This study evaluated whether structured instruction in career exploration improves career maturity among Senior High School students in Cape Coast, Ghana. Using a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design, two schools received six instructional sessions while two schools served as controls (N = 120; balanced by gender). Career maturity was assessed across six competence domains: world of work, self-knowledge, résumé writing, letters of application, interviewing, and rules for success. Post-intervention, the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group on the overall index and on five of six subscales, with the strongest gains in résumé writing, letters of application, and rules for success (p < .05). No significant gender differences were observed within groups, suggesting equitable benefits. These findings align with international evidence on brief, active, school-based interventions and demonstrate that short, low-cost programs can meaningfully enhance career readiness. Implications include embedding career instruction into curricula and strengthening counselor and teacher capacity.
Keywords: Career Maturity, Ghana, Secondary Education, career exploration instruction, gender equity
