DETERMINANTS OF CAREER CHOICE AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN OWO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ONDO STATE

This study investigated the determinants of career choice among secondary school students in Owo Local Government Area, Ondo State. The research was guided by the need to understand the factors influencing students' career decisions, with particular emphasis on gender differences, stream of study (Arts and Science), and parental education. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design, and data were collected through structured questionnaires administered to secondary school students. Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to analyze the data at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that medical, scientific, and sports careers were the most preferred choices among students. Gender differences were observed, with girls showing greater interest in fine arts, crafts, household activities, and sports, while boys had a higher preference for technical and outdoor careers. Both genders showed similar tendencies in choosing careers in literary, medical, scientific, and agricultural fields. Students in the science stream were more inclined toward agriculture and scientific careers, whereas those in the arts stream preferred fine arts. Parental education had no significant impact on certain career choices such as fine arts, literary, and scientific fields, but students from professional families tended to lean more toward agriculture and technical careers. The study concluded that the lack of career guidance programmes, career counselors, and instructional materials in secondary schools negatively affects students’ ability to make informed career choices. The study therefore recommends that more career guidance sessions should be organized in schools and qualified career counselors should be invited to guide students properly in their career decisions.