1.1 Introduction
Home background refers to the socio-economic, educational, and cultural environment in which a student is raised. The career choices made by secondary school students are pivotal decisions that can shape their futures, influencing not only their professional trajectories but also their overall life satisfaction. Numerous factors contribute to these decisions, including individual interests, abilities, and external influences such as peer pressure, school environment, and societal expectations. Among these factors, the home background plays a particularly significant role, often serving as the primary foundation upon which students base their career aspirations. Research has shown that a student's home environment, encompassing parental education, occupation, socioeconomic status, and family values, has a profound impact on career decision-making processes (Schoon & Parsons, 2002).
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitation of the study and Definition of terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Education is as old as man himself. Man is by nature curious and that inspires in him the urge to explore the environments around him. Through the ages, man has attempted various means to transmit knowledge in whatever form he had acquired to the upcoming generation. The place of education in the development of individuals and the nation at large cannot be under-estimated. It is evident in the fact that education helps individuals develop their mental capabilities and become functional members of the society. Every society therefore, plans its own system of education in terms of the aims, contents, and processes.
The family unit is the first and primary foundation of the child learning process. Apart from the materials stimulation, needed by the child and provided by his family for his intellectual development a child also is expected to be emotionally balanced. This will enable him to cope with the entire social tolerant that would disturb him at school. All families do not have equal economic and social status and since children from different homes attend different problems therefore the various children under this condition would be disturbed at school much effect is therefore required of the teachers in identifying the child's problems which may be traceable to his family. The teacher should study the student's family background and correlate them with the child performance at school.
Education is the process of transmitting what is worthwhile to members of the society. According to Okafor (2014), Education embraces all those experiences of the individual through which knowledge is acquired and intellect enlightened. For Nwabachili and Egbue (2013) education is what goes on from one generation to another generation. In this context, education is the process of socializing the child to grow up as a fulfilled member of the society through informal, formal and non-formal process. Informal education is the process of acquiring knowledge about the environment and beyond through living with one another.
Family remains the primary environment of the child. The author emphasized that family environment has more chances of increasing or decreasing the intellectual performance of the child (Clifford, 2011). Parents who are of in more lucrative job would have more or enough fund to expand on the basic needs and academic requirement of their children, particularly in the subjects that are core in secondary education, particularly mathematics. Education is likely to provide different ways for the needs of their children and inhabit different aspects of cognitive, emotional and motivational development. Individuals in the society as well as families are different in all aspect of life; determining factors of such are the educational level, occupation and income of the family.
Nwabachili and Egbue (2013) stated that, formal education is a consciously planned form of socialization in a formal setting such as school. They stressed that non-formal education involve all those systematic programmes and processes of education and training that is done outside formal education setting. All these forms of education cannot be achieved without the influence of the family. Family is the first social environment the child finds itself.
A home environment is viewed as consequential for child developmental outcomes such as cognitive ability, school readiness, academic achievement and emotional adjustment (Fantuzzo et al., 2000). Historically, examinations of the influence of home environments on developmental outcomes have focused on distal variables as the primary measures of home experience, such as the family income, parents educational level, parents occupational status, parental involvement and parenting styles of (authoritarian, demanding and permissive parenting styles).
Ayeni (2008) and Musgroove(2000) articulated that child from higher socio-economic background has advantages over the child from lesser status. In a higher class there may be a television sets, radio, picture, home teacher, home library, computer, reading and writing materials all of which help to prepare a child for learning in school. The children are given high motivations for success in school. The parents' ability to provide books and other reading materials in order to bring about a positive attitude stimulates children to learn more. Furthermore, the upper class child eats a balance diet and belonging to a comfortable social school environment further helps home to show his best. It is against this background that the researcher is interested in investigating the Influence of Home Background on the Career Choice of Secondary School Students.
1.3 Statement of the Problem
Investigation revealed that the culture of poor attitude and low educational achievement among secondary school students is currently one of the prevalent issues in education. In a bit to understand the immediate and root cause of this, there is misunderstanding among stakeholders in education. Government, parents, teachers and students blame one another. The problem is further compounded by the lack of adequate career guidance services in many schools, which fail to address the specific needs of students from diverse home backgrounds. Without targeted interventions, these students may struggle to navigate the complexities of career planning, perpetuating cycles of inequality (Whiston & Keller, 2004). Given the fact that the family is the first social environment of a child and each brings with him or her family experiences, it is pertinent to examine the Influence of Home Background on the Career Choice of Secondary School Students.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to examine the Influence of Home Background on the Career Choice of Secondary School Students using Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo State as a Case Study. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To analyze the impact of socioeconomic status on students' exposure to career options and the resources available for career development;
- To assess the challenges faced by students from different home backgrounds in making informed career decisions;
- To examine the extent to which parental education influences the career choices of secondary school students;
- To explore the role of cultural values and family expectations in shaping the career aspirations of students; and
- To provide recommendations for educators and policymakers on how to support students in making career choices that aligns with their interests and potential, regardless of their home background.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- Does parental education level influence the career choices of secondary school students?
- Does socioeconomic status affect students' exposure to and selection of career options?
- Can educators and policymakers better support students in making career choices that are aligned with their interests and potential, considering their diverse home backgrounds?
- What challenges do students from different home backgrounds face in making informed career decisions?
- What role do cultural values and family expectations play in shaping the career aspirations of secondary school students?
1.6 Research Hypothesis
In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.
Hypothesis One
- H0: There is no significant relationship between parental education level and the career choices of secondary school students
- H1: There is a significant relationship between parental education level and the career choices of secondary school students
Hypothesis Two
- H0: Socioeconomic status does not significantly affect the exposure to and selection of career options among secondary school students
- H1: Socioeconomic status significantly affects the exposure to and selection of career options among secondary school students
Hypothesis Three
- H0: There is no significant relationship between the level of education of parents and the career choice of students in secondary schools
- H1: There is a significant relationship between the level of education of parents and the career choice of students in secondary schools
Hypothesis Four
- H0: Cultural values and family expectations do not significantly influence the career aspirations of secondary school students.
- H1: Cultural values and family expectations significantly influence the career aspirations of secondary school students.
1.7 Significance of Study
This study will provide valuable insights for educators by highlighting the influence of home background on students' career choices, enabling them to tailor career guidance programs more effectively.
- Policymakers will benefit from the findings by understanding the need for policies that address disparities in career opportunities linked to socioeconomic and cultural differences.
- Parents will gain awareness of how their education, socioeconomic status, and values impact their children's career decisions, encouraging more informed and supportive involvement in their children's career planning.
- Career counselors will find the study useful in developing strategies to offer personalized guidance that considers students' diverse home backgrounds, helping them make well-rounded career choices.
- The study will contribute to academic research by filling gaps in the existing literature on the role of family background in career development, providing a foundation for further studies and interventions.
1.8 Scope of the Study
This study considers the Influence of Home Background on the Career Choice of Secondary School Students in Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo State.
1.9 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Delay in responses from participants, which affected the timely collection of data and the overall progress of the study.
- Financial constraints were also a challenge, as limited resources restricted the ability to access a broader range of data sources, conduct in-depth analyses, and potentially extend the study to a larger sample size.
- Additionally, time constraints were a significant limitation, as the academic schedule was often tight, limiting the duration available for thorough data collection, analysis, and the writing of the final report.
1.10 Operational Definition of Terms
In the study on "The Influence of Home Background on the Career Choice of Secondary School Students," the following terms are defined:
Home Background: Refers to the socio-economic, educational, and cultural environment in which a student is raised. This includes factors such as parental education levels, family income, occupational status, and cultural values that collectively influence a student's development and career aspirations (Sewell & Hauser, 1980).
Career Choice: The process by which individuals select an occupation or career path based on their interests, skills, and values. This decision is influenced by various internal and external factors, including personal interests, educational opportunities, and family background (Brown, 2002).
