Influence of Teacher Practices on Career Choice Decisiveness among Secondary School Students in Gilgil Sub-County, Nakuru County

Abstract

The growth of modern technology has made the task of matching profession choices with school needs more complicated than ever. A person's environment, personality, and level of education are just a few of the variables that have a role in the job path they ultimately choose. The purpose of the study was to investigate influence of teacher practices on career choice decisiveness among secondary school students in Gilgil Sub-County, Nakuru County. Career choices in this research were analysed through the lens of the Social Learning Theory. This study will be undertaken in Gilgil, a town located in Nakuru County, Kenya. The town is situated between Naivasha and Nakuru, adjacent to the Nairobi-Nakuru highway. The target population included 3677 participants. The study used quantitative data that was obtained using questionnaires which was carefully assessed to make sure that it was complete and any incomplete questionnaire was ruled out. The data was coded into computer software after which it was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 28.0). The descriptive results were obtained in the form of frequencies, mean and standard deviations after which these results were presented in the form of frequency and percentage tables, pie-charts and figure in order to make it easy to understand. The research revealed that teachers and department leaders stated that the choice of subjects significantly impacted the certainty of career decisions. The survey also discovered that department heads and career teachers said that topic choice had a significant impact on the decisiveness of career choices. The researcher recommended that schools need to equip teachers with the necessary skills, resources, and support, schools to foster an environment where students are empowered to explore and confidently pursue their career aspirations.