Impact of Availability of Structures for Career Guidance in High Schools on Performance and Career Choices of Girls in Vihiga County

Abstract

Sustainable development goal number five aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Kamunge report recommends that schools and universities provide guidance to university applicants to enable them make right choices. The purpose of this study was to explore the correlation between career guidance and career choice among girls in secondary schools in Vihiga County. The objectives of the study were to: establish the forms of career guidance services offered to girls, investigate the professional training levels of career guidance teachers, determine the effectiveness of career guidance services in enhancing academic and career choice competencies among girls, establish the level of stereotyping and its influence on career choices among girls; and establish the relationship between career teachers’ professional training in career guidance and effectiveness of career guidance services offered to girls in secondary schools. The study embraced a mixed method approach. The study targeted 4,628 form four girls of 2012 in mixed and girls’ secondary schools in Vihiga County. There were 112 mixed and girls’ secondary schools in the county. Sampling was done using probability and non-probability sampling. Non probability sampling included simple random sampling and stratified random sampling to select 30 schools, 15 of which were girls’ schools and 15 mixed schools. Non probability involved purposive sampling to select 30 principals, 30 career guidance teachers,4 district Quality and Standards Assurance officers and one county director of education. Data was collected using questionnaires, content analysis and interview schedules. Quantitative data was analyzed using frequencies, means, standard deviations, Pearson’s product moment correlation, t-test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) 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 correlation among the students’ perception on guidance and counseling services’ effect on academic performance and career choice, r = 0.513, p< 0.05, teachers’ perception on guidance and counseling services’ effect on academic performance and subsequent career choice, t(58) = 2.035, p < .05.The forms of career guidance were mainly class counseling (83.3% ) and group counseling, (71.45%), involving subject choices and filling of joint admission boards forms. Career guidance teachers’ training level was found to be 57.2% trained and 42.8% untrained. On stereotyping, principals and career teachers agreed (means 4.12 and 4.61respectively on a Likert scale of 1to 5) that female students consider math, sciences and geography difficult. The study found out that schools that were better equipped and staffed, with many career guidance programs had better performance and sent more students to public universities who got admission into a variety of careers. The study concluded that career guidance is an essential component 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 revamp career guidance and demystify careers in fields such as science, technology, mathematics and other emerging ones, for the girl child. The study recommends enactment of career guidance department in schools, infusion of career guidance in curricular and training of career guidance specialists. The findings will help in achievement of SDG number five and consequently goals 1,2,3,4 and 8.