An Examination of Outside Work Experience of Public School Personnel

This study is one segment of a research project initiated by the Bureau of General Research, Kansas State University, Manhattan, to examine work attitudes and work experience of school personnel and their implications for career education. This article deals with the work-experience portion of that project. Data were obtained through the use of Work Attitude Inventory of Teachers (WAIT), a survey instrument that included a work-experience questionnaire. The instrument was administered independently to school administrators, vocational educators, secondary teachers other than vocational, elementary school teachers, and guidance and counseling personnel. Respondents recorded work experience outside teaching as well as teaching experience. The responses were categorized according to length of employment (full, part time, summer) and according to the U.S. Office of Education's 15 career clusters. The combined sample of 831 respondents to the work-experience element showed an average of 14.5 years of teaching experience and one out of five persons with no work experience outside education. Most work experience recorded was of a temporary nature and usually in a low-level or menial category.     

Applying the Cognitive Information Processing Approach to Career Problem Solving and Decision Making to Women's Career Development

An expanded framework of the Cognitive Information Processing (CIP) approach to career problem solving and decision making is outlined for career counseling with women. The modified framework addresses structural and individual barriers in women's career development and provides practical suggestions for applying and evaluating the CIP approach in career counseling.     

The predictive efficiency of Holland's SDS summary codes in terms of career choice: A four-year follow-up

This study was designed to investigate the predictive efficiency of the primary and secondary summary codes of Holland's Self-Directed Search for Educational and Vocational Planning (SDS) in terms of expressed career choice 4 years later. In 1974, 126 voiationally undecided high school seniors were given the SDS, followed by a revision of Trow's Vocational Choice Inventory (VCI) in which they were asked to express a career choice or a state of indecision. In 1978, this same group was mailed a posttest VCI; the responses of 84 subjects were then analyzed. The subjects' expressed career choices on both the 1974 and 1978 VCI were compared to the primary and secondary summary codes on the SDS which they had taken in 1974. Inspection of the responses indicated that 21.4% of the subjects had made career choices predicted by their primary summary codes and 51.2% had made vocational choices found among their secondary summary codes. Only 27.4% chose a career area not predicted by their 1974 SDS results. The results of this study appear to lend support to the validity of using the SDS summary codes to predict eventual career decisions.     

The Career and Educational Aspirations of Gifted High School Students: A Retrospective Study

In this study the authors used a retrospective method to obtain information about the career aspirations of gifted high school juniors (69 boys and 125 girls). An instrument called the Occupations List (OL) was administered to obtain information about career alternatives considered by each respondent at various ages. The career alternatives considered in an early life period were compared with those considered later in terms of their prestige level and gender traditionality. The career and educational aspirations of gifted boys and girls were also compared. The implications for counseling gifted students with career concerns are discussed.     

Effectiveness of the career interest profile

This study examined the effectiveness of group‐based career counseling using the Career Interest Profile (CIP). The study used an experimental design involving 2 groups of Italian university students: an experimental group (42 participants) who received narrative career counseling and a control group (47 participants) who did not. Results indicated more specific life and occupational goals after the intervention among members of the experimental group in addition to a decrease in career decision‐making difficulties and an increase in career decision‐making self‐efficacy, thus suggesting the value of group‐based career counseling on the basis of the principles embodied in the CIP.     

South African Adolescents' Career Development through the Lens of the Systems Theory Framework: An Exploratory Study

Adolescent career development has predominantly been studied in the context of middle class Eurocentric cultures and there have been calls for greater attention to the career development of non-dominant and disadvantaged groups. Further, there have been calls to explore career development in terms of its context and process. In this regard, the need for research measures and approaches sensitive to adolescents and particular cultures has been recognised. This is particularly the case in South African career psychology. The present study used a qualitative career assessment instrument, My System of Career Influences, to explore influences on the career development of disadvantaged South African adolescents living in a children's home. Consistent with previous international and national studies, parents were shown to be an important influence. Unlike previous studies, the influence of working overseas was also identified as an important influence. The MSCI was shown to be effective in providing insight into both the context and process of career development and as a research instrument that may be used with adolescents. Recommendations for future research are made.     

The help-seeking in career counseling

This study examined help-seeking in career counseling by investigating factors that influence students’ intention to consult a career counseling center. Nine hundred and eighteen participants were given the Attitudes toward Career Counseling Scale (ATCCS), an information brochure about the career counseling center; the Intention to Consult a Career Counseling Center Scale (ICCCS), and the Counselor Rating Form-Phrases (CFR-P). The initial value ascribed by the potential client to career counseling more than the attractiveness of career counseling predicted the intention to consult a career counseling center. Some significant differences between high school and university students emerged. The results provide further incentive to continue to study help-seeking in career counseling.     

Research on Vocational Behavior: The Singapore Perspective

This article traces the development of vocational psychology in the Republic of Singapore from 1985 to 1997. It reviews both published and unpublished research studies on vocational psychology, including studies of career development, interests, sex-stereotyping in career choice, work values, and job satisfaction. Based on empirical data, the article examines the influences of home and school on the career development of adolescents and reviews experimental studies on various career guidance practices. The article concludes with suggestions for the future development of vocational psychology in Singapore.     

Test of a psychological cost-benefit model for career choice

A psychological cost-benefit model for career choice was applied to the choice situation after high school graduation. Especially tested were the construct validity and predictive validity of the components of the model. Psychological cost, benefit, and profit scales, with regard to continued education, were constructed on the basis of questionnaire data from 421 high school seniors. The analyses showed a clear, positive relationship between psychological benefit-profit and level of aspiration with regard to continued education. This outcome was regarded as an indication of construct validity for the components of the model. Moreover, groups differing as to post high school choice differed markedly, and in the expected direction, as to psychological cost-benefit-profit. Thus, the model showed high predictive validity with respect to post high school choice, which was also supported by a probability analysis. The results were, in general, more pronounced for boys than for girls.     

The reliability and validity of the Greek version of the task-specific occupational self-efficacy scale

The present study examined the reliability and validity of the Greek version of the Task-Specific Occupational Self-Efficacy Scale in a sample of 170 high school students. Drawing on current social cognitive career theory, the validity of the TSOSS is supported by the expected gender differences on the TSOSS factors, and their high correlations with Self-Directed Search summary scores, and vocational choice goals. Additionally, there seems to be some evidence that self-efficacy beliefs, as measured by the TSOSS, may affect choice goals both directly and indirectly. The empirical structure of the instrument examined by a cluster analysis algorithm was perfectly confirmed, and its stability is supported by adequate test-retest correlations and high internal consistency coefficients. On the basis of these findings a preliminary evaluation of the TSOSS is made when used with a Greek sample. Implications for research and career guidance are discussed.     

Career-specific parental behaviors in adolescents’ development

Parents are major partners in helping adolescents prepare for a career choice. Although several studies have examined links between general aspects of the parent-adolescent relationship and adolescents’ career development, little research has addressed the mechanisms involved. This study aimed to validate a three-dimensional instrument for the assessment of parental career-related behaviors and to examine their associations with career exploration and decision-making difficulties. After testing the dimensional structure of the instrument, we examined the relationship between parents’ behaviors and adolescents’ career development by using data from 359 German adolescents who reported the amount of perceived parental career-related behaviors and their career exploration and decision-making difficulties. The results of structural equation modeling confirmed the hypothesized dimensional structure (support, interference, lack of engagement). While parental support associated positively with career exploration, interference and lack of engagement associated with decision-making difficulties. Furthermore, interference and lack of engagement moderated the relationship between support and exploration. Support moderated the association between interference and decision-making difficulties.     

Guidance and Guidance Systems in Secondary Schools: The Teacher's Views

The reorientation of school guidance to involve teachers in career guidance was the premise for this study. The objectives were to assess the attitudes of secondary vocational teachers toward the importance and adequacy of school guidance systems. Some 248 teachers were sent an instrument listing 19 guidance activities. Two scales of five options were used for importance and adequacy. A 75% response rate was achieved. Overall, the teachers believe that career guidance is an important function; however, they have an unfavorable disposition toward the adequacy of school guidance systems in providing students with career guidance.     

Career Adapt-Abilities Scale-Italian Form: Psychometric proprieties with Italian preadolescents

During preadolescence children start to give attention to the future, to formulate thoughts, and to wonder about what they want. They also acquire knowledge and experiment with strategies to assist them in designing their future career. Among the constructs that can now play a relevant role in life designing, the four resources of career adaptability have a prominent role. This article reports the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale-International Form 2.0 for a group of middle school students. Two different studies involving Italian preadolescents were conducted. The first study tests the instrument's multidimensional structure, internal consistency and discriminant validity. The second one verifies the factorial structure's across-gender invariance and the test–retest reliability. Results provide strong psychometric support for the CAAS-Italian Form with preadolescents as a valid measure for analyzing their career adaptability and for using it in career counseling and education.     

Career Linking: An Intervention to Promote Math and Science Career Awareness

A 1-year intervention was designed to improve minority students' awareness of and preparation for math and science careers. Specifically, goals focused on increasing students' career knowledge, self-esteem, math and science achievement, choice of high school, and high school course selection in math and science. Results indicated success in career knowledge and high school choice and moderate success in achievement, self-esteem, and math and science course selection. Results are discussed in terms of implications for counseling.     

Sapphires-in-Transition: Enhancing Personal Development Among Black Female Adolescents

The author describes a counselor intervention program used for facilitating the personal development of adolescents. Intervention occurred through activities that were designed for Black female adolescents in a secondary public school. Goals were met through structured developmental activities, counseling sessions, and organized network support. Results indicated the program was successful.     

The predictive validity of a computer-assisted career decision-making system: A six-year follow-up

The present study tested the predictive validity of Making Better Career Decisions (MBCD), a computer-assisted career decision-making system. Seventy clients who had used MBCD six years earlier were interviewed by telephone about their present field of study or occupation and the degree of their satisfaction with their occupational choice. The participants were divided into two groups: one consisted of clients whose chosen occupation was on the list of occupations recommended by MBCD, whereas the other consisted of clients whose chosen occupation was not on the recommended list. In the first group, 84% were highly satisfied with their occupational choice and 16% were satisfied to a moderate extent. Among those whose chosen occupation was not on the recommended list, only 38% were highly satisfied with their chosen occupation, 44% were satisfied to a moderate extent, and 18% were dissatisfied with their choice. These findings support the predictive validity of MBCD. Implications for counseling and computer-assisted career guidance systems are discussed.     

Exploration as a predictor of congruence in adolescents' career choices

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that adolescents who explore a variety of career alternatives will make career choices that are more congruent with their personality styles than will adolescents who explore less broadly. The sample of 57 female and 45 male high school seniors (mean age = 17.6 years) completed an ego identity interview, from which each occupation they reported considering was coded for four dimensions: occupational prestige, substantive complexity, interest environment, and gender dominance. Participants also completed the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory and a verbal ability measure. Two indices were constructed to assess the degree of congruence between the adolescent's primary career choice and personality style. Regression analyses indicated that breadth of exploration in the four career dimensions, particularly in gender dominance exploration, was predictive of congruence for males and females.     

Enriching the Genetic Counseling Recruitment Pipeline: A National Cross-Sectional Study of Public High School Counselors

Early awareness of careers is helpful in recruiting students into a career pipeline. School counselors are among the top resources that students turn to when seeking advice about choosing their career. Studies show that high school is the ideal time to generate interest in the genetic counseling career, especially for minorities. This novel study of 291 high school counselors working in ethnically diverse public school districts in the United States examined to what extent members of this important group discuss genetic counseling as a career option with their students. The findings indicate that the majority of school counselors in this study (83%) did not discuss genetic counseling with their students, citing a lack of resources and lack of student interest as the major barriers. Suggestions of ways to increase high school counselors’ awareness of the genetic counseling career in order to enhance the goal of enriching recruitment of ethnic minorities into the genetic counseling pipeline are presented.     

Aspirations,Achievement, and School Counselors' Impact on the College Transition

This longitudinal study explored the extent to which early postsecondary aspirations, standardized test scores, and measures of college and career readiness counseling services received in high school predict later postsecondary aspirations, initial college enrollment, retention, and persistence. Findings indicate that each of the predictors was significantly related to the short‐ or long‐term outcomes used in this study. The authors discussed the importance of high‐quality college and career counseling services in light of these findings.     

Predictive validity of the medical specialty preference inventory

Medical schools can assist students by providing them with quality career counseling to help them choose a medical specialty. Many schools use interest inventories to help identify students’ specialty interests. This study examined the predictive validity of one such inventory, the Medical Specialty Preference Inventory (MSPI). In a longitudinal design, we used discriminant function analysis to examine how well students’ scores on the MSPI fit their chosen medical specialty one year later. The MSPI correctly predicted students’ future medical specialty choice 58.1% of the time. These results can help career advisors interpret MSPI scores, and identify students’ most likely medical specialty choice, as well as their second most likely choice.