Holland's Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) and Super and Forrest's Career Development Inventory (CDI) are recommended in the their respective manuals for use with secondary school students regardless of academic ability. Scores on both instruments for 245 suburban high school seniors in this investigation were well below reported means.…

A program description of a group approach to vocational counseling is outlined and discussed in terms of theoretical background and application. Preliminary data are also presented that suggest that students show change on an index of career maturity as a result of their participation in the program. (Author)

Investigated construct of career maturity in United States and Israel by assessing attitudes about career decision making among U.S. and Israeli ninth and twelfth grade students on the Career Maturity Inventory (CMI). Indicated differences across cultures in career maturity and sex differences on some individual subscales of the CMI. Showed grade…

Philadelphia's public schools and local businesses have jointly sponsored job training academies for "high risk" inner city high school students since the late 1960s. Career-focused and committed, the program has expanded successfully. (CJH)

Outlines a study determining which of two career guidance methods was most effective. A didactic and structured guidance approach proved more effective in promoting career maturity than the more flexible method. Results reveal students' need for structure and suggest beneficial effects of using career guidance in the academic curriculum. (JAC)

Assessed the effects of a career awareness program on the career maturity of ninth-grade students. No difference was discovered on overall career maturity between experimental and control groups. Results indicate that a developmental approach is needed that can regularly be evaluated and restructured. (JAC)

This study compares effects on high school students (N=959) of the Self Directed Search (SDS), the Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI), and no treatment. Students taking the SDS or the VPI evaluated the instruments, felt more satisfied with current occupational choices, and considered more occupational alternatives. Differences between the…

Presents biographical information on Lenore White Harmon, noted professor, counselor, and researcher. In a question-and-answer section, Harmon describes her early career decisions, work history, research efforts, professional contributions, important influences and reflections on her career development. (KW)

Analyzed answers of college freshmen who completed the Strong Interest Inventory and who were retested 12 years later. Results show that the presence or absence of well-defined vocational interest patterns among college freshmen bears little relationship to later vocational achievement (a career and annual earning) and to job and career…

The vocational development of 547 disabled students (ages 10-24) in the United States and the Federal Republic of Germany was classified by disability type and compared with able-bodied students, in terms of plans, realism, initiative, work values, commitment, and occupational awareness. Germans made specific training plans whereas U.S. students…

Teachers' career transitions and their positive as well as negative outcomes were left relatively untouched in the literature and research on education. In an effort to fill in gaps in knowledge, this paper reports the findings of a life story study that explored inter-school transitions during the career cycle of mid-career women teachers in…

Over the past 15 years, post-secondary institutions have experienced a significant increase in the enrollment of students with disabilities. This study examined the career decision-making attitudes of 21 college students with disabilities and the impact of their disability on academic and career choices. Nineteen undergraduates and two graduate…

A study examined relationships between career maturity and participation in the Future Farmers of America (FFA) and between career maturity and participation in supervised agricultural experience (SAE). The primary hypothesis was that career maturity is positively related to participation in FFA and SAE. A cluster random sample was used with the…

Since career development extends through the life span, career assessment may be helpful to individuals of all ages. This paper explains the theoretical bases for career maturity and provides definitions and correlates of the construct of career maturity. School psychologists, who typically work with students-at-risk academically and socially,…

This analysis originally prepared for the Japan Study Meeting, held November 1985, compares high school graduates in the United States and Japan who will not attend college, and includes directions of vocational training in both countries. Vocational training in the United States involves five areas: secondary schools, post-secondary schools,…