Family Variables and Career Choices of Secondary School Students in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated the influence of family background variables, which include parents' level of education, family size, and family income, on the career choices of secondary school students in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. Three research questions and three null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The ex post facto research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised 2,126 senior secondary three students in 12 public secondary schools in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State as of the 2023/2024 academic session. A purposive sampling technique was used in selecting 120 students for the study. A researcher-developed instrument titled "Family Background Variables and Career Choice Questionnaire (FBVCCQ)" was used for data collection. The instrument was further subjected to face validity by three experts. Two of the experts were from the Department of Educational Foundations, and one expert was from the Department of Guidance and Counseling, Faculty of Education, University of Uyo. The reliability coefficient of the FBVCCQ was .87, determined using Cronbach's alpha statistical analysis. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the null hypotheses at a 0.05 alpha level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that parents' level of education, family size, and family income significantly influence the career choices of secondary school students. It was recommended, among others, that guidance counselors should provide adequate information services to students to enable them to acquire knowledge, which would help them choose their careers appropriately.