IMPACT OF VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE TOWARDS STUDENTS DECISION MAKING IN TERTIARY INSTITUTION IN ANAMBRA STATE

1.1 Introduction

Literally guidance is as old as man, all through the ages human being have for one reason considered to have known how to render such a service. According to Pearson (1908), the term vocational guidance should be referred to the process of assisting people to choose a vocation for attainment of efficiency and success. The definition was how ever amplified in 1924 by the National vocational Guidance Association (NVGA) whose version states that vocational guidance is the giving of information, experience and advance in regards to choosing an occupation, preparing for it and entering into it and progressing in it (Pearson, 1908).

As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.

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1.2 Background of Study

Vocational guidance in Nigeria stated formally in 1959 at saint Theresa's College oke-Ado in Ibandan by some reverenced sister out of sympathy and concern for the product of their school (Iwuama 1991). They felt that this secondary school leavers would have problem in seeking for admission for further studies, looking for employment in the society after leaving school. They invited resource person from various fields of work. They (resource person) then advised the sister on how to place sixty of their out going students of that year on various jobs. Through vocational guidance, there are innate aptitudes and interest for a job that are needed to be known before picking up a job.

Supper (1857) pointed out that it is one process of helping a person to develop and accept an integrated picture of himself and his role in the world of work, to test this concept into reality with satisfaction to himself and benefits to the society.

Danga (1986), also supported this simply by indicating that vocational guidance in school is concerned with assisting students to make realistic and appropriate vocational decision. Super and crities (1962) defined vocational guidance as the process of helping the individual to ascertain, accept and understand and apply the relevant facts about the world which are ascertained through exploratory activities.

Vocational guidance assumes that some factors influence the student choice of career. As Napier (1972) comments, vocational guidance is the process by which all the various factors affecting individual occupational choice are sorted out, weighted and brought in focus and by which the young person helped to make his own potentials for them.

Since the aim and objective of this study is to sing out the extent of the impact of vocational guidance on career choice of secondary school students, we cannot over look the various authors.

Firstly, supper (1961) and Nuloye (1990), pointed out that lovers the sequence of positions or jobs or occupation in the lives of individuals. Denga (1986) also defined the world career as the total series of roles and work experience a person occupies through out his life time. Bear and Racber (1964) supported Denga that career is the total problem of jobs held during a worker's lifetime. This means that when we talk about ones career, we mean the totality of varied and accumulated experience preceding an individual engagement in specific job or occupation. Achebe (1983) and Ipaya (1986) stated that career is a general work description that often includes, vocation, profession and even occupation.

Vocational guidance aid the choice on one of the crucial tasks of the Nigeria guidance counselors in to positively influence the vocational behaviour of different clients. According to Wrenn (1963) vocation means commitment, a sense of purpose for the total activity of ones life and the career choice is part of this larger vocational purpose for the total activity of ones life and the career choice is part of this larger vocational purpose. There has been growing interest in the interrelationship between occupational aspiration and career choice.

Bojuwoye (1086) agrees that many Nigeria students find it difficult to choose subject combination required for different occupations. Consequently, he submits that teachers in school need the services offered in vocational guidance to enable them collect analysis, interpret and present to students.

Vocational guidance in school will also help parents have a better perspective about childr3en in relation to career and employment forces in locality. One of the objectives of vocational guidance is to assist students develop and execute career plans which may help them in achieving their career goal.

Majority of the students on leaving secondary school may not have had the opportunity of vocational guidance and this may affect their choice of career. Therefore, in Anambra State where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Impact of Vocational Guidance towards Students Decision Making in Tertiary Institution.

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1.3 Statement of the Problem

Investigation reveals the existing problems of the Impact of Vocational Guidance towards Students Decision Making in Tertiary Institution in Anambra State research work;

1. Inability of student to make decisions among students,
2. Incompetent of vocational guidance in tertiary institution and negative influence of vocational guidance students
3. The advent of civilization, industrialization and technological development opened a wide variety of new occupations; the problem of selecting occupation by students becomes complex and difficult.
4. Guidance and counseling programmes in tertiary institution has not been given the proper attention it deserves; and until the proper attention is given to this form of education programme, majority of tertiary institution students in Anambra State will continue to have difficulty in career decision making.

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1.4 Aim and Objectives of the Study

The main aim of this study is identify the Impact of Vocational Guidance towards Students Decision Making in Tertiary Institution in Anambra State. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To investigate the impact of vocational guidance towards Students Decision Making in Tertiary Institution
2. To determine the extent to which vocational guidance has been able to influence Students Decision Making in Tertiary Institution in Anambra State
3. To determine the extent to which vocational guidance can practically reduce the level of unemployment among Tertiary Institution Students Leavers.
4. To determine the factors influencing career decision making of Tertiary Institution Students.
5. To determine the factors that affect the effective implementation of vocational guidance in Tertiary Institution

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1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• Does vocational guidance lead to adequate decision making in Tertiary Institution Students?
• Do student rely on the vocational guidance for their decision making in Tertiary Institution?
• To what extent can vocational guidance reduce the level of unemployment among Tertiary Institution Students?
• To what extent can vocational guidance experience help student to choose better career?
• To what extent does vocational guidance influence decision making in Tertiary Institution Students?

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1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

H0: Vocational guidance does not enhance students' Decision Making in Tertiary Institution in Anambra State

H1: Vocational guidance enhances students' Decision Making in Tertiary Institution in Anambra State

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1.7 Significance of Study

The economy of Nigeria will improve compared to developed countries like united state of America (USA) where before one takes a job, one must have had the previous knowledge of what is expected of him in that job. Thus it will help to minimize the rate of unemployment, which Nigeria is presently facing.

The study will help vocational guidance counselors to acquire insight into the several factors that influence career decision so that they can incorporate them into their vocational counseling.

This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.

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1.8 Scope of Study

The study focuses on the Impact of Vocational Guidance towards Students Decision Making in Tertiary Institution in Anambra State.

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1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:

1. Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
3. Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
4. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).