Nurture experiences and career aspirations of junior high school students in Berekum Municipality

Abstract

The study was to find out the nurture experiences that influence JHS Students career aspirations, where students seek career information, the levels of students’ knowledge on career alternatives and measures students adopt to achieve their career aspirations in Berekum Municipality.The study covered a sample of 303 respondents randomly selected from students of five Junior High Schools in Berekum Municipality. Descriptive survey method was used for the research design. Questionnaires were used to collect the data. It was used to examine how parents, teachers, friends, peers,counsellors, siblings and extended family members influence students’ career aspiration decisions in Berekum Municipality. The data were analyzed by using research questions based on percentages, frequencies and mode.The study reveals that most Junior High School (JHS) students in Berekum Municipality have clear idea about their future career aspirations. The main sources of career information to JHS in the municipality are teachers, parents and the mass media. The major influence of JHS students in the Municipality are parents, teachers, peers and siblings, but parents are the most influential factor.Majority of the students discuss their future career aspiration decisions with parents and friends. Nursing is the career most JHS students in the Municipality aspire to. The study clearly recognizes that counsellors have very insignificant influence on JHS students’ future career aspirations in all aspects. There is an urgent need for policy makers, especially GES to provide regular in-service training and workshops on career related issues to all teachers.