Determinants of career choice decision making among secondary school students in Tanzania

This study explored determinants of career choice decision-making among secondary school students in Iringa and Dar es Salaam regions. Three objectives guided the study, namely: to assess the level of career awareness among secondary school students, to investigate sources of career information available for secondary school students, and to examine how self-concept, self-efficacy, sex, socio economic status and locality (urban-rural) are associated with self-career choice decision-making among secondary school students. Descriptive survey research design was used, employing the quantitative research approach. A total of 619 secondary school students were selected from eighteen (18) schools through simple random and purposive sampling techniques. Validated questionnaire was used as the instrument of data collection. Independent t-test and multiple regression analysis statistics were used for data analysis to test differences in data profiles. Response frequencies and corresponding percentages were calculated. The study revealed that there was inadequate career information resources in secondary schools, which featured much in government than private schools. This lead to varied career knowledge among secondary school students. Further, there was significant difference in self-career choice decision making with respect to self-concept, self-efficacy and sex. There was no significant variation in self career choice decision making among students with respect to locality and socio economic status.Based on these findings, the study recommends that the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training has to institute the position of school counsellors (career counsellors) in the school structures who will work in that capacity and do away with the current practice where any teacher is selected to work for that position.