RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELF-CONCEPT AND MOTIVATION FOR OCCUPATIONAL PREFERENCE. IMPLCATION FOR COUNSELLING

ABSTRACT

This study is on the relationship among Self-concept and Motivation for Occupational Preference of students in some selected senior secondary schools in Sokoto metropolis. A total number of three hundred and thirty three (333) students were selected as sample for the study; also a total number of nine (9) schools were purposively selected out of forty-three (43) schools in the metropolis. The Two Instruments used for the research were: Adopted version of Akinboye Adolescent Personal Data Inventory (APDI subscale A), was applied to measure self-concept, and Motivation for Occupational Preference Scale (MOPS), was used to measure students Motivation for Occupational respectively. Three hypotheses were generated and tested using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Co-efficient. The formulated hypotheses were tested and the results showed that self-concept is more related to SS III student’s motivation for occupational preference in male than in the female within the senior secondary school in the metropolis. This is an indication that self-concept and motivation for occupational preference are cordially related. Some of the recommendations are: Parents should work with Counsellors with a view to helping their wards to improve their effectiveness by guiding them to acquire valid and reliable information on the real world of life and work in our society.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Most secondary school students have only a vague notion of what they would like to do as their life’s work. According to various survey studies girls who assume that a large part of their lives will be devoted to raising a family and giving little taught to the kind of work they might do both before marriage and after their children have grown up. But, one particular question which generally borders many secondary schools is: “After secondary school, what next? What to do after secondary school?” is a major concern of students, since many of them seem to know that they would not be able to proceed to College or University. Samuel (2001), according to him various studies has shown that most young students have only a vague notion of what they would like to do as their life’s work (careers), a great need exist therefore to motive them to a good plan for and prepare adequately for their life occupation while they are yet pupils or students. We should remember once again that the work each person does to earn a living influence his way of life and it is a major factor of his self-concept. It helps him to satisfy many human needs and motivating young people to plan their life’s work and develop effectively. This was supported by Kimbrel and Vineyard as quoted by Samuel (2001) he stated that: How successful you are in life is largely measured by your success in your occupation. Being successful on a job which interests you helps you to develop a sense of pride, it gives self-concept for those who are most interested and successful in their occupation and are most satisfied with life. Job success is the chief way we measure our own usefulness and our value. Naturally this has a great effect upon ones self-concept. Without self-concept, you cannot accept yourself as being a person of value. If you cannot accept yourself as a meaningful person, you cannot accept others as worthy and be truly concerned about them.