CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Career plays a very fundamental and significant and role in the life of the individual not only because they determine the pattern of income but also because they affect the individual personality and concepts in life. Career therefore is a choose pursuit, life work or success in one’s profession occupied by a person throughout his/her lifetime. In a nutshell, career is the totality of work one does in his life time and is person centered, it is of utmost importance to every individual he or she prepares for the future. The essence of who the students are will revolve around what the students want to do with his or her choice of career. The oxford advanced learners dictionary, defines choice as the right to choose or the ability of choosing and also defined career as a job or profession especially one with opportunities for promotion. People who really get what they want in a career do so because they define their objective plan and schedules for achieving their objectives, and assume personal responsibility for implementing and following the plans.
Many scholars have given their own different meaning to choice and career and some have further stressed their importance objectives of selecting a better career. The dictionary meaning of career is a way of making a living profession amongst career of opportunities.
Many students find it very difficult to make the right choice of career in the sense that they lack vocational guidance counseling, making their choice without the help of any counselor. Several works have been done based on the determinant factors affecting career by students. However there are many factors responsible for the progress of a child backwardness or retardation viz; Genetic factors (that are inherent in the child himself) and Environmental factor ( from the environment where the child grew up).
Abang (2002) stated that the home provides many things for the child, like protection, guidance, shelter and encouragement. He went further to say that the child as he is not yet informed of the factors and realities of life but with the help of the parents he will be very much aware of the tracks or steps to follow if he is to be useful in life. He still maintain that the child without learning material would certainly loose his sense of direction and also that the influence of parents has been one of the strongest and the most persistent factor that determines the child attitude toward studying different school subjects and hence his choice of career.