Pages: 42-54

Abstract

The focus of this research was on the perceived knowledge learners gained through career guidance, a component of Life Orientation, which aims to prepare learners for the dynamic vocational landscape. A total of seven secondary schools in the Free State province of South Africa, were randomly selected with 430 learners forming part of the final sample. Responses to open-ended questions were coded and categorized using qualitative thematic analysis. Results of the thematic analysis were juxtaposed with results from a quantitative questionnaire that formed part of the overarching study in an attempt to validate the first mentioned. Learners who perceived gained knowledge as inadequate ascribed the before mentioned perception to a lack of information and insufficient coverage of the Life Orientation curriculum. Further themes reflected the necessity of a skill-based approach to the teaching of career guidance, especially with the association between personal confidence and the perception of adequate knowledge gained.