Guidelines and materials for teaching the Career Planning and Decision-Making course at Bowling Green State University are presented. The manual is divided into the following sections: (1) an overview of the course objectives and grading guidelines for facilitators, (2) expectations of the students for completing assignments, (3) a course syllabus…

Argues against the idea of an early commitment to a college major and provides statistical support for this premise. Various sources of pressure to choose a college major are listed. Suggests necessary changes for counselors, including a positive attitude toward indecision. (RC)

The principal purpose of this empirical study was to identify factors in the backgrounds and college experiences of American undergraduate students that affect their interest in studying science and in pursuing science-related careers. Four-year longitudinal data were obtained from 27,065 freshmen who entered 388 four-year colleges and…

Few studies have compared the educational experiences and outcomes of students attending historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) to those of students attending traditionally white institutions. This study consists of three analyses that contain some justification for the continued existence of HBCUs, threatened by court decisions that…

This article examines the lifestyle balance between career and family desired by the next generation of workers and whether these desires have been influenced by socioeconomic variables and maternal work patterns. The individuals who will enter the workforce in the next several years are the first generation in which most mothers worked outside…

In the present study, the authors investigated the academic subject matter domain specificity of the social-cognitive career choice model (R. W. Lent, S. D. Brown, & G. Hackett, 1994). The relationships between self-efficacy, goals, outcome expectations, and interests were examined across the subject areas of art, social science, math/science, and…

To understand better the factors involved in students' decisions to pursue graduate study in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering (NSME), this study surveyed a stratified sample of 1,651 NSME majors who took the Graduate Record Examination General Test in December 1990, planning to enroll in graduate school. The survey asked for…

This study was conducted from the perspective that the under-representation of women in science is, at least partially, a consequence of learning, and therefore, may be considered a symptom of a hidden curriculum in science education. A nine page review of the literature is presented on this subject. This study investigated the direct and indirect…

The inadequate number of credentialed school psychologists in schools across the United States has concerned educational professionals for several years. One way that this problem was addressed was to mail information/recruitment posters to undergraduate psychology majors. Organizers mailed posters initially to psychology departments found in a…

Data from the Maryland Longitudinal Study following 772 individuals who entered the University of Maryland College Park (UMCP) in 1980 were further analyzed to identify characteristics of students who complete the degree program within 5 years and have developed a vocational identity. Subjects were initially identified as either in the…

A study determined differences among the levels and types of career indecision within and between two cross-cultural groups of undergraduate students from two counseling centers. The groups were 88 University of Pittsburgh students and 79 Universidad del Pacifico, Peru, students. The Indecision Scale of the Career Decision Scale (CDS) was used to…

A study between college students from two different cultural and social backgrounds who were undecided about careers assessed levels of indecision, social support, and self-esteem. The context for the study was career indecision research showing that cultural values and specific characteristics of Hispanics and Latinos were deeply rooted in their…

The career expectations of 200 randomly selected preservice teachers (143 females and 57 males) were examined to determine differences associated with gender, socioeconomic status (SES), and academic achievement (as indicated by grade point average). The study was conducted at the University of Central Florida (Orlando) from 1986 to 1987. Subjects…

Social class and ethnic group differences in college students' career maturity were investigated. Participants were 401 undergraduates (250 females, 151 males) attending California State Univesity, Long Beach. Quantitative measurements included: (1) the Duncan Index of social class; (2) Career Maturity Inventory-Attitude Scale; (3) the Vocational…

This report explores several areas of participation of American Indians in higher education. Following a brief history, data are presented on population characteristics, enrollment, degrees, staff, and institutions for the years 1975-76 to 1984-85. Data vary according to year and cover virtually all accredited United States colleges/universities.…