The option exercise in a boys' secondary school : perception of students and guidance teacher regarding choice of options in form II : a case study

Abstract

Career choice is a constant process throughout a person's lifetime. For this reason decision making concerning career choice should be given the importance it deserves. As a practitioner I am aware that the students associate the Option Exercise performed in Form Two with their future job. Despite the fact the subject chosen at 13 does not necessarily reflect the student's future career, it does however channel him/her to certain career orientations at a detriment to other career horizons. This case study attempts to analyse the reality of one school, as perceived by me, by examining how the Option Exercise in Form Two is being done. It therefore investigates influences that affect the subject choice as well as its link with the students' envisaged job or career. It also seeks to discover what is being done by guidance personnel to perform such an exercise. Third Formers of the scholastic year 2007-2008 of Dun Karm Psaila Boys' Area Secondary School Zebbug, pertaining to St. Ignatius College, have been selected for this case study. I have opted to pursue my research through a case study because it provides a unique example of real people in real situations. Moreover it is an ideal methodology where a holistic, in depth investigation is needed. In fact, case studies are designed to provide fine grain details as well as bring out the particulars from the viewpoint of the participants by using multiple sources of data. An eclectic approach using multiple methods was used in this study. After considering different theories ranging from Super to Holland and Krumboltz, I opted to go for three forms of data collection.