NURTURE EXPERIENCES AND CAREER ASPIRATIONS OF JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN BEREKUM MUNICIPALITY

ABSTRACT

The study was to find out the nurture experiences that influence JHS Students

career aspirations, where students seek career information, the levels of students’

knowledge on career alternatives and measures students adopt to achieve their

career aspirations in Berekum Municipality.

The study covered a sample of 303 respondents randomly selected from

students of five Junior High Schools in Berekum Municipality. Descriptive

survey method was used for the research design. Questionnaires were used to

collect the data. It was used to examine how parents, teachers, friends, peers,

counsellors, siblings and extended family members influence students’ career

aspiration decisions in Berekum Municipality. The data were analyzed by using

research questions based on percentages, frequencies and mode.

The study reveals that most Junior High School (JHS) students in Berekum

Municipality have clear idea about their future career aspirations. The main

sources of career information to JHS in the municipality are teachers, parents and

the mass media. The major influence of JHS students in the Municipality are

parents, teachers, peers and siblings, but parents are the most influential factor.

Majority of the students discuss their future career aspiration decisions with

parents and friends. Nursing is the career most JHS students in the Municipality

aspire to. The study clearly recognizes that counsellors have very insignificant

influence on JHS students’ future career aspirations in all aspects.

There is an urgent need for policy makers, especially GES to provide regular

in-service training and workshops on career related issues to all teachers.