SCHOOL BASED AND PARENTAL FACTORS INFLUENCING CAREER DECISION MAKING SELF-EFFICACY AMONG STUDENTS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KIAMBU COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Education is widely valued across the world as a central factor in economic, political and social development of any nation. Career decision making is crucial among people all over the world and choosing a career is challenging to those who do not have a wide life experience. Students who make irrational career choices run the risk of experiencing severe consequences, such as low job performance, stress and anxiety relating to the job, and a lack of job satisfaction and happiness. The purpose of this study was to determine the school based and parental factors influencing students’ career decision making self efficacy among public secondary schools in Kiambu County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were to establish the school based and parental factors influencing students’ career decision making self-efficacy among public secondary schools in Kiambu County, Kenya. The study was guided by the Social Cognitive Career theory and Systems theory. The study used cross sectional survey research design. The data were collected using self administered questionnaires. The target population consisted of 29,682 form three students in Kiambu County. The sample size consisted of 380 form three students who were selected using stratified sampling techniques from the 285 secondary schools in Kiambu County, Kenya. Questionnaires were used for data collection. The questionnaires were pilot tested with 30 students from three secondary schools (a boys’ school, girls’ school and a mixed school), comprising 10 students from each category in Nairobi County, Kenya. Reliability was enhanced by test- retest method where a Cronbach co efficient alpha of 0.79 was established. Content validity of the instruments was guided by the objectives and the experts in the Department of Psychology, Counselling and Educational Foundations of Laikipia University. Data analysis was aided by SPSS (Version 26). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics which include percentages, means, and frequencies. Hypotheses were tested using t-test, Simple Regression and Analysis of Variance at .05 level of significance. The research found out that Gender (t=60.295,p=0000), Career teacher perception (F=34.45,p=000), Peer pressure (F=2.116,p=0.001), Parents level of education (F=11.663,p=000), parents occupation (F=44.227 p=.000), The school type (F=61.788,p=000), House hold income (F=3995,p=.000) and parents child relationship (F=4025.17,p=.000 has statistically significant influence on students’ career decision making self-efficacy of students in public secondary schools in Kiambu County, Kenya. Findings from the study might inform the Ministry of Education, policy makers, guidance and counseling teachers and also parents on school-based and parental factors that could be limiting students’ capacity to make the right career decisions. Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that school-based factors had statistically significant influence on career decision making self-efficacy among students in public secondary schools in Kiambu County, Kenya. The study recommends that the Government of Kenya could carefully consider gender factor when deploying career teachers to various secondary schools in Kenya because the gender of the career teachers’ does statistically influence career decision making self efficacy. Career teachers should take precaution while undertaking career guidance and counseling to students since their perception has influence on career decision making self-efficacy.