DETERMINANTS OF MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE CAREER CHOICES AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Education is universally recognized as the answer to socio- economic problems of the world. Nations and individuals look up to education to provide a cure for poverty, ignorance, drought, excessive rainfall, mental deficiency, joblessness, bad government, poor communication system, hunger and inadequate shelter among other things. Every nation of the world aspires toward quality of life and social status. Career selection is one of many important choices students will make in determining future plans. This decision will impart them throughout their lives. The essence of who the student is will revolve around what the student want to do with their life- long work. The choice of career has been a serious problem among the secondary school students in Nigeria. No matter what ones age is, the choice of career or desire is an important question for everybody. A lot of student in secondary schools believe that their future is a glorious adventures in which they are bound to succeed. Many of them have the idea that they would be able to work in the public or private establishments as soon as they complete secondary school education. Some have planned to become lawyers, engineers, medical doctors, accountants and so on. Students in secondary schools like many other young adults are always worried about what they will do with their lives, the kind of adult they will become. They are concerned about early entry into the occupational world and finding productive and rewarding places in and out rapidly, fast changing societies where wages employment is unlikely to be available on a scale sufficient to absorb more than a small fraction of the young people when they do arrive at the labor market. How the young people of today meet the problems of tomorrow will depend upon the amount of success they make in planning for that tomorrow.

Planning for tomorrow itself is primarily the responsibilities of the parents, teachers and school counselor. Students need general orientation into the world of work through the curriculum. The choice of career is a delicate issue that requires caution and serious considerations. The kind of career the youths pursue can affect their lives in many ways. According to Bandura et al. (2001) the individual undertaking the process of career choice is influenced by the context in which they live in. This entails that career choice does not emanate only from individual, but is also a social phenomenon. Therefore to have the female student going into science, technology, engineering and mathematics is shaped by individual aptitude, but most importantly can be shaped by teachers who may take a role of counseling and to monitor her progress towards undertaking science related subjects and later lead her to science careers.

Carrier development normally starts in schools where students learn about their interests, abilities, values, and aspirations. These interests and abilities are developed through subjects and fields choice. In secondary schools – in particular, students explore subjects and field options, and develop educational and career plan that outlines the occupational preparation required to pursue their career choice (Pezry and Van Zandt, 2006) Hence, Okafor (2012) cited that generally, the choice of a career is influenced by parents, friends and counsellors. Variations occur from one population to the other. In Kenya, every secondary school student (SSS) makes their career choice before sitting for West African Examination Council (WAEC). The result of this final examination determining who Joins University since admission into careers are determined by grades obtained from it. When these students graduate from the universities, some of them enter into occupations that are totally dierent from the ones they had chosen and training for.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The problem of career choice among secondary school students has generated a lot of questions and answers among scholars. The problem has been a delicate issue that has to be approached with caution. There is no clear process that secondary school students have used to make career choice. Rapidly developing her technological education, which has made the society more complex than it was in the past. The number of occupation has increased greatly and also there are many careers within one occupation. For instance, farming which was a simple occupation some years ago is now a very complex occupation within many careers to choose from, this research therefore will examine the determinants of mathematics and science career choices among secondary schools students.