Influence of Vocational Guidance on Natural Skill Development among Students in Public Senior Secondary Schools in Rivers State

Abstract

This study examined the influence of vocational guidance on natural skill development among students in public senior secondary schools in Rivers State, Nigeria. The study was motivated by increasing concerns that many secondary school students are unable to identify and develop their natural abilities due to inadequate vocational guidance services in schools. Specifically, the study examined career information services and vocational interest assessment as dimensions of vocational guidance that influence students' natural skill development. Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. A descriptive survey research design was adopted because the study sought to obtain information directly from students regarding their experiences and perceptions of vocational guidance services without manipulating any variable. The population comprised 18,624 Senior Secondary II students in the 247 public senior secondary schools in Rivers State, as reported by the Rivers State Ministry of Education (2026). Using Taro Yamane's formula, a sample size of 392 students was obtained. The sample comprised 176 male students and 216 female students, and selected through proportionate stratified random sampling technique to ensure adequate representation across the three senatorial districts. Data were collected using one structured instrument titled Vocational Guidance and Natural Skill Development Questionnaire (VGNSDQ). The instrument was validated by experts in Guidance and Counselling and Measurement and Evaluation. The reliability of the instrument was established using the Cronbach Alpha method, which yielded a coefficient of 0.81, indicating satisfactory internal consistency. Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while the null hypotheses were tested using the z-test at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that career information services and vocational interest assessment significantly influence students' natural skill development. The study concluded that effective vocational guidance enhances students' ability to identify and develop their natural skills and recommended strengthening vocational guidance programmes in public senior secondary schools.