Assessing factors that affect career guidance in secondary schools in Kandara Division, Maragwa District, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to investigate the problems of career guidance in selected secondary schools of Kandara Division of Maragwa District, Kenya. The sample comprised of five schools namely Gaichanjiru High School, Githunguri Girls, Kariti Mixed, Kariguini Secondary Schools and Mukerenju Secondary. All these schools have a working Guidance and Counselling programmes. The researcher drew forty students from each selected school, giving a total of two hundred students. The total respondents were 205. The researcher administered questionnaires to students and teachers counsellor. Two questionnaires were used to collect data, one teacher questionnaire (Appendix A) and pupils questionnaire (Appendix B). In order to analyse the data, the responses from questionnaire were presented in tables, frequencies, percentages and means for comparison. The research instrument were pre-tested at Sabasaba Secondary School which was not involved in actual study. This was important because it provides a quality test of the discrepancies between observed and expected frequencies in a comparison. A t-test was carried out to test the significance, difference and test hypothesis. The results of the study recommended that career teachers should strive to cover all areas of career to help their students. Also, career teachers should be in-serviced to equip them with professional skills in career guidance. They should be given fewer lessons to enable them have time with students. Schools should set aside funds for administering career guidance like any other school subject. Further recommendations were that the same research to be extended to other areas i.e divisions and districts. Future researchers could study other guidance not covered in the study. A study should be carried out among upper primary pupils to find out if they were aware of careers and if they are working towards careers of their choice.