A Mixed-Methods Investigation of Motivational Factors and Career Commitment Among Vocational Education Students in North Central Nigeria

This study conducted a comprehensive mixed-methods investigation of motivational factors and career commitment among vocational education students in North Central Nigeria, covering Benue, Plateau, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, and Kwara States. Career commitment in vocational education students is a critical outcome variable predicting programme completion, skill mastery, and post-graduation occupational persistence, yet the motivational antecedents of career commitment in Nigerian contexts are poorly understood. The quantitative strand employed a survey of 1,100 students using the Vocational Career Commitment Scale (VCCS) and the Academic Motivation Scale adapted for vocational contexts, with structural equation modelling analyzing relationships among intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, occupational identity, and career commitment. The qualitative strand involved 60 narrative life history interviews analyzed through thematic and narrative analysis. Integration of findings was achieved through a joint display approach. Quantitative results showed that intrinsic motivation and vocational self-efficacy were the strongest predictors of career commitment (combined Beta = 0.67), while financial motivation alone was weakly predictive and negatively moderated by stigma. Qualitative findings revealed how family vocational heritage, transformative teacher mentorship, and meaningful practical experiences catalyzed intrinsic motivation and identity formation. The integrated findings produced a Vocational Career Commitment Development Model unique to the North Central Nigerian context. This study makes original theoretical and empirical contributions to vocational psychology and education scholarship in Nigeria. Keywords: motivation, career commitment, vocational education, North Central Nigeria, mixed methods.