Educational Needs for the Development of a Career Exploration Program for Human Ecology Majors for High School Students: A Survey Targeting Experts and High School Students

Abstract

As human life and welfare become more valued in the Fourth Industrial Revolution era, the role and mission of human ecology are expanding. Therefore, a career exploration and education program for high school students covering all the academic fields of human ecology may be necessary. To investigate what would be needed to develop such a program, a focus group interview (FGI) targeting experts within the same field and a survey targeting high school students were conducted. As a result of the FGI, a total of 3 categories and 7 subcategories were identified. The three categories included “human ecology and high school education,” “human ecology and career choices,” and “education program development and management in human ecology.” The results of the high schoolers’ survey showed that they had a moderate level of awareness about careers related to human ecology majors, but their interests and known information about human ecology programs in universities were low. Within the sub-content of each major, the contents with the highest educational needs were fashion product management, nutrition by disease, housing market analysis, personal financial management, and children’s rights and welfare. If a career exploration and education program is implemented in the future, the most preferred type is a mentoring program by professors, students, and graduates in the field of human ecology. In conclusion, it is necessary to develop and implement an integrative education program about human ecology majors based on the educational needs of high school students.