BEYOND THE CLASSROOMS: ADVANCING FUTURES THROUGH SCHOOL CAREER COUNSELING

Abstract

Opting career is one of most important choice in pupils’ life. The right choice ensures success in their personal and professional life. This research aimed to examine the impact of career counselling sessions and vocational guidance methods on the pupil’s career choices of 8th-grade students in Bahawalpur. Students were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups across four different elementary schools (2 boys & 2 girls' schools, public & private). A validated online questionnaire adapted from Minnesota Career Cluster Interest Survey was used to collect the data. The results revealed significant differences in career choices between the two groups after treatment. Data analysis using SPSS-21 showed that the availability of a career counselor/ teacher and attendance at counseling sessions were strongly associated with students' career choices. The study found that parental education level was a vital factor, as about 3-quarters of students tended to follow their parents' professions & advice rather than exploring other options. Study recommends that incorporating compulsory counseling programs in social & behavioral sciences curricula across elementary schools to better support the students' career decision-making.