Influences on Adolescents' Vocational Development

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2014

This paper aims at studying the role of gender in the formation of vocational interests and career orientation during adolescence; the study is based on John L. Holland's theory regarding vocational interests and E. Schein's theory of career anchors. The sample was composed of eighty-four pupils in the 12 th grade, forty boys and forty-four girls. The results show that there are no gender differences regarding vocational interests or career orientation, neither at global level nor on either of the dimensions described by the authors of the theories which form the base of the study.

1976

The vocational choices (industrial and/or agricultural) of 663 adolescents from 4 rural. Italian provinces of differing socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds were analyzed in terms of the motivational need underlying vocational choice. These provinces included the traditionally rural Cosenza in southern 7:taly, the more developed Treviso and Reggio Emilia in the north, and the heterogemeons city of Latina in central Italy. The latent and more general connotations associated with agricultural aud industrial work were surveyed via a questionnaire consisting of 2 series of 15 adjective scales (independent, secure, simple, prestigious, original requiring initiative, freer monotonous, requiring sacrifice, remunerative, risky, satisfying, sanitary, technical, and specialized). Four factor analyses were made for each occupational orientation. Essentially paralleling the four provinces, the factors were: physical strength required; technological specialization; self-realization; remunerativennse as a source of satisfaction/security; simplicity as source of security; remunerativemess_and/or simplicity as giving security. Results indicated: vocational images did condition adolescent choice; Trevieo and Reggio Emilia adolescents were motivated by personal self-realization in the job; in Latina and Cosenza, instrumental motivations were operative which were both external and internal to the job itself as well as to degree of self-realization (JC) * * via the ERIC Document Reproduction Service (EDRS). RDRS is not * responsible for the quality of the original document. Reproduction * * supplied by MRS are the best that can be made from the original.

The Career Development Quarterly, 2011

The authors invc tigated the relation hip between adolescent occupatiOnal aspirations and midlife lareer success. The model for adolescent occupational aspirations was dc:ril c:d from Gottrrcd on's ( 1981) theory of circumscription and compromise . The ,\llthors hypothesized that parental socioeconomic status (SES), ability, and gender prediCt adolc:sccm occupational aspirations and influence career achic\emcnt in later life Gottfn:dson's model was a good fit fi.>r the data. SES and ability influenced the f()rmation of occupational aspiratiom, and ability and gender predicted career .tchtc\emcnt in l.ltcr life. Additionally, occupational aspirations predicted career achtc\cment in later lite . Adolcsccm girls achieved lc:ss career success 111 midlitc th.m dtd adolescent boys.

Journal of Research on Adolescence, 2013

Longitudinal data from the Youth Development Study are used to examine (1) how young people establish work with self‐identified career potential and how these patterns are linked to educational attainments; and (2) how adolescent achievement orientations, experiences in school and work, and sociodemographic background distinguish youth who establish themselves in careers and those who flounder during this transition. Multilevel latent class models reveal four school‐to‐work pathways from ages 18–31: two groups that attain careers through postsecondary education (via bachelor's or associate's–vocational degrees) and two groups that do not (distinguished by attempting college). Multinomial logistic regression models demonstrate that academic orientations, socioeconomic background, and steady paid work during high school help adolescents avoid subsequent floundering during the school‐to‐work transition.

2000

The causes of inequalities in educational outcomes between chil- dren from different social origins are the matter of a long-standing debate. Empirically, this situation appears to be due mainly to two phenomena : the difference in level at school between children from different social origins, and the difference in vocational orientation be- tween children with the same level at school

2005

Resumo. O objectivo do presente estudo é a análise da relação entre os estatutos da identidade vocacional e variáveis do âmbito familiar, ao longo da adolescência. Como variáveis ligadas ao contexto familiar, foram consideradas as seguintes: percepção de apoio dos pais, habilitações escolares dos pais, autoconceito familiar, amizade dos irmãos, divórcio versus não divórcio dos pais, e ainda visualização televisiva de programas agressivos. A amostra foi constituída por 547 alunos do 7º, 9º e 11º anos de escolaridade, de ambos os sexos. Como instrumento de avaliação, utilizou-se o "Occupational Identity Scale", de Melgosa (1987) e já objecto de adaptação para Portugal (Veiga & Moura, 1999; 2005), com os seguintes factores: diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium, achievement. A análise dos resultados permitiu observar, na generalidade das situações, diferenças significativas nas dimensões da identidade vocacional, em função de cada uma das variáveis independentes, apresentando-se tais diferenças favoráveis aos grupos de pertença a melhores contextos familiares. Observou-se, ainda, o efeito da interacção da variável ano de escolaridade com as variáveis ligadas ao contexto familiar, em variadas situações consideradas. O estudo inclui a discussão dos resultados e sua comparação com investigações algo similares, remetendo para a necessidade de novas pesquisas, em função de variáveis escolares e pessoais. Palavras-chave. Identidade vocacional, Adolescência, Clima familiar.

Vocational maturity is a key concept in the developing field of vocational psychology, which falls under the broader domain of guidance and counseling. In India, the absence of significant initiatives has been observed in this context. Adolescents gain awareness and job readiness. Recognizing skills, talents, interests, and career trends is part of teenage development. Vocational maturity in adolescence helps future career growth. They must select whether to go to college or work after graduation. The capacity to manage the challenges of various stages of occupational growth, from exploration to withdrawal, is what we mean when we talk about career maturity. Work is vital and desired. A person's vocational maturity is a unique aspect of their entire development and is a complex process that takes into account a number of variables that affect their conduct. After determining and establishing their place in their chosen field, a person should work to solidify and advance their standing in it. A developmental goal known as vocational maturity ensures that one will be successful and satisfied in their chosen career. This study intends to create a career maturity profile for teenage professional programs. Addressing vocational maturity in adolescence is its goal. For informed work choices, students may have a career maturity program suited to their needs. Students should learn about themselves and be given the skills to make informed academic and professional selections based on their interests and abilities throughout program preparation. Parents must focus on and encourage teens' job objectives. A parent's main job is to encourage critical thinking and career exploration.

Journal of Vocational Behavior, 1985

The literature related to vocational behavior and career development published during 1981 is reviewed in this paper. (Unless otherwise indicated, all references are 1981.) As in the and Bat-to1 reviews, pertinent books and empirical and theoretical articles, published in the primary journals in the fields of psychology, sociology, and organizational behavior were reviewed. Exclusions included articles focused primarily on measurement methodology (except where unique to vocational behavior) and empirical studies based on populations entirely outside of North America. The latter is a growing body of literature but not yet sufficiently well developed to ascertain the appropriateness of generalizing across radically different economic and cultural environments. The major categories of this review include vocational behavior of women, vocational behavior of blacks, assessment, aspiration and choice, life span aspects of careers, worker adjustment problems, and interventions. Long overdue, and therefore welcomed all the more, is a set of studies in 1981 that focuses on the development and implementation of women's careers through middle age. Consideration of them in this one section provides a timely contribution to the nascent development of the psychology of women in the world of work. Three authors found very early development of a sexual division of labor even in contemporary society. Riley, in a survey of 540 kindergarten children, found that 97% of the girls selected occupations which are traditionally female and 85% of the boys selected occupations which are traditionally male. The boys also perceived a significantly wider range of vocational options than the girls. Teglasi obtained similar stereotyped selections from 96 kindergarten through 6th-grade children when assessing preferences for various toys and occupations. White and Brinkerhoff's survey of the division of family chores and paid employment

Journal of Vocational Behavior, 1977

Using a cross-sectional design and canonical regression analysis, the differential relationships between work values and social, educational, and occupational experiences and aspirations were examined for boys and girls in grades 6, 9, 10, and 12. Support was found for predicted differences in work-values correlates across grades and between sexes. The experiences and aspirations studied generally correlated positively with an intrinsic value pattern for girls rather than boys. Discussion focuses on possible determinants of sex-related differences in the patterning and correlates of work values.

2002

In this paper, we consider how recent social changes in the United States may be affecting vocational decision making. While adolescents often maintain high educational and occupational aspirations, the transition from school is characterized by few institutional supports, the prolongation of education, and a multitude of options with respect to the combination of school, work, and family. In such a context, what themes characterize decision making about schooling and occupational careers? We draw on qualitative interviews collected as part of the Youth Development Study (n = 1000), a longitudinal study of work through adolescence and early adulthood. Multiple themes were identified including unfulfilled expectations, the postponement of decisions, turning points that crystallized decisions, and resources and obstacles including, among others, family, work, school counseling, and teachers. These themes characterize contemporary occupational decision making and thus would be appropriate focal points for future research. They also suggest that social policies may need to be modified to facilitate the young people's quest for vocational identity and work.

Karlsen, UD (2001): Some things never change: Youth and occupational preferences. Acta Sociologica 44(3): 243-255., 2001

The purpose of this article is to study patterns of occupational preferences among young people in Norway. What do they consider important when they are planning their future occupation? Are their preferences the result of gender, residence or the education of their father? There are different ways of understanding the formation of individual preferences and values. Pierre Bourdieu's concept of habitus is a perspective where such preferences are considered to be the products of structural variables such as educational background, geographical background and gender. As an alternative, a perspective is presented where the underlying assumption is that such determinants have ceased to function and individual freedom is central. In the second part of the article, empirical data are used to test the hypotheses posed by these two opposing perspectives. The data are from a survey conducted among upper secondary school pupils in Norway. The pupils were asked what they regarded as important and less important when choosing their future occupation. The results indicate that, although many pupils embrace post-material values such as self-realization, others think differently. Some of the differences may be explained by educational background and gender. This leads to the conclusion that both perspectives, structural reproduction and individual freedom, are justified when modern society is being discussed.

Journal of Vocational Behavior, 2002

In a follow-up study of over 17,000 individuals born 12 years apart (in 1958 and 1970) this article investigates the formation and realization of teenage career aspirations in a changing sociohistorical context. Two types of analytical models, a mediating model and a contextual systems model, were used to analyze the processes by which the effects of social structure influence teenage aspirations and subsequent occupational attainment. Both models suggest that teenage aspirations in combination with educational attainments are a major driving force in the occupational development of young people and that they mediate the effects of socioeconomic background factors. The contextual system model is an elaboration of the mediating model, providing additional insights into the effects of distal and proximal contexts. Differences in the experiences of young people growing up 12 years apart indicate that the sociohistorical context plays a key role in shaping occupational progression. For the later born cohort the importance of educational credentials has increased, both in influencing teenage aspirations and predicting adult occupational outcomes.

1988

A study examined the impact of vocational education enrollment on the occupational aspirations of high school students, after correcting for the effects of other variables that also affect those aspirations. The data used for the study were collected in the High School and Beyond Sophomore Cohort study, second follow-up, when former students were age 30. Variables taken into account were gender: socioeconomic status, grade point average, and basic ability. The results showed that the major contributor to basic ability was socioeconomic status. Basic ability was the major contributor to both grade point average and to vocational enrollment pattern, whereas vocational enrollment pattern was the major contributor to occupational aspiration. The study concluded that even when correcting for the effects of gender, socioeconomic s*.atus of family, basic ability, and high school grade point average, the students who enrolled in vocational education express lower occupational aspirations than nonvocational students. The results of the study thus support earlier findings that enrollment in vocational programs produces reduced occupational aspirations among students. However, the -tudy recommended further research to determine what variables other than the ones studied produced the actual effect, as well as the fact that vocational educators stress the upward mobility possibilities of vocational education, not just entry-level jobs. (KC) Reproonctions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.

Behavioral Sciences

Adolescents who have to make decisions regarding their future career or academic path can be greatly influenced by parental expectations and other individual and contextual factors. The aim of this study is to explore the impact of adolescent–parent career congruence on adolescents’ well-being and future intention to enroll in a university course. The recruitment of participants took place through a combination of convenience sampling and snowball sampling. A sample of 142 high school students who are managing their decisions for the future completed an online questionnaire. Data were analyzed through a path analysis (SEM) with observed variables, and different indices were evaluated to check the model goodness of fit. The data show that congruence with parents’ wishes has a significant effect on academic motivation, work hope and mattering, which in turn have a positive and significant effect on both future intentions to undertake university studies and on the participants’ occupat...

Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 1999

Two hundred and sixty grade 9 through 12 students completed questionnaires designed to examine relations among social support, perception of future opportunity, and education and career aspirations and expectations. Path analyses showed that for both males and females, perception of opportunity predicts educational expectations, which, in turn, predict educational aspirations and career expectations. For females, peer, family and teacher supports predict perception of opportunity, whereas for males only family support is predictive of perception of opportunity. ANOVAs demonstrated that females perceive more teacher and peer support than do males, and that compared to their male peers, females have greater perceived future opportunity, educational aspirations and expectations, and career expectations. Both males and females indicate a greater gap between career aspirations and expectations than between education aspirations and expectations. The possible contributions of socioeconomic conditions and gendered socialization are discussed.