Effect of career education module on career development of community college students

Parker

et al. 2019

JTLGE

Indecisiveness and negative thinking regarding career pathways can hinder university students’ career planning, motivation, and mental health. Students intending to enter the workforce after graduation therefore need to develop skills related to career adaptability (i.e. career planning, decision-making, problem solving/confidence and exploration), particularly since career planning and construction is linked to gaining employment. This study aimed to test the effectiveness of an online career planning module on students’ career adaptability. The career-focussed online module, based on the constructs of Savickas’ (2005) theory of career construction, and tailored to students’ skills and interests, was developed and embedded into the University curriculum of a second-year exercise and public health-related unit. In 2018, 80 students completed the online module, along with pre- and post-intervention questionnaires assessing career adaptability elements including career planning, decision making, problem solving/confidence, and exploration. Dependent t-tests were conducted to assess differences in these measures pre- and post-intervention. Post-intervention, significant increases in career-planning strategies used (t(69)=5.45, p<0.001), career planning concern (t(69)=3.73, p<0.001), decision making (i.e. career path identification) (t(70)=3.86, p<0.001), decision making confidence (t(65)=2.69, p<0.01), and problem solving/confidence (t(65) = 2.16, p=0.03) were observed. Further, 80% of participants identified jobs at post-intervention not previously identified pre-intervention (exploration) and 71% of participants perceived improvements in confidence regarding job ideas/making career choices. Findings from this research indicated that completing a brief online career education module, tailored to an individual’s skills and interests, improved all dimensions of the participating students’ career adaptability. Further research utilising longer-term follow-up and randomised controlled trial designs are required to confirm the reliability and transferability of the findings.

Section: Career Planningsupporting

confidence: 93%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A pre-post evaluation of an online career planning module on university students’ career adaptability

Parker

et al. 2019

JTLGE

“…The findings, more generally, indicate the importance of focusing on the role of gender stereotypes, present also in the educational and domestic environment in vocational choice 51,52. These findings enhance the centrality of the moment of choice that may find support in a counseling service,52 which increases a more conscious approach in students.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 78%

Gender stereotypes in occupational choice: a cross-sectional study on a group of Italian adolescents

Ramaci¹,

Pellerone²,

Ledda³

et al. 2017

PRBM

BackgroundGender beliefs represent cultural schemas for interpreting or making sense of the social and employment world, as they can influence attitudes, career aspirations, and the vocational decision process of young people, especially the adolescence.Materials and methodsThis study examined the influence of gender stereotypes on the choice of career in adolescents. A group of 120 students were recruited to complete an ad hoc questionnaire, Scale of Perceived Occupational Self-Efficacy, and Semantic Differentials. The objectives of the study were to analyze the relationship between occupational self-efficacy and professional preference; to measure the influence of independent variables, such as age and gender, on the representation that students have of themselves and of the profession; and to identify the predictor variables of self-efficacy in the vocational decision.ResultsData showed that the distance between professional identity and social identity increases with age. Results underline that males seem to perceive themselves more self-efficient in military, scientific–technological, and agrarian professions than females. Furthermore, the type of job performed by parents appears to be a self-efficacy predictor variable in the choice of professions in the services area.ConclusionIndividuals’ perceived occupational self-efficacy, gender, age, and parents’ profession have implications for exploratory behavior. The conditions that make gender differences salient are more likely to favor self-representations of the career and consistent assessments with these representations.

Journal for the Education of Gifted Young Scientists

“…Incongruency occurs when a person is in an environment that is not seen as creating opportunity to develop the individual's skills and abilities (Salleh 2010). Previous studies also show the factor influences in career interest, career choice, career decision making, career value, career maturity, and career self-efficacy (Turner & Lapan 2002;Walker & Tracey 2012;Scott & Ciani 2008;Behrend et al 2007;Luzzo 1995;Talib et al 2015;Ismail 2011).…”

Section: Career Environmentmentioning

confidence: 90%

Profiling of Aspiration and Interest towards STEM and TVET Careers among Lower Secondary Students: A Malaysian Case Study

Bakar

2020

Education system in Malaysia continues to develop and expands to meet the demands of 21 st century that strongly advocates the use of technology in teaching and learning. As such, basic education gives greater emphasis on two fields; STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) and TVET (Technology & Vocational Education Training) in order to encourage school students to pursue higher education in STEM and TVET fields; however, the aspiration and interest to pursuit higher education in both fields are still low among school students. The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify profiling of career aspiration and interest of Malaysian school students in both fields. Using Career Exploration Test adapted from Self Directed Search (SDS) with 90 items to evaluate six types of career interests: Realistic (R), Investigative (I), Artistic (A), Social (S), Enterprising (E) and Conventional (C), 138 students, aged 13 years old, from a particular secondary school in Selangor state were sampled as respondents. Data was descriptively and inferentially analysed. Findings showed that the pattern of dominant traits of interest were Social (S), Investigative (I), and Realistic (R). In general, there was no difference between female and male students. However, for Realistic (R) dimension, majority of male students were dominant as compared to female students. Further findings also showed the existence of high congruency between aspiration and interest for career dimensions of Social (S), Investigative (I) and Realistic (R). This study has implications for schools and related stakeholders to conduct career development programs especially to nurture the interests among students in STEM and TVET from the early stage of secondary schooling years.