Influence of Guidance and Counselling Services on Choice of Occupation among Secondary School Students in Bomadi Educational Zone of Delta State, Nigeria

This study examined the influence of guidance and counselling services on secondary school students’ choice of occupation in Bomadi Educational Zone, Delta State, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population comprised 10,524 senior secondary school students across 40 public schools in Bomadi, Patani, and Burutu Local Government Areas. A sample of 385 students was determined using Taro Yamane’s formula, with 366 respondents (160 male, 206 female) successfully completing the questionnaire. A 28-item validated instrument titled “Effect of Guidance and Counselling Services on Secondary School Students’ Choice of Occupation Questionnaire (EGCSSSCOQ)” was used for data collection. The instrument’s reliability was established using Cronbach’s alpha, which yielded a coefficient of 0.82. Data were analyzed using mean scores and standard deviations to answer research questions, while the independent samples t-test was used to test hypotheses at 0.05 significance level. Findings revealed that educational and vocational guidance services enhanced students’ occupational choice to a high extent (grand mean = 2.70) and information services supported students in choosing occupations to a high extent (grand mean = 2.72). The study concluded that guidance and counselling services significantly influence students’ occupational choices.