The effect of group vocational guidance on the certainty, satisfaction, and realism of vocational choices made by grade eleven students

Dunn, Marcia Olive Louise (1972) The effect of group vocational guidance on the certainty, satisfaction, and realism of vocational choices made by grade eleven students. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a group vocational guidance program on the certainty, satisfaction and realism of vocational choices made by grade eleven students. -- The guidance program was carried out in the grade eleven classes in one Newfoundland high school. Grade eleven students in another school in the same community and in a third school in a similar community were used as a comparison or control group. The guidance program consisted of a variety of activities designed to increase the students' self-knowledge and occupational information. The objectives of the program were to increase the levels of certainty, satisfaction, and realism of the vocational choices made by the students. -- A random sample of the experimental group and of the control group was administered a questionnaire prior to the introduction of the group vocational guidance program. The purpose of this particular administration of the questionnaire was to determine the comparability of the two groups on the three criteria and to assess the levels of these criteria at the beginning of the treatment period. At the end of this period the same questionnaire was completed by all students in both groups. It was then possible to ascertain the extent to which each group had changed on the three variables over the six-month period. A two-way analysis of variance, followed by application of Duncan's New Multiple Range Test, was carried out on the data related to the main hypotheses of the study. -- It was found that of those students who changed their choices over the treatment period, only those in the experimental group made significant increases in certainty and satisfaction, while the control group made a significant increase in the level of realism. -- It was also found that, of the students who did not change their choices from pre-test to post-test, only those of the experimental group whose choices were judged to be unrealistic showed any significant increases in certainty and satisfaction. The hypothesized change for these students had been in the opposite direction. -- It is suggested that further research be carried out to determine the effectiveness of vocational guidance at different levels of pupil development. It is also suggested that a study be conducted to determine which factors are most likely to influence students to make realistic choices. The effect of students being aware of the objectives of a group vocational guidance program is another area considered to be worth studying. Finally, it is suggested that the effects of individual counseling in addition to group vocational guidance should be compared with the effects of group guidance without individual counseling.

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