EFFECTS OF COUNSELLING THERAPY ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS' CAREER CHOICE AND SELF-EFFICACY IN BAUCHI STATE, NIGERIA
Keywords:
Career Counselling, Career Choice, Self-Efficacy, Secondary School Students, Bauchi StateAbstract
This study investigates the effects of counselling therapy on the career choices and career decision-making self-efficacy of secondary school students in Bauchi State, Nigeria. It examines how structured career counselling interventions influence students' confidence in their ability to make informed career decisions and the clarity of their career aspirations. Employing a quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test research design, the study involved 264 senior secondary school students. Data were collected using the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale (CDMSE) and a structured questionnaire on career choices. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (paired-sample t-tests). The findings reveal a statistically significant increase in students' career decision-making self-efficacy and greater clarity in their career choices following the counselling intervention. The mean self-efficacy score improved significantly from pre-test to post-test, and the percentage of students with definitive career goals increased. These results underscore the critical role of counselling therapy in enhancing students' career self-efficacy and decision-making capabilities. The study recommends the formal integration of evidence-based career counselling programs into the secondary school curriculum and continuous professional development for school counsellors
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