Project – Career Indecision and Self-Efficacy among Senior Secondary School Students: A Study of Selected Public Schools in Surulere Local Government Area, Lagos State

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Education is an important instrument for preparing young people for productive participation in society. Beyond the acquisition of academic knowledge, secondary education provides students with opportunities to develop personal, social and occupational competencies that influence their future choices. One of the most important decisions students are expected to make during the senior secondary school period concerns their future career. At this stage, students begin to consider the occupations they may pursue, the university or other post-secondary programmes they may enter, and the academic subjects they need to study in preparation for their preferred careers. Consequently, the ability to make appropriate career decisions is an important component of adolescent development and educational planning.

Career choice is not simply the selection of an occupation; it is a developmental process involving self-understanding, exploration of alternatives, evaluation of opportunities and commitment to a preferred direction. Lent, Brown and Hackett (1994) explain through Social Cognitive Career Theory that career interests, choices and performance are influenced by the interaction of self-efficacy beliefs, outcome expectations, goals and environmental factors. Their framework emphasizes that individuals do not make career choices independently of their beliefs about what they are capable of doing. Rather, perceptions of personal capability influence the activities individuals are willing to explore, the goals they establish and the choices they eventually make.

For senior secondary school students, career decision-making can be particularly challenging because adolescence is a period of rapid psychological, social and educational development. Students are expected to make important decisions at a time when their interests, abilities, values and perceptions of themselves may still be developing. Some students may have clear career aspirations, while others may be uncertain about what occupation to pursue. Career indecision therefore becomes an important issue in guidance and counselling because prolonged uncertainty may prevent students from making realistic educational and occupational plans.

Career indecision refers broadly to difficulty, uncertainty or inability to arrive at a satisfactory career choice. Gati, Krausz and Osipow (1996) conceptualised career decision-making difficulties as problems that may arise before or during the process of making a career decision. Their taxonomy identifies difficulties associated with lack of readiness, lack of information and inconsistent information. These difficulties demonstrate that career indecision can result from several sources rather than from a single personal weakness. Students may, for example, lack adequate information about occupations, may be uncertain about their own abilities, may have conflicting preferences, or may experience difficulty evaluating available alternatives.

Career indecision is particularly relevant in the Nigerian secondary school context because students often have to make academic and career-related choices within a competitive educational environment. Senior secondary students may be required to select subject combinations, prepare for external examinations and identify programmes they intend to study after secondary education. The consequences of these decisions may extend to university admission, vocational training and future employment. When students lack sufficient information or confidence, they may select careers because of peer influence, parental expectations, perceived prestige or employment prospects rather than because the careers correspond with their interests and abilities.

In Nigeria, empirical evidence indicates that career decision-making difficulties exist among secondary school students. Akpochafo (2020), in a study of 341 secondary school students in Nigeria, found that students experienced difficulties across nine of the ten career decision-making difficulty dimensions examined. The study further showed that gender differences were generally not significant across the identified difficulties. This finding suggests that career decision-making challenges are sufficiently widespread to warrant attention within school guidance and counselling programmes.

Similarly, Salami (2005) examined career indecision among 122 SS2 students from three coeducational secondary schools in Ibadan, Oyo State. The study found that problem-solving training and anxiety-management training were more effective than the control condition in reducing students’ career indecision. The finding is important because it demonstrates that career indecision among Nigerian adolescents can be addressed through structured psychological and counselling interventions rather than being regarded simply as a normal developmental problem.

Another important variable in career decision-making is self-efficacy. Bandura (1997) describes self-efficacy as people’s beliefs in their capabilities to organise and execute courses of action required to achieve particular performances. Self-efficacy does not necessarily represent an individual’s actual ability; rather, it concerns the person’s belief about what he or she can accomplish. These beliefs influence the activities people choose, the amount of effort they expend, their persistence in difficult situations and the way they respond to challenges. Bandura’s work also identifies mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion and physiological or affective states as important sources through which self-efficacy beliefs develop.

The concept of self-efficacy has considerable relevance to career development. Lent and Hackett (1987) argued that career self-efficacy provides a useful framework for understanding career-related behaviours such as occupational choices, educational decisions and career-entry behaviours. Students who believe that they possess the abilities required to succeed in a particular field may be more willing to investigate that field, select appropriate subjects and pursue the required educational pathway. In contrast, students with weak efficacy beliefs may avoid certain career options even when they possess the academic potential to succeed in them.

Career decision-making self-efficacy refers specifically to an individual’s confidence in his or her ability to successfully perform tasks associated with making career decisions. Such tasks may include accurate self-appraisal, gathering occupational information, selecting goals, making plans and solving problems associated with career development. Lent, Brown and Hackett (1994) place self-efficacy at the centre of their Social Cognitive Career Theory because beliefs about personal capability influence career interests, choices and persistence.

The relationship between self-efficacy and career decision-making is therefore theoretically important. Students with higher self-efficacy may approach career decisions with greater confidence, explore more alternatives and persist when they encounter difficulties. Conversely, students who doubt their capabilities may avoid making decisions, depend heavily on others or experience greater uncertainty. Brown and Lent (1996) similarly explain that social cognitive mechanisms can be applied in career counselling to help individuals overcome choice-limiting self-efficacy beliefs and develop broader career options.

Research in Nigeria also provides evidence that self-efficacy is relevant to students’ career aspirations. Nwokolo and Nwanna (2021) investigated self-efficacy and career aspiration among 2,700 senior secondary students in Anambra State. Their study was motivated by the continuing challenge of career choice among senior secondary school students and examined academic self-efficacy as a predictor of career aspiration.

Evidence from Lagos State is also particularly relevant to the present study. Ganiyu and Ajagbe (2025) examined emotional intelligence and self-efficacy in career decision-making among 300 secondary school students drawn from ten schools in Lagos State. Their findings indicated a positive relationship between emotional intelligence and self-efficacy in career decision-making, demonstrating that psychological factors can be relevant to how secondary school students approach career decisions in the Lagos educational environment.

The relationship between career indecision and students’ wider educational outcomes has also attracted attention in recent Nigerian research. Anozie, Eze, Oti and Asogwa (2024) studied 1,408 secondary school students from eleven schools across four states in South-eastern Nigeria. Using the Career Decision-Making Difficulties Questionnaire, the researchers found that career indecision was negatively associated with academic performance. This suggests that uncertainty about future career direction may extend beyond occupational planning and may have implications for students’ engagement with their academic work.

The importance of self-efficacy in career development is also supported by Social Cognitive Career Theory. Lent, Brown and Hackett (1994) proposed that self-efficacy beliefs interact with outcome expectations and goals to influence career interests and choice behaviour. Learning experiences, social support and environmental barriers can affect the development of self-efficacy, meaning that students’ career decisions cannot be understood entirely from individual characteristics. Family expectations, teachers, peers, school counsellors, available career information and perceived employment opportunities can all shape students’ career-related beliefs and decisions.

The school environment therefore has an important role to play in helping students develop realistic career aspirations. Guidance counsellors and teachers can provide students with occupational information, assist them in understanding their strengths and weaknesses, encourage career exploration and help them evaluate alternatives. Effective career guidance may also help students distinguish between their personal interests and external pressures. Where career guidance is inadequate, students may rely heavily on friends, family members, social media or popular perceptions of prestigious occupations.

In Lagos State, the importance of career guidance is heightened by the diversity and competitiveness of educational and occupational opportunities available to young people. Students in public secondary schools may aspire to careers in medicine, engineering, law, education, accounting, technology, entrepreneurship, creative industries and numerous other fields. However, access to accurate information about these careers and confidence in one’s ability to pursue them may vary considerably among students. This makes the examination of self-efficacy particularly important when investigating career indecision.

Surulere Local Government Area is an urban educational environment within Lagos State in which students are exposed to diverse social, educational and occupational influences. Senior secondary school students in the area are approaching important educational transitions and are expected to make decisions concerning further education, vocational training and employment. Yet, the presence of educational opportunities does not automatically guarantee that students possess the confidence and information required to make appropriate career decisions.

Although previous Nigerian studies have examined career decision-making difficulties, career aspiration and self-efficacy, there remains a need for context-specific evidence concerning the relationship between career indecision and self-efficacy among senior secondary school students in public schools in Surulere Local Government Area. Existing studies have been conducted in different Nigerian states and regions, while the Lagos studies available have addressed related but not identical psychological variables. The present study therefore seeks to examine career indecision and self-efficacy among senior secondary school students in selected public schools in Surulere Local Government Area, Lagos State. The study is expected to contribute evidence that can assist teachers, counsellors, parents and education authorities in developing more responsive career guidance programmes for secondary school students.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Career choice is one of the important decisions confronting senior secondary school students because it can influence their subject selection, further education, occupational preparation and future participation in the labour market. Ideally, students should approach career decisions with adequate self-knowledge, occupational information and confidence in their abilities. However, some students reach the senior secondary school stage without having a clear idea of the career they want to pursue. This uncertainty may manifest in frequent changes in career aspirations, inability to identify suitable courses, dependence on the opinions of others and postponement of career decisions.

Career indecision becomes a concern when students are unable to evaluate available alternatives or commit themselves to a realistic career direction. Gati et al. (1996) demonstrated that career decision-making difficulties can arise from lack of readiness, insufficient information and inconsistent information. These difficulties are particularly important among adolescents because they are making career-related decisions while their interests, abilities and self-concepts are still developing.

The Nigerian educational environment provides several circumstances that may contribute to students’ career uncertainty. Students may be influenced by parents who prefer certain professions, peers who promote particular occupations, teachers who recommend careers based on academic performance, or societal beliefs about prestigious and financially rewarding occupations. Where students are unable to reconcile these external expectations with their personal interests and abilities, career indecision may occur.

Another problem is inadequate access to reliable career information. A student may express interest in a particular profession without understanding its academic requirements, professional pathway, employment opportunities or personal demands. Conversely, a student may abandon a potentially suitable career because of an inaccurate perception of his or her ability to succeed. Gati et al. (1996) emphasised that lack of information and inconsistent information are important sources of career decision-making difficulty.

Self-efficacy presents another dimension of the problem. Students who lack confidence in their ability to perform career-related tasks may be less willing to explore unfamiliar occupations or make independent decisions. Bandura (1997) explains that self-efficacy beliefs influence people’s choices, effort, persistence and reactions to difficulties. Consequently, a student who doubts his or her ability may avoid a career option even when the student possesses relevant academic potential.

The problem is not necessarily that students lack ability; rather, some may lack confidence in applying their abilities to career decisions. This distinction is important because self-efficacy concerns perceived capability rather than objective competence. Lent et al. (1994) argue that self-efficacy beliefs are important in shaping career interests and choices. Students who perceive themselves as capable of performing career-related tasks may be more likely to explore options and establish career goals, whereas students with weak self-efficacy may restrict their choices prematurely.

Evidence from Nigerian secondary schools confirms that career decision-making difficulties are a real educational concern. Akpochafo (2020) reported that secondary school students in Nigeria experienced difficulties across most of the career decision-making dimensions investigated. The finding indicates that students may require systematic career guidance rather than being expected to independently resolve complex career decisions.

Similarly, Salami (2005) found that structured problem-solving and anxiety-management interventions reduced career indecision among SS2 students in Ibadan. This finding suggests that indecision can be associated with psychological and decision-making processes that are amenable to counselling intervention. It also highlights the potential role of school-based guidance and counselling services in addressing students’ career concerns.

Recent Nigerian evidence further demonstrates the importance of career indecision. Anozie et al. (2024) found a negative association between career indecision and academic performance among secondary school students in South-eastern Nigeria. If students’ uncertainty about their future career direction is associated with poorer academic outcomes, then career indecision should be treated as an educational issue rather than only an occupational concern.

At the same time, Nigerian research suggests that self-efficacy is relevant to career aspirations. Nwokolo and Nwanna (2021) examined self-efficacy and career aspiration among senior secondary school students in Anambra State, confirming the relevance of psychological beliefs in understanding students’ career development.

The Lagos context also presents a significant research concern. Ganiyu and Ajagbe (2025) found a positive relationship between emotional intelligence and self-efficacy in career decision-making among secondary school students in Lagos State. While the study provides valuable evidence about career decision-making self-efficacy in Lagos, it focused on emotional intelligence rather than directly examining the relationship between career indecision and self-efficacy.

This creates an important research gap. Studies have examined career decision-making difficulties among Nigerian students, career indecision and academic performance, and self-efficacy in relation to career aspirations. However, fewer studies have specifically examined the relationship between career indecision and self-efficacy among senior secondary school students in selected public schools within Surulere Local Government Area of Lagos State.

The gap is important because findings from other Nigerian states cannot automatically be assumed to represent students in Surulere. Students’ career experiences may be influenced by their particular school environment, family circumstances, access to information, socioeconomic conditions, peer networks and exposure to Lagos’s diverse occupational environment. A context-specific investigation is therefore necessary.

There is also a practical problem concerning the ability of schools to identify students who are experiencing serious career uncertainty. A student who has not decided on a career may not necessarily openly express the difficulty. Some students may simply follow friends, select subjects based on convenience, adopt parental preferences or repeatedly change their career aspirations. Without appropriate assessment and counselling, these difficulties may remain unnoticed until students are required to make important post-secondary decisions.

The problem is further complicated when students have low confidence in their own academic or occupational capabilities. A student may possess the intellectual ability to pursue a particular career but avoid it because of fear of failure. Another student may select an occupation because it appears socially prestigious despite having little personal interest in it. Such circumstances demonstrate the importance of examining career indecision alongside self-efficacy rather than treating the two issues as completely separate.

For school counsellors, understanding the relationship between career indecision and self-efficacy can provide a basis for designing more effective interventions. If low self-efficacy is associated with greater career indecision, counselling programmes can incorporate confidence-building activities, occupational exploration, decision-making skills, goal-setting and realistic self-appraisal. Brown and Lent (1996) similarly emphasised the usefulness of counselling approaches that address choice-limiting self-efficacy beliefs and help individuals develop broader career options.

Therefore, the central problem of this study is the apparent difficulty experienced by some senior secondary school students in making clear career decisions and the possibility that their level of self-efficacy is associated with this difficulty. The study consequently investigates the relationship between career indecision and self-efficacy among senior secondary school students in selected public schools in Surulere Local Government Area, Lagos State.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between career indecision and self-efficacy among senior secondary school students in selected public schools in Surulere Local Government Area, Lagos State.

Specifically, the study seeks to:

1. examine the level of career indecision among senior secondary school students in selected public schools in Surulere Local Government Area;
2. determine the level of self-efficacy among senior secondary school students in selected public schools in Surulere Local Government Area;
3. identify the major career decision-making difficulties experienced by the students;
4. examine the relationship between career indecision and self-efficacy among the students

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions will guide the study:

1. What is the level of career indecision among senior secondary school students in selected public schools in Surulere Local Government Area?
2. What is the level of self-efficacy among senior secondary school students in selected public schools in Surulere Local Government Area?
3. What major career decision-making difficulties are experienced by the students?
4. What relationship exists between career indecision and self-efficacy among the students?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

The following null hypothesis will be tested at the 0.05 level of significance:

H₀: There is no significant relationship between career indecision and self-efficacy among senior secondary school students in selected public schools in Surulere Local Government Area, Lagos State.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The study will be useful to senior secondary school students because it will draw attention to the importance of understanding their abilities, interests and confidence when making career decisions. The findings may encourage students to seek appropriate career information and professional guidance rather than making decisions solely on the basis of peer pressure or external expectations.

The study will also be useful to school counsellors and guidance practitioners. Findings concerning the relationship between career indecision and self-efficacy may assist counsellors in identifying students who require additional support. Counsellors may use the findings to strengthen career exploration, decision-making, goal-setting and self-efficacy development programmes.

For teachers, the study may provide greater awareness of the psychological factors associated with students’ career choices. Teachers interact with students regularly and can therefore contribute to early identification of students who demonstrate uncertainty about their academic and career direction.

The study will benefit parents and guardians by highlighting the importance of providing appropriate support without imposing career choices on their children. Parents may become more aware of the need to consider their children’s interests, abilities and aspirations when discussing future careers.

The findings may also be useful to school administrators and education authorities in Lagos State in strengthening career guidance programmes in public secondary schools. Evidence from the study may support the provision of adequate counselling resources, career information and structured career development activities.

Finally, the study will contribute to the existing body of knowledge in educational psychology and guidance and counselling. It will provide context-specific evidence on career indecision and self-efficacy among senior secondary school students in Surulere Local Government Area and may serve as a reference for future researchers investigating related issues.

1.7 Scope of the Study

The study focuses on Career Indecision and Self-Efficacy among Senior Secondary School Students: A Study of Selected Public Schools in Surulere Local Government Area, Lagos State.

Geographically, the study is limited to selected public secondary schools within Surulere Local Government Area of Lagos State.

The study focuses on senior secondary school students, particularly students who are approaching important educational and career transition decisions. The major variables are career indecision and self-efficacy.

Career indecision will be examined in relation to students’ difficulty in making career choices, lack of career information, uncertainty concerning personal interests and abilities, and difficulty evaluating available alternatives. Self-efficacy will focus on students’ perceived confidence in their ability to perform tasks relevant to career exploration and decision-making.

The study does not attempt to examine every factor that may influence career choice, such as parental socioeconomic status, personality, academic achievement, peer influence or school climate, except where such factors become relevant to the interpretation of the major variables.

1.8 Operational Definition of Terms

Career: A sequence of occupations, educational experiences and work-related activities through which an individual develops and participates in the world of work.

Career Choice: The process through which an individual selects a preferred occupational or educational pathway from available alternatives.

Career Decision-Making: The process of gathering information, evaluating alternatives, setting career goals and selecting an educational or occupational direction.

Career Indecision: Difficulty, uncertainty or inability experienced by a student in identifying, evaluating or committing to an appropriate career choice.

Career Decision-Making Difficulties: Problems that interfere with effective career decisions, including inadequate readiness, insufficient information and inconsistent information.

Self-Efficacy: An individual’s belief in his or her ability to organise and perform the actions required to achieve particular goals or outcomes (Bandura, 1997).

Career Self-Efficacy: An individual’s belief in his or her ability to successfully perform activities associated with career exploration, planning and decision-making.

Senior Secondary School Students: Students enrolled in the senior secondary section of secondary education, generally preparing for completion of secondary education and transition to higher education, vocational training or employment.

Career Guidance: A systematic process through which students receive information, counselling and support to understand themselves, explore occupational opportunities and make appropriate educational and career decisions.

Public Secondary School: A secondary school established, funded and administered under the authority of a government education system.

Guidance Counsellor: A professionally trained school personnel who provides educational, personal-social and career guidance services to students.

Surulere Local Government Area: A Local Government Area within Lagos State, Nigeria, and the geographical setting selected for this study.

Project – Career Indecision and Self-Efficacy among Senior Secondary School Students: A Study of Selected Public Schools in Surulere Local Government Area, Lagos State