Abstract:
Second cycle students choose different programmes that prepare them into various future careers. The main objective of the study was to determine factors that influence the choice of a career programme of these students. A questionnaire was designed and administered in six schools in the Shama Ahanta East Metropolis of the Western Region. A sample size of one hundred students was taken from each of the schools, making a total of six hundred students. The students were chosen from programmes namely, General Arts. Visual Ails, Science, Business. Home Economies and Technical. Factor Analysis Technique was used to examine the interrelationship between the variables and to reduce the large set of variables into a smaller set of factors. The variables were possible source of indicators of influence on the choice of students’ career programme. The factors identified to influence the second cycle students’ choice of a career programme are Motivation. Persuasion, Interest in parent career. Available information and Awareness. The most important influential factor is Motivation. Persuasion is the next important factor which influences the second cycle students. Interest in parents career is a factor which is considered after motivation and persuasion. The fourth factor that the students in the study indicated is Available information while the least influential factor is Awareness.
