Family influence in career decisions of students: The moderating roles of gender and age

When students are thinking about their future careers, they are thinking about their values, interests, and abilities. These variables may have been influenced by their surroundings or by myths that have been propagated about particular professions. It is crucial to remember that maturity impacts teenagers’ choice of vacation. A person's choice of career clearly affects the courses they will take in secondary and postsecondary education. Naturally, a variety of factors might affect students' decisions about their careers, particularly those who are in senior high school. Personality, cultural backgrounds, social and economic circumstances, gender roles, and the financial element of a career are a few of these variables. This study looked at how senior high school students' job decisions are predicted by their families. The study used the quantitative research methodology, and 311 students' cross-sectional data was gathered via questionnaires based on the positivist paradigm. The available population consisted of students of senior high school (SHS) in the Cape Coast Metropolis Central region Ghana; the sample was selected by simple random sampling procedure. According to the findings, career decision was predicted by family. The association between career decisions and family influence was not mediated by gender or age. It was determined that SHS students' career decisions are positively influenced by their families. It was advised that guardians and parents should support their wards in following career options that align with their interests and goals.