of the respondents and the true and accurate findings of the study

but the time (2014) the study was conducted to date (2020) might have affected

the findings and may not hold for today. Again, the geographical area of the

study differs from the geographical area of the study and hence the findings

may not hold. Informed, by this the current study seeks to investigate the level

of family influence on students’ career choice among Senior High School

students in Kwahu South District.

Level of Peer Influence on Students’ Career Choice

Njeri (2013) carried out a study on “Factors Influencing Career Choices

among Undergraduate Students in Public Universities in Kenya - A Case of

Compassion International Sponsored Students”. The purpose of the study was

to investigate the factors that influence career choice among undergraduate

students sponsored by Compassion International. The population of the study

comprised 295 participants who included 293 undergraduate students

sponsored by Compassion International and two members of staff who run the

sponsorship program. The study used mixed research method making use of

25
the self-administered questionnaire as an instrument for data collection. An

additional interview guide was used to interview the two members of staff.

In the Njeri’s (2013) study, the findings of the study revealed

that peer factors had an influence on the choice of career among students.

Although the researcher’ population (295 respondents) with respect to the area

(Kenya) of the study and the findings may be accurate, the time (2013) the

study was made to date (2020) may affect their findings due to the elapse of

time. Again, the level of the peer influence on students’ career choice revealed

may defer from one geographical area to another. Furthermore, peer influence

on students in senior high school on career choice may differ from the peer

influence on students in the university on their career choice and hence the

findings of the study may not hold on senior high school students. The current

study therefore seeks to find the level of peer influence on students’ career

choice among Senior High School students in Kwahu South District.

In the same study conducted by Mtemeri (2017) on the topic “Factors

influencing the choice of career pathways among High School students in

Midlands Province, Zimbabwe”, the study sought to investigate factors that

influence the choice of career pathways among High School students in

Midlands Province of Zimbabwe. The investigation was to serve as a

springboard to establishing a career guidance model that would assist career

guidance teachers in high schools in their endeavours to help students make

career choice from a well-informed perspective. The study adopted a

quantitative survey design and made use of questionnaire in the collection of

data for the research. The study used one thousand and ten (1010) High School

students and twenty (20) career guidance teachers.

26
 The findings of the study revealed that peers had influence on students’

career choice through peer advice and encouragement. It was added that the

kind of information senior high school students receive from peers influenced

them to choose the careers they wish to pursue and that peer influence was

powerful in their choice of careers. The findings of the study may be relatively

accurate as at the time (2017) of the study but time has elapsed and the findings

may be affected by time frame. The change in geographical area of the study

may currently affect the findings. Informed by these, the current study looks

forward to investigate the level of peer influence on students’ career choice

among Senior High School students in Kwahu South District.

School Environment Influences Students’ Career

In the same study conducted by Mtemeri (2017) on the topic “Factors

influencing the choice of career pathways among High School students in

Midlands Province, Zimbabwe”, the study sought to investigate factors that

influence the choice of career pathways among High School students in

Midlands Province of Zimbabwe. The investigation was to serve as a

springboard to establishing a career guidance model that would assist career

guidance teachers in high schools in their endeavours to help students make

career choice from a well informed perspective. The study adopted a

quantitative survey design and made use of questionnaire in the collection of

data for the research. The study used one thousand and ten (1010) High School

students and twenty (20) career guidance teachers.

The findings of the study revealed that schools had an impact on high

school students’ choice of careers. Career guidance, especially school career

days, was cited as having a positive impact on students’ choice of careers. The

27
geographical location of schools was cited as quite influential in the choices of

careers by students. The findings of the study imply that the school

environment has a level of influence on senior high school students’ career

choice and should not be overlooked. The elapsed of time, different

geographical area of the study might have had influence on the findings of the

study and may not hold for the geographical area and the kind of senior high

school students at the current study area. Informed by these, the current study

seeks to establish the extent to which the school environment influences

students’ career choice among Senior High School students in Kwahu South

District.

Strategies to Assist Students in Making Appropriate Career Choices

Kimiti et al. (2012) conducted a study on the topic “The Dilemma of

Career Choice: Case Study”. The purpose of this study was to investigate the

variables that influence career choice among secondary school students in

Kenya. The study adopted a survey design. Purposive and random sampling

techniques were used to select the sample of the study. The sample of the study

comprised of 24 teacher-counsellors and 240 form four students in twelve

selected schools in Machakos and Kitui Counties, Kenya. Questionnaires were

used in the collection of data for the study.

In Kimiti et al. (2012) study, the findings of the study revealed that

majority of the student respondents (89.5%) indicated that the provision of

career guidance and information helped them to make better decisions in

choosing their career. Career guidance and information about career were the

strategies that assisted students and hence the findings of the study were

accurate as at the time the study was conducted but the elapsed of time may

28
render the findings not applicable to the current study. The geographical area

of the study might have influence the findings of the study and may not hold in

the geographical area of the current study. Well-versed by this information,the

current study seeks to develop strategies that may be used to assist students in

making appropriate career choices among Senior High School students in

Kwahu South District.

In the same study conducted by Mtemeri (2017) on the topic “Factors

influencing the choice of career pathways among High School students in

Midlands Province, Zimbabwe”, the study sought to investigate factors that

influence the choice of career pathways among High School students in

Midlands Province of Zimbabwe. The investigation was to serve as a

springboard to establishing a career guidance model that would assist career

guidance teachers in high schools in their endeavours to help students make

career choice from a well informed perspective. The study adopted a

quantitative survey design and made use of questionnaire in the collection of

data for the research. The study used one thousand and ten (1010) High School

students and twenty (20) career guidance teachers.

The findings of the study revealed that equipping career guidance

teachers to help students periodically will enable students make appropriate

decision concerning career choice. It was again revealed that parental

involvement is inevitable, and that parents should be trained in career guidance

so as to help their children in decision making. The study further revealed that

since students are influenced by peers in decision making, peers should be

given training on career guidance and that will help students in making

appropriate career choice. The findings of the study may hold for the

29
geographical area of the study but may not necessarily hold in the geographical

area of the current study. The elapsed of time may also affect the findings

currently and hence the current study seek to develop strategies that may be

used to assist students in making appropriate career choices among Senior

High School students in Kwahu South District.

Chapter Summary
This chapter has presented a brief review of the literature relevant to

this study. The review looked at what a career is where Avugla, (2011)

purported career as a job or profession that one has been trained for, and which

one undertake for a long period of their life. UNESCO (2002) as cited in

Mtemeri (2017), similarly defined a career as the interaction of work roles and

other life roles over a person’s lifespan including both paid and unpaid work.

The review looked at how various writers see career choice. Among the

various definitions reviewed, Olamide et al (2013), defined career choice as

broad opportunities that exist for lifelong vocations.

The various take on family Influence on Student’s Career Choice; peer

Influence on Students’ Career Choice and School Environment Influence on

Students’ Career Choice we reviewed under this chapter. Under the review of

on family influence on student’s career choice, the Parental Work Attitudes

propounded by Paul (1962) as cited in Udoh et al. (2012), was reviewed.

Finally, the empirical findings of related literature on the current study’s

research questions under study were reviewed.

The following chapter deals with the research methodology of the

study. It provides a description of the research design and the rationale for the

30
choice, the population sample and the proposed methods for gathering

information in this quantitative methods research study

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter of the research describes the approach used in the

collection of data. The section describes the research design, the population,

sample and sampling procedures, research instrument, data collection

procedure and data processing and analysis.

Study Area
Like many other Ghanaian towns and cities, Kwahu South District grew

from time to time to achieve its present status of a district in the Eastern

Region of Ghana. The Kwahu South became a District in 1988 under L.I 1988,

Act 1742. The Kwahu South District is one of the twenty-six (26) districts of

the Eastern Region of Ghana with Mpraeso as its capital. The District shares

common boundaries with Kwahu East to the North, Asante-Akim South to the

West, the Kwahu West Municipality and East Akim District to the South and

Fanteakwa District to the East. The district has a number of Senior High

Schools among which are the selected schools for the study thus; Kwahu Ridge

senior High School, Mpraeso Senior High School and Bepong Senior High

School.

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Research Design
The study pivoted on quantitative research method. The study adopted

the descriptive survey approach as it provides opportunities for researchers to

gain valuable insight into the existing state of a phenomenon (Kwarteng,

2013). According to Cobb (2001), survey allows one to study large numbers of

people through self-report measures supplied by interviews or questionnaires.

According to Leedy and Ormrod (2005), survey research involves studying and

gathering information from or about groups of people in order to state their

answers or responses; the ultimate goal of which is to make a generalization to

the entire population. The study investigated the factors influencing career

choice among Senior High School students in the Kwahu South District.

The researchers’ decision to employ the descriptive survey design was

as results of its significant distinguished features. Descriptive research design

ascertains prevailing condition of facts in a group or case under study. As well,

it gives either qualitative or quantitative or both description of the general

characteristics of the group or case under study. Again, under descriptive

survey design, variables or conditions studied in descriptive survey are not

usually controlled.

The study employed descriptive survey design due to a number of

merits. Descriptive survey design is helpful in identifying variables that can be

tested. Also, the data collection allows for gathering in-depth information that

may be either quantitative (surveys) or qualitative (observations or case

studies) in nature. This allows for a multifaceted approach to data collection

and analysis. In addition, descriptive survey design results in rich data that are

collected in large amounts. It is helpful in conducting research in areas such as

32
beliefs, attitudes, behaviours and habits of members of a target audience,

company or other organization.

In contrast to these merits above, descriptive survey design possesses

some limitations. Confidentiality can be an issue, thus, respondents not having

confident in the researcher may be a hindrance in giving out some information

that seem to be vital to the study but personal to the respondents. This may

affect the validity of the study’s findings. Also, researcher’s bias may play a

role in many ways, this may occur as results of the researcher’s subjective

choice about which information to record and emphasize in the findings.

Population
The population for the study comprises three Senior High Schools in

the Kwahu South District. The selected schools for the study were Kwahu

Ridge Senior High School, Bepong Senior High School and Mpraeso Senior

High School. The population excluded the Form One Gold – Track students

because as at the time of the study (March, 2020), the Form One Gold-Track

students were not in school. And of cause, the study involved the Form Three

and both Form Two Green and Gold Students and the Form One Green – Track

students because they were all in school as at the time of the study (March,

2020). The population of students at Kwahu Ridge Senior High School was

one thousand four hundred and ninety eight (1,498), that of Mpraeso Senior

High School was two thousand, one hundred and nine (2,109) and the

population of Bepong Senior High School was one thousand one hundred and

forty three students (1,143). The total number of students in the three selected

senior high schools in the district as at the time of the study (March, 2020) was

four thousand seven hundred and fifty students (4,750).

33
Sample and Sampling Technique
The sample size employed for the study was 257. The researcher’s

decision to sample 257 from a population of 4,750 students was influenced by

Bartlett, Kotrlik, and Higgins (2001) Table for determining sample size.

According to Bartlett et al. (2001), estimated population of N = 4000 and

N=6000 gives a sample size of n= 254 and n=259 respectively. Hence inferring

from the above, a population of 4,750 which falls between 4000 and 6000 will

give a sample size of 257. Thus, this gives a fair representation as stated by

Bartlett et al. (2001). However, the researcher used 260 students from three

selected senior high schools scattered in the district for the study in order to

increase external validity.

To ensure that the sample is more representative of the students’

population in each form, the proportionate stratified sampling method was used

to select the sample using each form as a stratum. The population (4,750) in

each stratum (say Kwahu Ridge S.H.S), was divided by the total population

(4,750) and the results was multiplied by the desired sample size (260). This

was repeated for the remaining two senior high schools. Table 1 shows the

sample distribution of the population. Thus;

n
Sn = × SN
N

Where; Sn = sample size for a school,

n = population of a school,

N = Total population and

SN = Sample size of the total population

Table 3.1: Sample Distribution of Population

Name of School Population Sample

34
 Kwahu Ridge Senior High School 1498 82

Mpraeso Senior High School 2109 115

Bepong Senior High School 1143 63

Total 4,750 260

Source: Students Records (Kwahu Ridge S.H.S, Mpraeso S.H.S and Bepong

S.H.S), 2020

The simple random sampling method, specifically the lottery technique

was then employed to select the individual respondents in each form. With this

technique, the list of all students was obtained from each form. Numbers were

then assigned to the students on the list on a piece of paper and placed in a

basket and the desired sample was selected by picking the required number of

papers. Students whose names were picked were those included in the sample.

Data Collection Instrument

The instrument used for data collection was questionnaire. The

questionnaire comprised six (6) sections. Sections A, consisting of four (4)

question items, was made up of demographic factors. The demographic factors

included gender, age range, form of the respondent and who the respondent

lived with. Section B was on family influence on students’ career choice.

Questions were asked to find out the level of family influence on students’

career choice. It was made up of five (5) question items. The Section C was

used to obtain information from students on the level of peer influence on

students’ career choice. It was made up of four (4). Section D was of four (4)

question items spread over the extent to which the school environment

influences students’ career choice. Finally, the Section E, comprising four (4)

35
question items was used to solicit the opinion of students on strategies that may

be used to assist students in making appropriate career choices.

The questionnaire used as an instrument in collecting data by the

researcher was employed due to its unique characteristics. Questionnaire

delineates the need to know what needs to be measured. Thus, having a clear

picture and understanding of what data needed to be collected. Again, it should

be worded or edged to be neutral and should not be leading. Emphasis on right

word or phrase should be kept in mind thus the language should be clear so that

the required data could be received. Apart from these, terms must be defined

and qualified. This is most essential when a technical survey or a field specific

survey is being done.

Due to the characteristics above, the use of questionnaire possesses

some advantages, which allow researchers to gather information from a large

audience. Apart from this, its quantitative nature allows easy analyses of results

without background to statistics. Questionnaires allow for greater invisibility,

which maximizes comfort for those answering it. The concealment situates

respondents at ease and encourages them to answer truthfully.

However, respondents may have trouble grasping with the meaning of

some questions that might not seem clear to the creator or the researcher. This

miscommunication could lead to skewed results. Therefore, the best way to

combat this situation is to create simple questions that are easy to understand

and will help the researcher to get accurate responds.

Data Collection Procedure

The instrument was administered by the researcher. This was done to

ensure that participants understand each item and also to ensure a high return

rate. A letter of introduction was sought from the Department of Social Studies

36
in Education to ease the stress involved in getting to the respondents. The

researcher used the captive audience method to administer the questionnaire. In

all, 280 questionnaires were given out to the respondents and 267

questionnaires were retrieved out of which 260 were used. The collection of

the data took five (5) days.

Data Processing and Analysis

The questionnaire(s) were given serial numbers (1-260). The Section A,

thus the demographic information was coded. The gender; male and female

were coded as 1 and 2 respectively. The ages; ranging between; 11 and 15

years, 16 and 20 years and 21 years and above were also coded as 1, 2 and 3

respectively. The forms; 1, 2 and 3 were coded as 1, 2 and 3 respectively. In

addition, whom the respondents lived with at home; mother, father, both

parents, guardian(s) and alone were coded as 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 respectively.

Under Sections B, the various question items to answer the level of family

influence on students’ career choice among senior high school students in

Kwahu South under the scores; strongly disagree, disagree, uncertain, agree

and strongly agree were coded as 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Under Section C, thus

research question two question items were given the scores; strongly disagree,

disagree, uncertain, agree and strongly agree and were coded as 1, 2, 3, 4 and

5. Under Sections D and E, thus research questions three and four, the scores;

strongly disagree, disagree, uncertain, agree and strongly agree were coded as

1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively. Data collected from the questionnaire were then

analysed using the Statistical Package for Service Solution (SPSS, version 22).

Questions under the demographic information were analysed using

frequency and percentages. The Section B, which is research question 1 on the

level of family influence on students’ career choice among senior high school

37
students in Kwahu South District was analysed using using mean and standard

deviation. The same technique of analyses was repeated in analyzing research

question 2; level of peer influence on students’ career choice among senior

high school students in Kwahu South District, research question 3; the extent to

which the school environment influences students’ career choice among senior

high school students in Kwahu South District and research question 4;

strategies that may be used to assist students in making appropriate career

choices among senior high school students in Kwahu South District.

Ethical Consideration

[Kindly add Information on this]

Chapter Summary
The study hinged on quantitative research method and adopted the

descriptive survey approach. The population for the study comprises three

senior high schools in Kwahu South District. The total number of students in

the three selected senior high schools in the district as at the time of the study

(March, 2020) was four thousand seven hundred and fifty students (4,750). The

sample size employed for the study was 260. The researcher’s decision to

sample 257 from a population of 4,750 students was influenced by Bartlett,

Kotrlik, and Higgins (2001) Table for determining sample size. The instrument

used for data collection was questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised six (6)

sections. The questionnaire(s) were given serial numbers (1-260) to make the

processing and analyses easier.

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39