RELATIONSHIP AMONG PEER GROUP INFLUENCE, SUBJECT SELECTION AND CAREER CHOICE OF STUDENTS IN SOME SELECTED SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN SOKOTO METROPOLIS

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study examinedrelationship among peer group influence, subject selection and occupational choiceof students in some selected senior secondary schools in Sokoto metropolis. Four research questions, objectives and research hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted a correlational research design. A sample of 346 SSII students was drawn from a population of 2,932 with the aid of Research Advisor (2006) table for determining sample size. Three sets of instruments were adopted for use by the researcher to measure the students’ peer group influence, school subject selection and occupational choice. The validity of the instruments were obtained by the original owners of the instruments and reliability indices of 0.82, 0.72 and 0.75 were obtained respectively. Hypotheses Ho1, Ho2 and Ho3 were subjected to Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient statistics while Ho4 was subjected to Multiple Regression analysis. The results of the analysis indicate a significant and positive relationship between peer group influence and school subject selection; a significant and positive relationship between peer group influence and students’ occupational choice and there was a significant and positive relationship between school subject selection and occupational choice of senior secondary school students in Sokoto metropolis. While the result of multiple regression analysis indicates that, peer group influence was a better predictor of occupational choice than school subject selection.The study concluded that peer group influence was a better predictor of occupational choice than school subject selection.Based on these findings, recommendations were made that, students should be encouraged to seek information on occupational choice while sufficient information on occupational choice should made available to students by peers, counsellors and teachers.