Students’ Academic Ability in School Based Assessment as Correlate of Career Choice

Aims: The study investigated students’ academic ability in school-based assessment as correlate of career choice using assessment and counselling as a base. Specifically, it determines the relationship between the gender of students’ academic ability in the school-based assessment and their careers choice.
Study Design: The study is correlation because it determined students’ academic ability in school-based assessment subjects as related to their careers choice
Place and Duration: The study was carried out in Delta State of Nigeria using the senior secondary school III students who had to make choice of careers into various universities or tertiary institutions. The study lasted for 12 months (February, 2013 to January, 2014).
Methodology: A sample of 100 students was randomly selected through proportionate stratified random sampling technique. Data for students’ academic ability were obtained from the school-academic record from the achievement test of teachers while career choice was obtained through a valid and reliable questionnaire. The data were analyzed with correlation techniques and each hypothesis was tested at .05 level of significance.
Results: The result of the study showed that students make choice of careers into the tertiary schools without considering their ability in the required subjects taught in the school. Each course into any tertiary school requires students to have credit passes in the relevant subjects.
Conclusion: The study examined students’ ability in school-based assessment and their careers choice into tertiary schools. It was observed that students make careers choice without considering their academic abilities in the required subjects. Therefore, school counsellor should guide students to make appropriate careers choice in line with the academic abilities in the required subjects for tertiary schools. It implies that assessment should be done before career counselling.