Abstract

This study examined the relationship between information literacy skills and career decision-making among secondary school students in Jigawa State. Specifically, the study assessed students’ information literacy skills, identified their sources of career information, examined their level of career decision-making, and identified challenges affecting their access, evaluation and use of career information. The study was anchored on the SCONUL Seven Pillars Model of Information Literacy. A descriptive correlational cross-sectional survey design was adopted. The population comprised 48,628 senior secondary school students in public secondary schools in Jigawa State. A multistage sampling technique was employed, involving the inclusion of all 27 Local Government Areas, selection of one public secondary school from each Local Government Area, and proportionate simple random sampling of students. Using Taro Yamane’s formula at a 5% margin of error, a sample size of 464 students was obtained. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire validated by experts in Library and Information Science, Guidance and Counselling, Educational Measurement and Evaluation, and Research Methodology. Data were analysed using mean, standard deviation, frequencies, percentages, ranking and Pearson Product-Moment Correlation. The findings revealed that students possessed a high level of information literacy skills (overall M = 3.44), although their ability to evaluate the credibility and relevance of career information was comparatively lower (M = 3.21). Parents/guardians (78.7%), teachers (73.7%) and friends/classmates (67.9%) were the major sources of career information. Students also demonstrated a high level of career decision-making (overall M = 3.41), particularly in considering their interests and abilities. Major challenges included inadequate reliable career information (75.0%), inadequate guidance and counselling services (72.6%) and difficulty identifying reliable online career information (70.3%). The study further established a significant positive relationship between information literacy skills and career decision-making (r = 0.614, p < 0.05), leading to rejection of the null hypothesis. The study concluded that information literacy skills constitute an important factor in students’ ability to make informed career decisions. It recommended strengthening information-literacy education, critical evaluation skills, guidance and counselling services, and access to current and reliable career-information resources.