The relative influences of peers and parents on the choices of careers by Nigerian adolescents: a case study of Plateau State, Nigeria
Loading...
Date
1985
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Nigeria
Abstract
The controversial issue of which socialising model parents or peers exert greater influence on the
adolescents' choice of careers has remained unresolved, Some problems which teenagers, and
even adults, encounter in choosing unrealistic careers such as the inability to cope with courses
in their chosen fields and ultimate lack of satisfaction in the world of work has persisted. This
study investigated the relative influences of peers and parents on Nigerian adolescents' career
choices. Students Background Information Questionnaire (S.B.I.Q.) and Parent-Peer Orientation
Questionnaire (P.P.O.Q.) were administered to 600 adolescents.
Four hypotheses were proposed and tested. One of the hypotheses confirmed that there was no
significant difference between male end female adolescents in their orientation toward their peers
in choice of careers. Another indicated that there was no difference between urban and rural
adolescents in their orientation towards their peers in choice of careers. The remaining two
hypotheses were rejected. These are the ones that speculated that adolescents are significantly
more peer-oriented than parent-oriented in their choice of careers and that there is no significant
difference between urban and rural adolescents in their parental orientation in career choices.
Thugh more parent-oriented than-peer-oriented, 3.51 and 2.77 mean scores respectively, only
0.08% of the adolescents investigated indicated willingness to pursue their parents' occupations
The study strongly recommends that career services be introduced in Plateau State Post-Primary
institutions. Schools should be staffed with teachers who are exposed to adolescent psychology
as opposed to the present situation where most of the teachers in that state - Indians, Pakistanis,
Philipinos, Ghanians and Nigerians - lack this orientation. Since parents exert overwhelming
influence on their adolescents' career choices, it is also recommended that school authorities
should endeavour to use the avenues provided by the parents-teachers association meetings to
educate parents on the existence of individual differences in talents and capabilities, thus
increasing the probability that parents would become more realistic and tolerant about their
wards career choices.
Description
84p
Keywords
Career, Parent, Peer, Socialising, Satisfaction, Orientation, Parents' occupations, Living standard