IMPACT OF CARREER COUNSELLING AWARENESS AND OCCUPATIONAL GOALS AMONG JUNIOR SECONDARY STUDENTS IN BOKKOS, PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of career guidance counselling on awareness and occupational goals among Junior Secondary School III (JSS III) students in Bokkos, Plateau State, Nigeria. The study adopted a true experimental pretest-posttest control group design. A total of 100 JSS III students were randomly selected from one public junior secondary school: assigned experimental and control groups. The experimental group received an eight-week structured career awareness counselling programme, while the control group was exposed to non-career-related guidance. Two validated instruments: the Career Awareness Questionnaire (CAQ) and the Occupational Aspiration Scale (OAS) were used for data collection. Descriptive and Inferential statistics, including t-tests and ANOVA, were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed a significant improvement in career awareness and occupational aspirations among students in the experimental group compared to the control group. Gender differences were not statistically significant, but students’ parental educational background significantly influenced the outcomes. The study concluded that career guidance counselling plays a crucial role in shaping students’ career decisions and aspirations, especially in underserved rural areas like Bokkos. Based on the findings, it was recommended that career counselling be integrated into the junior secondary school curriculum and that professional counsellors be employed to support students’ career development.