Application of artificial intelligence in career guidance:Case of zimbabwe

Career guidance is one of the most important educational phenomena lacking in most of Zimbabwe's public schools. Most career paths are relatively dependent on specific academics, and making a career decision that suits one's academic expertise is no easy task. In this context, career guidance services help students logically understand the relationship between academics and career paths. Unfortunately, specialist career consultants are rarely available for public schools in rural areas alone, educating almost 80% of students in Zimbabwean towns and cities. This scarcity excludes teachers who give their students career-related training because of their personal experiences and ideas, thus failing to provide students with the right recommendations. Therefore, the aim of this study is to reveal the opinions of high school students studying in Zimbabwe about career guidance and their expectations from a career guidance expert system and to offer an artificial intelligence-based solution within the framework of the students' views and expectations. As part of the quantitative research method in the study, data was collected by an online survey with permission from the relevant school from a total of 110 high school students studying at Mpopoma High School in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe in the spring semester of the 2019-2020 academic year. Before the implementation of the survey (scale), a study of the validity and reliability of the obtained data was conducted in a pilot study. The data obtained in the study were analysed and the results obtained were interpreted and presented. Accordingly, the students' views on career guidance are above average and high. Students' expectations from the career guidance expert system were also high. Students' views on career guidance and their expectations from the career guidance expert system did not show a significant difference in terms of gender, age, class, the most frequently used web browser and the most frequently sought information variables. In the light of these findings, it was concluded that the students studying in Zimbabwe had positive opinions about career guidance and high expectations. Within the framework of these results obtained in the study, an artificial intelligence-based expert system application was developed and presented as a solution proposal in the study.