Uppeldi og menntun

						GUÐBJÖRG   VILHJÁLMSDÓTTIR

ABSTRACT

The present study evaluated outcomes in careers education in lOth grade, which is

the last year of compulsory education. The sample size is 297 adolescents (156 boys

and 141 girls age 15 to 16) from 15 junior high schools in two different types of

location, the capital area of Reykjavík and fishing villages. A questionnaire was

presented to the pupils at the beginning of the school year in autumn, before they

undertook the careers education programme, and again in spring, at the end of the

school year. The same questionnaires were presented to a comparison group that

received no teaching in careers education. Data was collected on the background of

the pupils and their grades, as well as information about their educational choice

for the upper secondary school level, career preferences, various aspects of career

decision making, occupational knowledge and finally the pupils were asked to

report what they thought of progress in making career decisions during this school

year.

The main results of the study are that careers education is effective on a

number of criteria. Pupils that receive careers education were more decided in their

educational intentions and they were better informed on educational possibilities in

upper secondary schools as they use more information resources. The careers

education group also had a higher level of knowledge and had gathered much

more information on the preferred occupation. The pupils that had not had careers

education were having more difficulties in decision making and did not make as

much progress in measures of occupational thinking. The pupils reported that the

careers education programme had helped them in making plans about future

education and occupations. Realism of choice was a concern of the study, but

careers education did have an effect in changing intentions that were clearly

unrealistic, with pupils with very low grades intending to take on educational

programmes where it was very probable that they would fail. A measure of deci-

sion making styles showed no change that can be ascribed to careers education.

Guðbjörg Vilhjálmsdóttir

er lektor við Háskóla íslands.

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