How can two-year colleges ensure that all students can access quality career navigation opportunities that inform their studies and position them for meaningful, family-sustaining work? That is the challenge being addressed at Boston's Bunker Hill Community College through a college-wide initiative known as Ethnographies of Work (EoW). The…

This study focused on K-12 students attending outreach activities (i.e. activities from STEM-based industry emphasizing applications of STEM content in the STEM field), with the main objective being to motivate students for a future career in STEM. Outreach activities can be regarded as environments that extend the regular in-class learning…

The importance of embedding employability skills in English Higher Education has received increased attention since the introduction of tuition fees and employers claiming that graduates lack the necessary skills for the workforce. This paper considers how these employability skills align with students' aspirations, when there is uncertainty…

Academic choice and exploration are essential aspects of undergraduate education in the United States, allowing students to select courses with minimal restrictions. However, students often face challenges in navigating the complex academic landscape, hindered by limited information, insufficient guidance, and an overwhelming number of choices.…

The goal of this study was to provide insights on the extent to which high school students receive support for college and career planning, the mechanisms through which they receive this information, and how this varies across students and settings using data from a multi-state, multi-study project focused on advising for postsecondary…

Helping students make connections between the disciplinary study of communication and the development of student agency in career exploration can be an important part of the mission of the introductory course in communication. This study incorporates social cognitive career theory to examine the effects of a semester-long communication career…

Pathway programs provide early exposure to various health careers. Positive program outcomes have been conveyed from the student's perspective. Previous studies yet to demonstrate a focus on the experiences of high school teachers who instruct in pathway programs. The primary research question for this study is: How do high school teachers…

The aim of this study was to review and analyze studies on pre-employment transition services (pre-ETS) conducted before and after the passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA) to capture decades of changes in these studies. A content analysis of literature was conducted on 95 studies on pre-ETS implemented in the…

It appears that a disconnect may exist between the taught curriculum in middle school and the real-world applications of Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) concepts, leaving students underprepared to envision themselves in future STEM roles. This two-cycle action research study investigated the connection between middle school…

Purpose and Method of Study: The purpose of this mixed-method case study program evaluation was to assess the effectiveness of a middle-level career exploration program to determine whether any program adjustments should be implemented for overall student success. From a population of 152 core classroom teachers, 55 teachers responded to a survey…

This study used a short-term longitudinal design to test the social-cognitive model of career self-management's (CSM) theorized pathway in which exploratory actions mediate the association between career exploration self-efficacy and decisional outcomes. The study clarifies the role of exploratory actions in the decision-making process by…

One way to engage in career exploration and gain expertise in a specific field is through a college education. Some studies have sought to discuss the external factors that play a role in a student's career decision making prior to and after entering college, but none of these studies discuss the role a social movement plays in a college student's…

Background: STEM minority participation programs have been widely implemented in higher education with the goal of diversifying the global STEM workforce. Informed by research highlighting the potential of targeted exploration of STEM roles and refection on the self in relation to STEM (identity exploration), this work examines how engagement in a…

Are students ready for jobs when it comes time to graduation? This is a common question, and one that is often addressed in the media (e.g., Collie, 2019). Despite psychology being one of the most popular degree plans for undergraduate students (e.g., Higher Education Research Institute, 2008), many students in undergraduate psychology programs…

Background: The role of career interventions and their impact on students' sense of self and preparation for careers in STEM fields is an underexplored teaching and research area within STEM education. Purpose: The purpose of our mixed-methods study was to examine how a life sciences career exploration course at a large public research university…