Wendy Patton

Internal and External Barriers, Cognitive Style, and the Career Development Variables of Focus and Indecision:

One hundred and thirty final year high school students were administered scales tapping optimism/pessimism, self-esteem, external career barriers, career decision-making self-efficacy, career focus and career indecision. It was hypothesised, first, that cognitive style (optimism/pessimism) would predict both internal (self-esteem) and external career-related barriers, second, that internal barriers would interact with external barriers and impact on career decision-making self-efficacy, and third, the previously mentioned variables would subsequently predict career focus and career indecision. Results demonstrated that cognitive style was influential in determining the perception of internal barriers (for females and males) and external barriers (females only). Internal and external barriers, along with optimistic/pessimistic cognitive style, were found to predict career decision-making self-efficacy (in males, but not in females). There was no evidence that internal and external barriers interacted to predict career decision-making self-efficacy. Last, it was found that career decision-making self-efficacy, internal and external barriers, and optimistic/ pessimistic cognitive style were able to predict career focus (males and females) and career indecision (males only). Results are discussed in the context of Carver and Scheiers (1981) control theory.

Predicting Two Components of Career Maturity in School Based Adolescents

Three hundred and sixty-seven secondary school students across five year levels (8-12) were assessed for levels of career maturity (attitude and knowledge), work commitment, work value, career decidedness (indecision and certainty), career decision-making self-efficacy and self-esteem, and indicated their age, gender, socioeconomic status, school achievement and work experience. Using two multiple regression analyses, the predictor variables were able to account for 52% of the variance of career maturity attitude, and account for 41% of the variance of career maturity knowledge. Self-efficacy, age, career decidedness (certainty) and work commitment were the main predictors of career maturity attitude. Age, gender, career decidedness (certainty), work commitment and career decidedness (indecision) were the main predictors of career maturity knowledge. Results demonstrated the importance of examining two aspects of career maturity (attitude and knowledge), and were discussed in the context of Supers (1957, 1990) theory of career development.

Leaving High School: The Influence and Consequences for Psychological Well-Being and Career-Related Confidence.

This paper examines the well-being and career decision-making self-efficacy (CDMSE) of adolescents before and after leaving school, and tests for the changes in these variables as a result of leaving school. While at high school, 309 students were assessed on levels of school achievement, well-being (psychological distress, self-esteem, life satisfaction) and CDMSE. Nine months after leaving school, 168 of these students completed the above surveys and measures of their access to the latent (e.g. social contact, time structure) and manifest (i.e. financial) benefits of employment, and work commitment. At T2, 21% were full-time students, 35% were full-time students who were also working part-time, 22% were employed in full-time jobs, and 21% were in the labour market but not employed full-time. These groupings were differentiated at T2 on aspects of well-being, self-efficacy, and access to the latent and manifest benefits of work, and at T1 on aspects of well-being and confidence. Leaving school improved well-being and confidence for some. One group was disadvantaged by having poorer well-being while at school, which predisposed them to disadvantage in the labour market. Results are discussed in relation to models of well-being and drift/social causation.

Using qualitative assessment in career counselling

Advancements in conceptualisations about career and career development and irreversible changes in the world of work have necessitated that career counsellors reflect on their practice in order that it keeps pace and maintains relevancy.Fundamental to these reflections isconsideration of the place and nature of career assessment in career counselling.Traditionally, emphasis has been given toquantitative assessment. More recently, theprofile of qualitative assessment has beenraised, and its place in career counselling hasbeen strengthened relative to but not to theexclusion of quantitative assessment. However,there is little to guide the use of qualitativeassessment. This paper presents a theoreticaloverview of qualitative assessment in careercounselling and proposes guidelines for usingqualitative assessment.

Cross-Cultural Equivalence of the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form: An Australian and South African Comparison:

The present study examined the reliability, content and construct validity, and cultural equivalence of the short form of the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form (CDMSE-SF). In response to calls to conduct studies using the measure with high school-age samples, data were gathered from two samples of high school students, one from Australia and one from South Africa. The findings were in accord with earlier studies in that they failed to find five factors. Three factors were found with each sample; however, these factors were different in each sample and different from those reported in samples of U.S. college students, suggesting cross-cultural differences in the construct. The authors suggest that a more parsimonious version of the CDMSE-SF is possible, the CDMSE-SF does not adequately reflect its theoretical origins, and cultural equivalence cannot be assumed.

Career Counselling: Constructivist Approaches

Part 1 Overview of Constructivism Chapter 1 Constructivism: What does it mean for career counselling? Wendy Patton (Queensland University of Technology, Australia) and Mary McMahon Chapter 2 Career Counselling Theory, Culture and Constructivism Mark Watson (University of Port Elizabeth, South Africa) Chapter 3 Usefulness and truthfulness: the limitations and benefits of constructivist approaches for career education, guidance and counselling Hazel L Reid (Canterbury Christ Church University College, England) Part 2 Constructivism, Culture and Career Counselling Chapter 4 The Systems Theory Framework: A conceptual and practical map for career counselling Mary McMahon and Wendy Patton (Queensland University of Technology, Australia) Chapter 5 Active Engagement and the Influence of Constructivism Norman E. Amundson (University of British Columbia, Canada) Chapter 6 The use of narratives in cross-cultural career counselling Kobus Maree and Jacobus Molepo (University of Pretoria, South Africa) Part 3 -- Constructivist Approaches to Career Counselling Chapter 7 Career narratives Elizabeth M. Grant and Joseph A. Johnston (University of Missouri, USA) Chapter 8 Using a solution-building approach in career counselling Judi Miller (University of Canterbury, New Zealand) Chapter 9 Sociodynamic counselling Timo Spangar, Finland Chapter 10 Working with storytellers: A metaphor for career counselling Mary McMahon Chapter 11 Creative approaches to career counselling Mary McMahon Chapter 12 Constructivist career assessment Mary McMahon and Wendy Patton (Queensland University of Technology, Australia) Part 4 -- Constructivist Career Assessment Chapter 13 Card Sorts: Constructivist Assessment Tools Polly Parker (The University of Auckland, New Zealand) Chapter 14 Constructivist tools on the Web Heidi Viljamaa (Careerstorm, Finland)

Perspectives on Donald Super's Construct of Career Maturity

The evolution of Donald Supers construct of Career Maturity (CM) is traced from the Career Pattern Study of the 1950s to the innovative research of the Work Importance Study in the 1980s. Successful attempts to establish the portability of the CM construct across countries, particularly in Canada and Australia, are described. An overview of instruments derived from Supers theories about career development and maturity is presented, together with an overview of research on the correlates of CM. Reference is made to implications of changes over time in the nature of work and the nature of careers for Supers theories. As others have recognised, evolving changes in these areas mean that theories, to remain relevant, also need to evolve. The article includes discussion of some of the dimensions identified more recently as useful in explaining career development levels and patterns, including career indecision and work role salience.

The Relationship Between Career Variables and Occupational Aspirations and Expectations for Australian High School Adolescents

This study surveyed 925 Australian high school students enrolled in grades 8 through 12 on measures of occupational aspirations, occupational expectations, career status aspirations, and career status expectations; it tested the association between these variables and career maturity, career indecision, career decision-making self-efficacy, and career barriers. Adolescents generally aspired to or expected to work within a small range of RIASEC (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, or Conventional) occupational categories. One third of students reported occupational aspiration and expectation discrepancies. These differed across gender and across age for female students but not for male students. Students who demonstrated both occupational and status aspiration and expectation discrepancies reported more career indecision, were less confident about making a career-related decision, and were less career mature. Students generally held higher occupational status aspirations than expectations, and male students were more likely to choose professional occupations than were female students. Age differences were found for status expectations but not for status aspirations.

Conversations on clinical supervision: Benefits perceived by school counsellors

This Australian study describes the benefits of clinical supervision as perceived by school guidance officers who work in a large education authority. The participants were a random sample of guidance officers and senior guidance officers who agreed to participate in focus group interviews conducted via teleconference calls. The benefits of and reasons for clinical supervision graphically described by the participants raise questions about the cost of inadequate supervision to the individual counsellors themselves and to the profession as a whole. The findings become even more important when considered in light of the world of work of the 21st century.

Differences in Career Attitude and Career Knowledge for High School Students with and without Paid Work Experience

A large sample (N =1,279) of high school students was assessedusing the Career Maturity Inventory (CDI-A;Lokan, 1984). The two composite scales ofCareer Development Attitude and CareerDevelopment Knowledge were examined in relationto age, gender and whether the students hadengaged in paid work experience. Levels ofcareer maturity increased with age, and ingeneral, females at all age levels reportedhigher levels of maturity than males. Studentswith paid work experience reported higherlevels of Career Development Attitude thanthose with no paid work experience. CareerDevelopment Knowledge was not associated withpaid work experience. Gender differences alsooccurred, with females with paid workexperience generally reporting higher levels ofcareer maturity than males with paid workexperience. Results are discussed in adevelopmental context.