INFLUENCE OF PARENTING STYLE ON THE CAREER CHOICE OF SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN DUTSIN-MA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KATSINA STATE.

The study analysed the Influence of Parenting Style on the Career Choice of Senior Secondary School Students in Dutsin-Ma Local Government Area, Katsina State, Nigeria. Four research questions were asked and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The research design adopted for the study was descriptive design. The population of the study comprised 3000 students, 1102 boys and 1998 females. Multi-stage cluster sampling technique was used to select two hundred and ninety nine (299) pupils in public primary schools in Dutsinma of Katsina State. The instrument for data collection for this study was questionnaire developed by the researcher and validated by expert in the department of educational psychology and counselling Federal university Dutsinma. The reliability co-efficient of 0.76 was obtained. Data obtained were subjected to statistical analysis using descriptive statistics. The findings of the study showed that different parenting styles—authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and neglectful—had varying degrees of influence on the career choices of senior secondary school students in Dutsin-Ma Local Government Area. Furthermore, the findings revealed that the authoritarian parenting style is the most significant influence on the career decisions of senior secondary school students in Dutsin-Ma Local Government Area, Katsina State. Based on the above findings, the researcher recommends that Parents, especially those with an authoritarian or neglectful parenting style, should be educated on the importance of supporting their children's passions, balancing academic guidance with personal interest, and encouraging open discussions about career paths. It was also recommended schools should strengthen career counseling services to help students make more informed career decisions, especially in environments where parental involvement may be limited.