Integrating career guidance and counseling into the high school curriculum in Lesotho: challenges and best practices

Abstract

Abstract This study explores the integration of career guidance and counseling into Lesotho’s high school curriculum, focusing on challenges and best practices. Using qualitative secondary analysis of interviews and focus group transcripts from 123 participants across 10 schools, the research was guided by Krumboltz’s Social Learning Theory of Career Decision Making. Thematic analysis revealed five interrelated themes: resource limitations, teacher training gaps, curriculum rigidity, informal influences, and emerging best practices. Findings underscore the urgent need for systemic support, professional counselors, and curriculum reform to embed career guidance as a core component of secondary education, enhancing equity and student preparedness.