Career Exploration and Career Choice of Secondary School Students in Delta State

The study investigated the relationship between career exploration and the career choices of secondary school students in Delta State. To guide this study, two research questions were raised, and two hypotheses were formulated. The correlational survey design was employed, while the multi-stage random sampling technique was used to draw a sample of 1, 1,350 from a population of 13, 448 SS II students in 498 government-owned secondary schools in Delta State registered for the 2022/2023 academic session. Career Exploration and Career Choice Scale (CECCS) was used for data collection. The content and construct validity of the CECCS was estimated using factor analysis and principal component analysis through the extraction method. The reliability of the instrument was established using Cronbach's alpha statistics, with reliability indices of .765 for career self- exploration, 815 for environmental career exploration, and .858 for career choice obtained. In analysing data collected for this study, the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation and Coefficient of Determination were used to answer the research questions, while linear regression was employed to test hypotheses; multiple regression was used to test hypotheses 7 to 10 at a 0. 05 level of significance. From the data analysis, the results revealed that there is no significant relationship among self-career exploration, environmental career exploration, and the career choices of secondary school students. Based on the findings, it was recommended that secondary school students engage in self-career and environmental career exploration before making career choices.