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VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS: THE CASE FOR A

COOPERATIE STAFF TEAM STRATEGY

Article  in  Research in Education · March 2007

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 Journal of Research iii Education, Volume 4, Number 3, 2007

8. Myers, G.E. ( 1941). Principles and techniques of vocational guidance~ New York: McGraw-Hill Book
Company, Inc.
9. Napier, W.R. (1972). School guidance services: Focus on th e developing_nations .. London : Evans
Brothers Limited.
I 0. N waogu, P.G . ( 1991 ). Counseling students of secondary and tertiary levels of education for professional
development and employment. In M .. A. Mkpa (ed). Contemporary issues in Nigerian Education.
Nigeria: Mekslink Publishers- 1MSU Press (Nig). (pp.l31-1410
11 . Nzeagwu, I. N ( 1991) Entrepreneurial needs as basis for introduction of vocational education in
secondary schools in Nigeria. in N.P.M. Esomonu (Ed.) " Entrepreneurship Practices in Education.
Umunze-Anambra State. p. 146-155.
12. Ofole, R.N. (1991). Complementary guidance roles of parents' teacher and school authority in the
development of the Nigerian child. Education Today. p. 38-./1.
13. Okafor, A.N. ( 1992). The relevance of vocational-technical education to manpower development in
Nigeria. in E.U. Anyakoha and R.N. Oranu (eds). Educational!Iechnical Education and Manpower
Development- Nigerian vocational association (NV A) Monograph . . University of Nigeria, Nsukka. p.21-
29.
14. Okorie, J.O. and Ezeji, S.C.O.A. ( 1988). Elements of guidance vocational and_career education..
Onitsha, Nigeria: Summer Educational Publishers.
15. Okoro, M.O. (1993). Principles and methods in vocational and technical_education Nsukka University
Trust Publishers
16. Olaitan, S.O. ( 1986). Vocational education and manpower development, constraints and strategies. In F.
Ojo, A. Aderinto and T. Fashoyin (eds). Manpower Development and Utili=ation in Nigeria:Problems
and policies: Lagos: Lagos University Press. P. 76-81.
17. Oranu, R.N. (1990). The appraisal of youth unemployment in a depressed economy: emerging policies
and pr~grammes. Nigerian Vocational_Journa/.3 p.55- 62.
18. Oranu, R.N . (1992). Vocational education and manpower development. In E.U. Anyakoha and R.N .
Oranu (eds). Vocational/technical education and manpower development. Nigerian Vocational
Association (NV A) Monograph University ofNigeria, Nsukka. p. 1-4.
19. Osuala, E. C. ( 1992). The importance of vocational training in the socioeconomic development of
Nigeria. in E. U. Anyakoho and R.N . Oranu ( eds ). Vocational technical education and manpower
development_Nigerian Vocational Association (NVA) Monograph University ofNigeria, Nsukka. p. 14-
21.
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education in Nigeria. In M.A. Mkpa (Ed.) Contemporary Issues in Nigerian Education. Awka : Mekslink
Publishers; p. 124- 130.
21. Wallace, N . and Hall, V. (1997) The dynamics ofteams. In M. Crawford, L. Kyde and C. Riches (Eds .)
Leadership and Teams in Educational Management. Philadelphia USA: Open University Press, p. 130-
143.
 Journal of Resear-ch in Education, Volume 4, Number 3, 2007

VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS: THE CASL r'OR A COOPERAT~VE

STAFF TEAM STRATEGY

Okwelle, P. C.
Department of Science and Technical Education
Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

ABSTRACT
The current focus in the Nigerian Philosophy of Education is on the development of the
individual into a sound and effective citi=en. The policy emphasis at the secondary
school/eve! is to prep are students for useful living in the society; hence the curriculum
is both academic and pre-vocational. In pursuance of this objective among other
things, is the introduction of vocational guidance in secondary schools, aimed at
assisting students to have a clear perception of the world of work while at school. The
paper therefore highlighted the linkage between vocational guidance and vocational
education as well as the vocational services needed for secondary school students.
Finally, the paper discussed the concept of teamwork and suggested on how an
effective vocational guidance programme could be achieved through a teamwork
strategy involving some school personnel.
Keywords: Vocational, Guidance, Counseling, Team, cooperative, Strategy

INTRODUCTION
The Federal Republic of Nigeria in the National Policy on Education (2004) stipulates the broad goals of
secondary education as to prepare the individual for useful living within the society and for higher
education. Vocational and Technical education is widely accepted as the form of education that leads to the
acquisition of appropriate skills and competencies required by an individual to live and contribute to the
development of the society. The emphasis on vocational and technical education at the secondary level, no
doubt, may have resulted from efforts to alleviate the problem of unemployment of the secondary school
leavers. According to UNESCO source (cited by Edukugho, 2004), high unemployment is causing acute
poverty and serious social problems in Nigeria. Nzeagwu (1997) had attributed high rate of unemployment
among school leavers to lack of skills and competencies required in the world of work. Vocational and
Technical Education, which is made up of skills in several fields has a major role to play in promoting
employment for its participants. Okafor ( 1992) posits that vocational and technical education is a strategic
effort to prevent human labour wastes of unemployment, or improper training or acquisitive employment.
Nwaogu ( 1991) was of the view that the reason for the high rate of unemployment could be among other
things, that the prospective applicants are usually deficient in saleable job skills demanded by employers of
labour or that they are using the saleable skills for the pursuit of 'wrong' jobs. Thus, there is need to
empower the students to choose their academic and life career wisely. Vocational Guidance fills this gap. In
pursuance of the objective of the 6-3-3-4 educational system particularly with regard to the young secondary
school leavers encountering less difficulties in making the necessary transition from school to work, the
National policy on Education further stated that "in view of the apparent ignorance of many young people
about career prospects, and in view of personality maladjustment among young school children, career
officers and counselors shall be appointed in primary institutions (FGN 2004:53)". The above
pronouncement stresses that vocational guidance is a must in every Nigerian secondary school in order to
achieve the desired aims of VTE at this level. Unachukwu (1991) reported that there is no serious guidance
and counseling in our secondary school system, with the result that the students pass out of this level without
defined objectives. This could be attributed to scarcity of qualified career officers or vocational counselors as
recognized in the National Policy on Education (FGN 2004). The level of involvement of other members of
the school community in guidance activities (Ofole, 199I) could also hinder the effective vocational
guidance activities in secondary schools. There is need for all hands to be on deck to improve guidance
activities in secondary schools in order to tum .out students who are technically equipped to fit into the
global economy. Based on the foregoing, it is the contribution of this paper therefore, to suggest a staff
cooperative team strategy involving other staff of the school system in addition to the vocational counselor
or career officers, for an effective implementation of vocational guidance inN igerian Secondary Schools. In
this regard, the following issues are addressed:
1. Relevance of vocational guidance to vocational and technical education
2. The vocational guidance services needed in schools.
3. The concept of cooperative team work.

64
 Vocational Guidance in Secondary Schools: The Case of a Cooperative Staff Team Strategy

4. Staff team strategy for effective vocational guidance in schools.

The Relevanc e of Vocational Guidance to Vocational and Technical Education

Vocational and Technical education (TVE) has varied interpretations by different scholars. In a broad sense,
vocational and technical education is defined in the national policy on education (FGN, 2004:29) as
"referring to those aspects of the educational process involving in addition to general education, the study of
technologies and related sciences and the acquisitions of practical skills, attitudes, understanding and
knowledge relating to occupations in various sectors of economic and social life". According to Osuala
( 1990) vocational-technical education is considered to be an integral part of general education, oriented to
the acquisition of fundamental facts about the technical, technological and organizational aspects of work ..
Thus, vocational and technical education may be seen as education directed towards preparing individuals
with skills, knowledge and attitudes for any useful employment in the world of work. The term «vocational
guidance" is defined by Napier ( 1972: 18) as "the process by which all the various factors affecting
individual occupational choices are sorted out weighed and brought into focus and by which the young
person is helped to make his choice in the full knowledge of the facts about his own potential to theyn".
Bojuwoye ( 1986) stated that the role of vocational guidance is to provide exposure and experiences for
students to enable them make more appropriate educational and vocational decisions when necessary.
Okorie and Ezej i ( 1988) were also of the view that vocational guidance is the process of assisting the
individual to choose an occupation, prepare for it, enter upon and progress in it. What these definitions seem
to suggest is that the focal point of vocational guidance is to help the individual to discover his abilities,
interests, and talents and upon these discoveries, make a wise choice of occupation in future. With this
background, it is clear that vocational guidance and vocational and technical education are closely related;
the former being so vital for achieving the objectives of vocational and technical education. In this context,
Calhoun and Finch ( 1982) maintained that vocational and technical education also includes the vocational
guidance and counseling that precede or parallel the preparation for employment or reemployment. Okoro
( 1993) also had highlighted this view when he wrote that vocational and technical education assumes that a
choice of an occupation has been made and that appropriate training is needed to enable the individual enter
or advance in his chosen occupation. As such, making a right choice of occupation, based on the
understanding of one's assets and liabilities, before entering into any form of occupation becomes important,
thus, reduces human resources as unemployables. Vocational guidance is therefore, a sine qua non for
vocational and technical education.

Vocational Guidance Services Needed In Schools

The vocational guidance services needed in secondary schools will include the following:

Self Awareness Service

This involves assisting a student to understand himself his personal abilities, aptitudes, interests, needs,
personal traits and his limitations. Knowledge of oneself will help the student to be in a position to make
realistic occupational choice. This service often referred to as self-analysis service, could be accomplished
through the collection, analyses and interpretation of variety of data and information about the student. The
technique for collecting the required data may include among other things, continuous assessment records,
anecdotal records, questionnaire, achievement and aptitude tests, and so on.

Occupational Information Service

This is designed to provide students with knowledge of opportumttes and requirements of different
occupations available in the society so that they will be guided to make wise occupational choices and
decisions, based on their personal assets. Sources of occupational information may include library stock of
literature related to occupations, attending career conferences, field trips, the mass media, community
occupational surveys, internet and son on.

Career Counseling Service

This service is concerned with assisting each school child to ev.aluate the understanding of him in relation to
the available occupational opportunities and requirements . This is the hub of the school vocational
guidance. It helps the individual to make occupational cho ice and decision which is in harmony with his
abilities, aptitudes and interests.

65
 Journal of Research in Educ<'ttion, Volume -t, Number 3, 2007

Vocational Placement Service

This is designed to aid the student carry out his vocational plans in the world of work, taking into
consid eration th e strength of th e child' s assets. Throu gh this service, the young school Ieaver could be
helped to get a place in industries, business outfits or even self-employed. This service is so important
because entering occupational life advantageously, getting off to a good start is quite as important as
choosing and preparing for a suitable occupation (Myers 1941 ).

Vocational Follow-Up Service

This service is concerned with the assessment of a child's progress in his occupational plans with a view to
determining how satisfying his job is to him as well as determining the extent to which the school vocational
programme has served him. Results of the follow-up services will also be useful in improving the entire
school vocational guidance and in curriculum modification.

The Concept of Teamwork

An understanding of the nature of teamwork is crucial in discussing the strategy of staff team work in
implementing vocational guidance services in secondary schools in Nigeria. Bell (1997:20) defined
teamwork to mean "individuals working together to achieve more than they could alone". Bell further
stressed that teamwork in particular is understood to consist of a group of people working together on the
basis of: shared perceptions, a common purpose, agreed procedures, commitment, cooperation and resolving
.disagreements openly by discussion. Teamwork is required by many tasks, even where it is not strictly
needed, working as a team can transform performance and enhance job satisfaction {Adair 1997). The
implication of the above definitions is that the success of the staff team then, depends not only on the
individual skills of its members but on the way the teachers support and work with each other.

Staff team approach for effective vocational guidance in schools

So far, the discussion has been on the importance of vocational guidance to achieving the goals of vocational
education, and the vocational guidance services required in secondary schools. The foregoing leaves no one
in doubt that the career officers or vocational counselors appointed in schools (if any), cannot alone
effectively and efficiently implement the programme of the vocational guidance in schools. They require the
cooperation of other school personnel for an effective and efficient programme of vocational guidance.
Douglas ( 1963) and Ofole ( 1991) echoed the same sentiment when they posited that only through a
cooperative team approach including all the school staff is it possible to carry out an evolving, effective and
dynamic programme of vocational guidance in schools. The team strategy here refers to the shared
responsibility of all the school staff in assisting each student in realizing his assets and liabilities with regard
to each staff office in the school. The staff team usually is to include the management, administrative staff,
teaching staff and support staff of the school. Specifically, the involvement of the following staff personnei
in the team for implementing vocational guidance in secondary schools shall be considered- principal,
classroom teacher and librarian.

The Role of the School Principal in Vocational Guidance Activities

The principal as the Chief administrator of a secondary school has a vital role to play in the implementation
of vocational guidance programme in his school. He is the head of the teamwork. The teamwork process
represented the "state of the art" within the unfolding of each team history, a pattern of working practices in
which the heads had been prime movers (Wallace and Hall 1997). There is no doubt that the attitude of the
principal to organizing, financing, motivating staff, supervising and providing facilities necessary for· the
school vocational guidance services among other things, may go along way in determining the degree of
achievement of the objectives of the vocational guidance programme in schools. It is expected of him to
allocate time officially in the school timetable for vocational counseling services and give adequate publicity
to the programme in both the school and outside communities . The principal is also required to constantly
evaluate the effectiveness of all the vocational guidance services and uses the results of his evaluation as a
basis to improving the programme. In fact , the principal has an inescapable responsibility to the success of
vocational guidance iri schools.

The Role of the Classroom Teacher in Vocational Guidance

The classroom teacher in carrying out his primary instructional functions has exceptional opportunities to get
involved in the team of staff for the implementation of vocational guidance services to his students. Owing
to the closeness of the classroom teacher to the students he teaches than any other staff, his cooperation in
providing vocational guidance services to the students cannot be over-emphasized. The teacher gets
..,
·,
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 JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN EDUCATION Volume 4, Number 3, 2007

Contents Pa2:es
1. Impact of Educational Technology on Under U. A. Ituen and G. S. Ibe-Bassey 1-5
Graduate teacher Education Programmes: A
Case Study ofNigerian University System.
2. The health Education teacher and the burden C. U. Atiatah 6-10
of Exotic Diseases: Separating Facts from
Fiction
3. Towards a Scientific Literature Public Afolabi, Folashade and Audu Bako N. 11-14
Education for Sustainable National
Development.
4. Motivation of Women for Adult literacy Matthew Borode and Agboola, Olajide 15-19
Programme in Nigeria: A Case Study of
Ikere-Ekiti local Government Area.
5. Continuous Assessment Scores as Predictors Ohiwatayo, J. A. 20-23
of Students' grades 111 Senior School
Certificate Examination Chemistry.
6. Information Revolution and Education 111 Oyenuga Olukayode Felix 24-28
Nigeria;: What Impact on Development?
7. En_.suring Effective Implementation of the Nwaoruo Christopher C. and Duru, 29-35
Reviewed Technical College Curriculum for Dennis D.
Sustainable Youth Empowerment.
8. The Perception of Teachers and School Isabel Ezinwa Okokajo Caroline 34-38
Administrators to School Based and Cluster Nwaham and Violet Asua lkpeba
Inservice Teachers professional Support
Programme.
9. Mathematics Education for Citizenship Stephen T. Kojigili 39-43
Development 111 Nigeria: The Gender
Implications.
10. Use of Stylistics in journal of Research in Kassim-Oghiator, Florence E. 44-46
Education.
II. Creating and Sustaining Secondary Students' Aminu Dalhat Kankia 47-49
Enthusiasm in Learning Coordinates location
and Drawing Lines of Best.
12. The influence of Education on Moral Igbongidi Binaebi Paul 50-54
Training of Students in higher Institutions.
13 . The Role of Mathematics and Computer K. M. Fasasi 55-58
Science 111 Science Technology
Development.
14. Dimensions of NGOS Interventions In J. A. Ukonze 59-63
Farmer Education Programme 111 South-
Eastern Nigeria.
Vocational Guidance in Secondary Schools: Okwelle, P. C. 64-68
)5· The Case for a Cooperative Staff team
I
Strategy.
16. Influence of Gender- Stereotyping on Frederick Ocansey 69-76
Secondary School Students Career
I Aspirations in Ghana.

Instruction to Authors
Subscription Rate

v
 Vocational Guidance in Secondary Schools: The Case of a Cooperative Staff T earn Strategy

involved in self-awareness service through the continuous assessment records and other data he collects
about hi s students which he or the professional vocational counselor uses to help the students understand
th emselves in relation to th eir abilities, aptitudes and interests. The teacher as well gets in vo lved in career
counseling service by counselling or referring the student to the trained vocational counselor depending on
the complexity of the child"s need. Through occasional field trips with his students and information on
opportunities and requirements of occupations that are related to the subject he teaches, the classroom
teacher gets involved in occupational information service. The teacher participates in placement service by
assisting the young school Ieaver find a job through the contacts he makes in the course of gathering
instructional materials from the outside community. The teacher could help students with application and
interview preparation as well as work habits and techniques for a successful occupational adjustment. The
student could also be taught on how to get occupational information through the internet.

The Role of the Librarian in Vocational Guidance

The office of the school librarian is also central to the implementation of vocational guidance programme in
schools. He renders occupational information services to students by making available important a,nd
relevant reading materials on occupational opportunities and requirements. He could also contribute to
counseling services by passing unto the classroom teacher or the professional vocational counselor, useful
information on the observed behaviours and characteristics of any student while in the library which seems
to have significance to the vocational development of the student. The school library could also have
internet services, making it possible for the student to consult other libraries on-line for occupational
information.

Coordination of the Staff Team

Having highlighted the expected involvement of some staff as a team in the vocational guidance programme
of a school, it is worthy to mention here that their individual and collective responsibilities are to be co-
ordinated by the professionally training vocational counselor as the head of the team. Where no trained
guidance counselor is employed, the vocational guidance services can be co-ordinated by an appointed
classroom teacher. The vocational counselor plans fhe programme, liases with other staff in the team to
ensure that all the vocational guidance services under the programme are maximally exploited by the
students. No roles conflict need arise among members of the team if proper co-ordination of the programme
is maintained such that every staff see the other as a partner in achieving the goal of vocational guidance of
students in secondary schools.

CONCLUSION
Vocational guidance of each secondary school child to know oneself and environment so as to succeed in
school and work is imperative. The emphasis on vocational and technical education at all levels of the
nation's educational system, the rising level of unemployment of secondary school leavers and the growing
complexity of industrial and business establishments are some factors which justify the implementation of
vocational guidance services in secondary schools. Various approaches need to be employed to realize the
goals of vocational guidance in schools. The staff team approach, which requires the cooperative effort of
some school personnel discussed here, no doubt, will go a long way to achieving an effective and efficient
guidance of secondary school students. ·

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