In a national sample of 10,416 high school seniors, rural students had lower educational and occupational aspirations than urban or suburban students, but rural students' aspirations were consistent with the perceived expectations of their parents and teachers. (SV)

The Lohrville Career Education Model (LCEM) was instituted as a systematic attempt at exploring careers in Iowa and inducing Iowa youth to seek careers closer to home following high school graduation or post-secondary education training; a major purpose of the Toward Community Growth project was to teach positive attitudes about living and working…

To determine what effect marriage deferment might have on the ability of both sexes to achieve higher educational levels and, therefore, possibly higher occupational status, the study examined socioeconomic status, attitudes toward future educational and occupational attainments, actual educational and occupational attainments, and desired…

Focusing specifically on teaching as a career goal among rural youth in Norway, Germany, and the United States, this cross-national comparative study took into account the general patterning of career ambitions in each society--upward mobility opportunities, status attainment strategies, and organizational character of the educational systems…

As part of the Federally sponsored School Program Advancing Career Education (SPACE) in the schools of Greeneville and Greene County, Tennessee, a student interest inventory was conducted to aid in assessing a 45 percent dropout rate in the county. A 25-statement questionnaire (concerning occupational/career interests, communication skills, and…

A 1972 follow-up study of 282 Spanish-surname and 176 Anglo youths who grew up in the rural Southwest analyzed data (results to be used to develop future Federal programs) on occupational and social adjustment. Surveyed 7 years after 8th grade graduation, each subject represented 1 of 14 rural counties with 10 percent or more Spanish-surname…

The study was an attempt to discern what rural youth in Louisiana expect to achieve in the future. Objectives of the study were to determine, with reference to race and sex differences, (1) future occupational plans, (2) educational plans, (3) type of community rural youth expected to settle in, and (4) desired age for marriage and number of…

In 2004, the Center for Rural Pennsylvania contracted with Pennsylvania State University to begin a longitudinal study of rural Pennsylvania school students to understand their future aspirations, the factors influencing these aspirations, whether their plans change as they age, and if they attain their goals and plans. The main research questions…

A survey of rural secondary school students examined the formation of adolescent occupational identity by identifying predictors of students' ideal jobs. Data were collected from 612 of the approximately 750 students in grades 7-12 in a rural Pennsylvania school district. Predictors of choice of ideal job, by descending influence, were gender,…

Louisiana Tech University conducted a program to reduce drop-out probabilities for at-risk special needs adolescents as part of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). Eighty-six students between the ages of 14 and 16 were chosen as "at-risk" based on economic disadvantage, lower academic performance, behavioral and adjustment problems,…

One of a series on selected topics, this bibliography of resource materials and research findings is drawn from ERIC documents; the 42 citations on rural youth cover expectations and aspirations about education, occupation, residence, marriage, and procreation (several are historical change studies), and focus on such influences as race, sex,…

Using data from a cross-sectional sample of 4,376 South Carolina high school seniors in 1969 to determine the differences in the perception of conditions relating to teacher choice among white and black females and males, the study explored the relative perceived importance of the following items in choosing a career: the chance to make a lot of…

Studies on U.S. rural youth indicate current regional and ethnic diversity; limited rural-urban differences; and some limited social change in terms of values, needs, and aspirations. The size of the rural youth population is considerable (25,013,948 out of a total youth population of 93,313,518 in 1970). The majority of rural youth are white…

Examines background characteristics and personal attributes as decision factors for youth migrating to or from or remaining in rural areas. Explores relationship of migration decisions to early adult social and economic attainment. Shows migration related to both sets of variables. Suggests considering local opportunity structure in labor…

Questionnaire responses of 918 midwestern 8th, 10th, and 12th graders reveal that rural adolescents, especially males, were more likely to experience conflict between career aspirations and future residential preferences than their urban peers. Additionally, rural 10th graders expressing conflicting aspirations were more likely to have lower…