Uppeldi og menntun - 01.01.2000, Page 57

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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