Influence of Self-Concept on Occupational Preferences of Final Year Students of Senior Secondary Schools in Nasarawa State, Nigeria

This study examined the influence of self-concept on occupational preferences of final year students of senior secondary schools in Nasarawa State.Specific variables considered under self-concept include self-image, self-esteem and ideal-self.The researcher formulated three research hypotheses to guide the study.The study adopted a descriptive cross sectional survey design with a sample size of 380 students, obtained from a population of 146,616 students in Nasarawa State.The instruments were two open-ended questionnaires, one of which was researcher-constructed questionnaire called: Self-Concept Questionnaire (SCQ) and the second was Akinade Vocational Interest Survey (AVIS) which was adopted.The instruments were validated by two experts from Guidance and Counselling department of Nasarawa State University, Keffi and confirmed to be valid.The instruments were also confirmed to be reliable using Cronbach Alpha.The data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics; the hypotheses were tested using the t-test statistical tool at 0.05 level of significance.Findings of the study revealed that there is a significant influence of self-image, self-esteem and ideal-self on occupational preferences of final year students of senior secondary schools in Nasarawa State.The study recommended that government, counsellors, school heads, teachers and parents should create enabling atmosphere for students to develop self-knowledge to enhance appropriate Occupational decisions.