Career maturation in the context of a mandated intervention at the grade ten level
By: by Diana V.W. Cassie.
Published: 2005
Language: eng
Number of pages: 165
Subjects: Career education -- Ontario.; Decision making in adolescence.; High school students -- Ontario -- Attitudes.; Adolescent psychology.; Maturation (Psychology)
Description: The purpose of this study is to identify the effects of a mandated intervention, Ontario's compulsory grade ten Career Studies half-course, on selected dimensions of career maturity. These dimensions include: congruence between espoused and tested career interests (Congruence), perceived self-efficacy in the career decision-making process (Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy), extent of career choice certainty (Certainty) and indecision (Indecision), and extent of engagement in the career decision-making process (Engagement). Dimensions of career maturity were further examined in relation to students' aptitude, academic achievement, gender, perception of barriers to career development, and expression of need for assistance with educational and career planning. It was hypothesized that these variables would mediate the effect of the Career Studies half-course on dimensions of students' career maturity. A sample of 371 students was obtained from 8 schools from across Ontario. Two classes from each school were selected to participate in the research. One was a class of students enrolled in the Career Studies course which formed the experimental group and the second was a class of students not yet enrolled in the Career Studies course which formed the control group. The results indicate that students enrolled in the course exhibited greater Congruence (p = .022) and Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy (p = .065) and less Career Indecision (p = .005) and Exploration ( p = .052). No difference was found between groups in terms of Career Certainty. Gender appeared to mediate the effects of the course, revealing differential results between genders for each of the supplemental variables. Differences were also found in dimensions of career maturity between males and females in the absence of the intervention. That dimensions of career maturity also related non-uniformly to supplemental measures, aptitude, achievement, perception of barriers, and need for assistance with educational and career planning highlights the complexity of the career maturity construct.
Notes: Thesis(Ph.D.)--University of Toronto, 2005.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 146-155)