Influence of Personality Factors on Career Choice of Senior Secondary School Students in Yola Education Zone of Adamawa State, Nigeria

This study investigated the influence of personality factors on the career choice of senior secondary school students in the Yola Education Zone of Adamawa State, Nigeria. The study was guided by two research questions and two research hypotheses. The study adopted a survey research design. The population of the study was 22, 693 students while the sample was 900 students, which was selected via simple random and stratified sampling techniques. An adapted questionnaire titled “Influence of Personality Factors on Students’ Career Choice Questionnaire (IPFSCCQ)” was validated and trial tested to 30 students in Government Secondary School, Girei, with test-retest reliability showing a coefficient of 0.78. The data gathered were analysed using both descriptive statistics (of frequencies, mean and standard deviation) for answering the research questions and inferential statistics of t-test and one-way ANOVA analyses to test the null hypotheses. The findings of the study revealed that there is no significant gender difference in the specific roles of counsellors in the career choice of students in senior secondary schools in Yola Education Zone, with t = –5.74, when p = 0.566.  Also, there is a significant mean difference among personality factors influencing the career choice of students in senior secondary schools (F (2, 865) = 63.099, p = 0.00). Thus, the study concludes that school counsellors and personality factors play pivotal and positive roles in influencing the career choices of students in secondary schools within the Yola Education Zone. The study recommends amongst others that school counsellors should incorporate personality assessments as part of the career guidance process. As this would help them understand students’ personality traits, interests, and strengths, which can help counsellors tailor their guidance and support, in alignment with their unique characteristics and aspirations.