CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Introduction

This chapter embodies the background of the study, statement of problem, the objectives of the study, research questions, significance of the study, the scope of the study, delimitation of the study, and operational definition of terms.

Background of the study

Career choices are a complex decision for students since it determines the kind of profession that they intend to pursue in life. As students try to make choices while in secondary school, they face problems in matching their career choices with their abilities and school performance. Environmental factors are one of the problems students face in career choices.

Research on the influence of environmental factors on career choices of secondary school students has long been of interest to educational Psychologists and professional counsellors. Career choices are a worldwide problem that has affected the family, school, religious institutions, and peer groups. Although research has been carried on the factors that influence career choices in secondary school students, emphasis was not laid on environmental factors that influence career choices.

However, environmental factors like any other factors have a great influence on the career choices of secondary school students. These environmental factors can have a positive or negative impact on the choices of the career of secondary school students], thereby affecting them in the future if not properly taken care of. Talking about the environment, we have the social, natural and biological environment and there are factors among this three that influence the career choices of students in secondary schools.

However, research evidence has shown that the influence of the choice of career among secondary school students is determined by a combination of personal abilities and certain environmental factors. With this, our researcher placed their investigation on some environmental factors that have a great influence on career choices such as Family background, school environment, Religious groups or institutions, and peer groups. These environmental factors have a great influence on the career choices of students.

According to the Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary (2005), a career refers to a “job or series of jobs that you do during work-life”. Thus, choosing a career means you are choosing a life job.

However, all careers have their subject requirements, personality characteristics and personal abilities which are supposed to be fully assessed before an individual can be deemed to be qualified to go into specific careers (Onayase and Onayase, 2009).

In this study, our focus will be on the influence of environmental factors on the career choices of secondary school students in the Kumba Meme Division. Looking at the environment, it is a term that has many connotations such as physical, economic, social and cultural dimensions.

From an environmentalists’ point of view, an environment is seen as the sum total of all social, biological, chemical, and physical factors which compose the surroundings of man (South Wick 1976).

Olatunji (2003) argues that we have three types of environments which include: Natural, Biological, and social environments. He holds on to the point that, the natural environment is made up of man’s surroundings which is the product of the natural processes which consists of natural phenomena such as air, water, land as well as climate and its elements. The natural environment has some influences on man as determined by the weather conditions, source of income, and mode of living.

The Biological Environment includes all living things, plants. Animals and man himself. These living things are interdependent on the natural environment for survival. The social environment refers to all effects of man’s interaction with man in the process of his living in the natural environment. This process of his living in the natural environment. This included all patterns of Social relationship and grouping as well as the educational, and economic opportunities created by man un the environment for the use of mankind.

The research conducted, it shows that the social environment has an important role to play in the career choices of students since it looks into social concepts such as the family, religion, education peer groups and even political groups.

The family as an environmental factor can influence the career choices of students either negatively or positively. In a home where the parents are educated, they will guide their children on the choices of career to take. That will help them in the future. But it’s not the case on a hone where the family members are not educated and informed.

Peer group is another environmental factor that has a great influence on the career choices of students. This is a class of people who are of the same age group.  For people who are of the same category, their age difference must range from one to five years. This class of people can greatly influence one another either positively or negatively on the choices of career.

Religious institutions have a moral way of influence the career choices of students. As a religious body, they guide you on the choices of career to take and the behavior you have to put up in a particular career that will suit you and the population at large.

The school environment also has a great influence on the choices of career because you have counselors who will orientate you on how to go about choosing a career and the careers that will be of great help to you in the future.

Therefore, the influence of environmental factors on the career choices of students in Kumba will be examined on the family, peer group, society, and school environment.

Statement of Problem

Cameroon is rapidly developing its technological education which makes society more complex than it was in the past. The number of occupations has increased greatly and as there are many careers within one occupation. For instance, farming which was a simple occupation some years back is now a very complex occupation with many careers to choose from. These include poultry farming, vegetable farming, etc. This is why the family, peer group, school environment and even the large society make in choosing a life career.

This constitutes a problem as students often make wrong choices. Hence there is scanty research on the influence of environmental factors on the career choices of secondary school students.

The objective of the Study

The researcher is investigating the influence of environmental factors on the career choices of secondary school students in Kumba.

Specific Objectives

1. To examine the influence of family on career choices of secondary school students in Kumba.
2. To investigate the influence of peer groups on career choices of secondary school students in Kumba.
3. To examine the influence of school environment on career choices of students in Kumba.
4. To examine the influence of religious groups on career choices of secondary school students in Kumba.