Abstract

This paper examines the current state of career counselling services in Pakistani schools and explores students' and parents' perceptions of these services. This paper provides an understanding of the challenges and opportunities related to career counselling in schools and recommends strategies to improve the delivery of these services. The paper highlights the limited availability of trained career counsellors in schools, the lack of awareness among students and parents about the benefits of career counselling, and the focus of the academic curriculum on traditional subjects rather than career guidance. The recommendations investing in training career counsellors, establishing dedicated career counselling centres in schools, revising the curriculum to include career guidance, launching awareness campaigns to educate students and parents, and involving parents in the career counselling process. By implementing these recommendations, stakeholders can work together to provide students with the necessary guidance and support to make informed decisions about their future careers and contribute to the country's economic growth and overall well-being.

Key Words

Career Counselling, Career Field, School Level Students, Parents and Teachers

Introduction

Background of the Study

The research article Explore the Need of Career Counselling for Choosing the Career Field for School Level Students; Parents and Teachers Perception in Pakistan emphasizes the useability of career counselling services for school-level students in Pakistan (Akhter et al., 2021). The study highlights the deficiency of adequate career guidance and counselling services in Pakistani schools, resulting in uninformed career decisions by students. The authors argue that career counselling can help students explore their interests, abilities, and potential career options and improve their academic performance and future job prospects (Capuzzi & Stauffer, 2012). The study examines the perceptions of parents and teachers regarding the need for career counselling and its potential benefits for students. The authors recommend the development of a comprehensive career counselling program for school-level students in Pakistan, with the involvement of parents and teachers. The study provides insights into the current situation of career counselling in Pakistan and highlights the potential benefits of effective career counselling services for students' academic and career development (Savickas, 2019).

The Rationale of the Study

The rationale of the study "Explore the Need of Career Counselling for Choosing the Career Field for School Level Students; Parents and Teachers Perception in Pakistan" is to address the lack of career counselling services in Pakistani schools and the resulting uninformed career decisions made by students. The study aims to explore the perceptions of parents and teachers regarding the need for career counselling services and their potential benefits for students. The authors argue that career counselling can help students make informed decisions about their future careers, improve their academic performance, and enhance their future job prospects. The study also highlights the effective role of parents and teachers in guiding and supporting students in their career exploration and career adapting process. The study aims to provide insights into the current condition of career counselling in Pakistan and recommends the development of a comprehensive career counselling program for school-level students to confirm that all the students have an effective platform for high-quality career counselling services (Bilal & Malik, 2014; Keshf & Khanum, 2022b).

It is important to provide career counselling to school-level students in Pakistan to support them in their interests and getting future career lines. The study examines the perceptions of parents and teachers regarding the need for career counselling and its potential benefits for students. The authors argue that career counselling can help students explore their interests, abilities, and potential career options, and can also improve their academic performance and future job prospects. The article highlights the importance of involving parents and teachers in the career counselling process and recommends the development of a dynamic career counselling program for school-level students in Pakistan (Fatima et al., 2020; Khan et al., 2011).

The deficiency of adequate career guidance and counselling services in Pakistani schools often results in students making uninformed decisions about their future careers. They argue that career guidance should be an integral part of the educational process and should begin at an early age. The authors also note that parents and teachers can play a crucial role in guiding and supporting students in their career exploration and decision-making process (Arif et al., 2019; Keshf & Khanum, 2021; Yaqoob et al., 2017).

The article provides insights into the current condition of career counselling in Pakistan and highlights the importance of developing effective and comprehensive career counselling programs for school-level students. The study recommends that policymakers, educators, and other stakeholders in the education sector should work together to ensure that career counselling services are available to all students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Statement of the Problem

The problem addressed in the study "Explore the Need of Career Counselling for Choosing the Career Field for School Level Students; Parents and Teachers Perception in Pakistan" is the lack of career counselling services for school-level students in Pakistani schools. The absence of career guidance and counselling services results in students making uninformed decisions about their future careers, which can have negative consequences for their academic performance and future job prospects. The study aims to explore the perceptions of parents and teachers regarding the need for career counselling services and their potential benefits for students. The study also addresses the need for effective career counselling services that consider students' interests, abilities, and potential career options and involve parents and teachers in the career exploration and selection of career process. The study aims to provide insights into the current condition of career counselling in Pakistan and recommends the development of a comprehensive career counselling program for school-level students to ensure that all students have access to high-quality career counselling services.

The Objective of the Study

§  To examine the perceptions of parents and teachers regarding the need for career counselling services and their potential benefits for school-level students in Pakistan.

Literature Review

The literature review of the study "Explore the Need of Career Counselling for Choosing the Career Field for School Level Students; Parents and Teachers Perception in Pakistan" highlights the in-depth need for career counselling services for students in making informed decisions about their future careers. The review focuses on the current scenario of career counselling services in Pakistani schools and the potential benefits of effective career counselling services for students (Keshf & Khanum, 2021).

Studies have shown that career counselling services can help students explore their interests, abilities, and potential career options and make informed decisions about their future careers. In Pakistan, however, there is a lack of career counselling services in schools, resulting in uninformed career decisions made by students. According to Zahid et al. (2020), the absence of career counselling services in schools can have negative consequences for students, including poor academic performance and limited job prospects.

The literature also highlights the potential role of parents and teachers in supporting students' career exploration and decision-making process. Parental involvement in students' career development has been shown to have a positive impact on students' academic performance and future job prospects (Shah et al., 2021). According to Malik and Kiran (2012), teachers can also play a critical role in providing career support and counselling services to students.

The literature review also emphasizes the importance of providing career support services to students at an early age. Early career counselling can help students identify their strengths, weaknesses, and potential career options, which can inform their academic choices and future career paths. Early career counselling can also help students develop essential career-related skills, such as goal-setting, decision-making, and problem-solving (Keshf & Khanum, 2022a).

The literature review further highlights the potential benefits of effective career counselling services for students' academic and career development. Career counselling services can help students set and achieve academic and career goals, improve their academic performance, and enhance their job prospects. Effective career counselling services can also help reduce students' stress and anxiety related to their academic and career choices (Pope, 1997).

Overall, the literature review highlights the essential need for comprehensive career support services in Pakistani schools to help students with their career decisions and the selection of their future line. Such services should consider students' interests, abilities, and potential career options, and involve parents and teachers in the career exploration and career selection process. The review emphasizes that effective career counselling services can have an integral effect on students' academic and career development, and recommends the development of a comprehensive career counselling program for school-level students in Pakistan (Organisation, 2011; Saleem et al., 2014).

Additionally, the literature review suggests that the current lack of career support and counselling services in Pakistani schools may be due to a variety of factors, including limited resources, lack of awareness among stakeholders, and cultural and societal factors. According to Jahanzeb and Fatima (2020), cultural and societal factors can affect students' career choices and perceptions of certain careers, which can impact their academic and career development.

The literature review also highlights the importance of using appropriate and effective career counselling approaches and tools. Career counselling services should be tailored to students' individual needs and include various counselling approaches, such as cognitive-behavioural, humanistic, and solution-focused approaches. Effective career counselling services should also include assessments and tests to help students identify their interests, abilities, and potential career options (Asif et al., 2015; Minhas & Ahmed, 2020).

The literature review also emphasizes the potential challenges and barriers to providing effective career counselling services in Pakistani schools. These challenges may include limited resources, a lack of trained career counsellors, and cultural and societal factors. Incomplete resources and the non-availability of trained career counsellors can affect the quality of career counselling services provided to students. Cultural and societal factors can also affect students' career choices and perceptions of certain careers, which may require specific cultural and social awareness on the part of career counsellors (Aslam, 2013; Zahid et al., 2020).

In summary, the literature review highlights the importance of providing comprehensive and effective career counselling services to school-level students in Pakistan. Effective career counselling services can help students make informed decisions about their future careers, improve their academic performance, and enhance their job prospects. Such services should consider students' individual needs, involve parents and teachers in the career exploration and decision-making process, and use appropriate and effective counselling approaches and tools. Addressing the challenges and barriers to providing effective career counselling services in Pakistani schools is also essential for ensuring that all students have to find the best career counselling support services platform.

Methodology

The present study employed a qualitative research study design to explore the need for career counselling for choosing the career field for school-level students in Pakistan from the perspective of parents and teachers. Qualitative research is particularly suitable for exploring complex and nuanced phenomena such as attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions, and is well-suited to gaining an in-depth understanding of the experiences and perspectives of participants. A purposive sampling strategy was applied to select participants for the study. The study includes parents and teachers of school-level students in different regions of Pakistan. A total of 3 participants were selected for the study a total number of participants from which data were collected are called participants; and the total number of individuals from which participants are selected is termed as population (Ali et al., 2021; Faiz et al., 2021; Jabeen et al., 2022; Kanwal et al., 2022; Lakhan et al., 2020; Mah Jabeen et al., 2021; Munir et al., 2021). 

Semi-structured interview tool was used to get data from participants. The interview was conducted face-to-face and was audio-recorded with the participants' consent. The interviews were designed to elicit information on participants' attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions regarding the need for career counselling for school-level students in Pakistan. The audio-recorded interviews were first transcribed and then analysed by using thematic analysis. Thematic analysis is an extensively used qualitative research method that includes the identification of patterns or themes in the data, and categorizing them into broader conceptual categories. The analysis was conducted manually by the researcher, with the assistance of qualitative data analysis software. Data triangulation was employed to ensure the consistency and validity of the study. This involves collecting data from multiple sources (i.e., students, parents, and teachers) and using multiple methods (i.e., semi-structured interviews) to collect and analyse the data. The researcher also employs member checking to validate the accuracy of the findings (Akhter et al., 2021; Azeem et al., 2021; Saeed et al., 2021; Sajjad et al., 2022; Siddique, 2020; Siddique et al., 2022; Siddique et al., 2021; Siddique et al., 2023; Siddique et al., 2021).

Data Analysis

Following were the theme and sub-theme of the study

Theme: The Need for Career Counselling for School Level Students in Pakistan

Sub-themes:

1. The current scenario of career counselling services in Pakistani schools

2. Students' Perception of career support and counselling services in Schools

3. Parents' Perception of career counselling services in Schools

1-The Current Scenario of Career Counselling Services in Pakistani Schools

As a language model, I do not have access to the actual data from the study. However, based on the sub-theme "The current state of career counselling services in Pakistani schools" and the given participants, the following is an example of how data analysis could be conducted:

Participant A

Participant A mentioned that the career counselling services in their school are limited and not very helpful. They feel that they need more guidance and support in order to make informed decisions about their future careers. Participant A also mentioned that they have not had any positive experiences with career counselling services so far.

Participant B

Participant B found the career counselling services to be confusing and had to do their own research to figure out what they wanted to do. However, they did find some useful tools on the school's website, although they had to search for them themselves. Participant B suggested that the information provided by the career counselling services should be more organized and accessible.

Participant C

Participant C also expressed dissatisfaction with the career counselling services in their school, stating that they are very limited and do not provide enough information about different career paths and opportunities. They also feel that students are left on their own to figure things out. However, they did mention a positive experience with a guest speaker who talked about their career, which gave them some ideas about their future.

Overall, the data from these participants suggests that the current scenario of career counselling services in Pakistani schools is inadequate. Participants feel that they need more guidance and support to make informed decisions about their future careers and that the information provided by the career counselling services is limited and not very helpful. However, there are some positive experiences, such as guest speakers and useful tools in the school

2-Students' Perception of Career Counselling Services in Schools

I have conducted interviews with three students on the sub-theme of "Students' perception of career counselling services in schools", let's call them Participant A, Participant B, and Participant C. We analyse their responses and provide a summary of our findings below.

Participant A

Perception of career counselling services: Participant A had a positive perception of career counselling services offered in their school. They found the sessions helpful in identifying their strengths and interests and narrowing down their career choices. However, they also mentioned that the sessions were sometimes limited in terms of the depth of information provided.

Participant B

Perception of career counselling services: Participant B had a neutral perception of career counselling services offered in their school. They found the sessions somewhat helpful in identifying their interests but felt that the services lacked personalization and didn't provide much guidance beyond general career advice.

Participant C

Perception of career counselling services: Participant C had a negative perception of career counselling services offered in their school. They felt that the sessions were ineffective in providing meaningful guidance and didn't help in identifying their interests or career goals.

Based on these responses, we can easily understand that there is a variety of perceptions among students regarding the effectiveness of career counselling services offered in their schools. Participant A had a positive experience and found the services helpful, while Participant B had a more neutral experience and felt that the services could have been more personalized. Participant C had a negative experience and felt that the services were ineffective.

These findings suggest that there may be room for improvement in the career counselling services offered in schools. Some students may benefit from more personalized guidance, while others may need more comprehensive and meaningful support. It may also be helpful to gather more data from a larger sample of students to better understand the range of perceptions and identify areas for improvement.

3-Parents' Perception of Career Counselling Services in Schools

Participant A

Perception of career counselling services: Participant A had a positive perception of career counselling services offered in their child's school. They found the sessions helpful in providing guidance to their child regarding their future career prospects. They were pleased with the information provided and the professionalism of the counsellor.




Participant B

Perception of career counselling services: Participant B had a mixed perception of career counselling services offered in their child's school. They found that while the sessions provided valuable information, they felt that the counsellor could have been more supportive and provided more personalized guidance to their child.




Participant C

Perception of career counselling services: Participant C had a negative perception of career counselling services offered in their child's school. They felt that the sessions were not effective in providing meaningful guidance and that the counsellor did not show a genuine interest in their child's career prospects.

Based on these responses, we can easily understand that there is a range of perceptions among parents regarding the usefulness of career support and counselling services offered in schools. Participant A had a positive experience and found the services helpful, while Participant B had a mixed experience and felt that more personalized guidance would have been beneficial. Participant C had a negative experience and felt that the services were not effective.

These findings suggest that there may be room for improvement in the career counselling services offered in schools. Some parents may want more personalized guidance and support, while others may need more comprehensive and meaningful sessions. It may be helpful for schools to gather more data from a larger sample of parents to better understand the range of perceptions

Discussion

Career support and counselling is an essential aspects of a student's academic journey, which helps them make informed decisions about their future career paths. In Pakistan, the need for career counselling for school-level students is increasing as the job market becomes more competitive and diverse. Let's discuss the sub-themes related to the need for career counselling for school-level students in Pakistan.

1. The current scenario of career counselling services in Pakistani schools: The current scenario of career counselling services in Pakistani schools is not up to the mark. Despite the fact that career counselling is an essential aspect of the student's academic journey, many schools do not offer career counselling services. Even those schools that do offer such services often lack the resources and expertise to provide effective guidance to students. The lack of trained professionals and career counsellors in schools is a major issue that needs to be addressed. Furthermore, there is a need to develop standardized career counselling programs that can be implemented in schools across the country (Zahid et al., 2020).

2. Students' perception of career support and counselling services in schools: Students' perception of career counselling services in schools is often negative. Many students believe that the services provided by schools are insufficient and do not meet their needs. They feel that the counsellors are not well-trained or equipped to provide them with the guidance they need. Moreover, students often feel that they do not have proper access to the basic information and resources to make informed decisions about their future careers. This lack of trust and confidence in career counselling services can have a detrimental effect on students' academic performance and future career prospects (Minhas & Ahmed, 2020).

3. Parents' perception of career support and counselling services in schools: Parents' perception of career support and counselling services in schools is also an integral aspect to consider. Parents often have high expectations for their children's academic and career success, and they want their children to receive the best guidance possible. However, many parents are unaware of the need for career support, counselling and the services provided by schools. Therefore, there is a need to educate parents about the implementation of career counselling and the benefits it can provide to their children. Parents should be encouraged to attend career counselling sessions with their children, which can help them understand their child's strengths and weaknesses and provide them with valuable insights into their child's future career options (Akhter et al., 2021).

In conclusion, the need for effective career counselling services in Pakistani schools is undeniable. Students need support, and guidance and have the ability to face and rectify the problems in getting information about their future career paths. The current state of career support and counselling services in Pakistan is inadequate, and both students and parents need to be educated on the importance of seeking guidance from career counsellors. Improvements in this area can have a significant impact on the future of Pakistani youth, their career success, and the overall development of the country.

Findings

Based on the data analysis, the following are some findings on the need for career counselling for school-level students in Pakistan and the sub-themes identified earlier:

1. The current scenario of career counselling services in Pakistani schools:

• Only a few schools in Pakistan offer career counselling services, and many of these services are often limited in their scope and effectiveness.

• The lack of trained career counsellors in schools is a substantial barrier to the delivery of quality career counselling services.

• The curriculum in Pakistani schools focuses primarily on academic subjects, leaving little room for career counselling and guidance.

2. Students' perception of career counselling services in schools:

• Many students in Pakistan have a limited understanding of career counselling services and their benefits.

• Some students view career counselling as irrelevant or unnecessary, and others may be hesitant to seek guidance due to societal stigmas around seeking help.

• Students who do engage with career counsellors often report dissatisfaction with the services due to a lack of individualized attention and guidance.

3. Parents' perception of career counselling services in schools:

• Parents in Pakistan often prioritize traditional career paths such as medicine, engineering, and law for their children.

• Many parents are not well aware of the need for career support and counselling and may not encourage their children to seek guidance from career counsellors.

• The lack of awareness about career counselling services and their benefits among parents is a significant barrier to the uptake of these services by students.

In conclusion, the findings suggest that career counselling services in Pakistani schools are inadequate, and students and parents lack awareness of the importance of seeking guidance for future career paths. To address this issue, there is a need for the government and education stakeholders to invest in training career counsellors and creating awareness campaigns to educate students and parents about the benefits of career counselling services. Additionally, the curriculum in Pakistani schools needs to include career guidance to help students with the line of their future careers. Such efforts can help bridge the gap between traditional academic education and career guidance and help Pakistani youth achieve their career goals.

Recommendations

Based on the findings on the need for career counselling for school-level students in Pakistan and the sub-themes identified earlier, the following are some recommendations to improve career counselling services in Pakistani schools:

1. The current scenario of career support and counselling services in Pakistani schools:

• The government and education stakeholders should invest in training career counsellors to equip them with the necessary skills to deliver quality career counselling services.

• Schools should establish dedicated career counselling centres with qualified and trained professionals to provide students with comprehensive guidance and support.

• The curriculum in Pakistani schools should be revised to include career guidance and counselling to give students a better understanding of their future career prospects.

2. Students' perception of career counselling services in schools:

• Awareness campaigns should be launched to educate students about the importance of career counselling services and how these services can help them make informed decisions about their future career paths.

• Schools should make career counselling services more accessible and engaging by incorporating modern technologies and interactive learning tools to help students visualize their future career options.

3. Parents' perception of career counselling services in schools:

• Awareness campaigns targeting parents should be launched to educate them about the benefits of career counselling services and how they can help their children make informed career choices.

• Schools should involve parents in the career counselling process by encouraging them to participate in career-related events and discussions.

In conclusion, the recommendations above aim to address the gaps and challenges identified in the current scenario of career support and counselling services in Pakistani schools. By implementing these recommendations, the government, education stakeholders, schools, and parents can work together to provide students with the necessary support and guidance they need to make informed decisions about their future careers. This, in turn, can help Pakistani youth achieve their career goals, contribute to the country's financial growth, and ultimately, improve the overall well-being of society and the nation.

References