Relationship between Forms of Career Guidance, Academic Performance and Subsequent Career Choice of High School Girls: A Case of Vihiga County, Kenya

Abstract

Sustainable development goal number five of the 2030 agenda aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. The Kamunge Commission report of 1988 recommends that schools and universities provide guidance to university applicants to enable them make rightful choices. The paper objectively looks at the forms (processes, programmes and activities) of career guidance used in secondary schools and its effect on girls’ performance and career choice. The study embraced a mixed methods approach. Form four girls of 2012 in mixed and girls’ secondary schools in Vihiga County formed the target population. Thirty (30) schools were selected from the 112 mixed and girls’ secondary schools in the county by stratified sampling using the 4 constituencies as strata. Purposive sampling was then used to select 30 principals, 30 career guidance teachers, 4 district quality assurance officers and one county director of education. One hundred and eighty (180) students were randomly sampled. Data was collected using questionnaires, content analysis and interview schedules. Quantitative data was analyzed using frequencies, means, standard deviations, and Pearson’s product moment correlation while qualitative data was analyzed thematically.  For all statistical tests, the alpha (significance) level was set at .05. The result of the analysis indicated that there was a statistically significant relationship between career  guidance and, academic performance and career choice, r = 0.513, p< 0.05.The major forms of career guidance identified were class counseling, group counseling involving subject choices, and filling of joint admission board forms. The study found out that schools that were better equipped and staffed, with more career guidance programs had better performance and sent more students to public universities for admission into a variety of careers than the understaffed schools with no equipment. The study concluded that career guidance is essential yet many schools are not adequately funded, equipped and staffed for it. It recommends that career guidance be incorporated into mainstream curricular. The study has practical implications for the ministry of education and school administrators to provide a broad range of career guidance activities and programs to help learners make sound career choices.

Key Words: Career guidance, Career choice, Academic performance, High school, Girls.