M.A. / There is a serious need for effective career guidance programmes in schools. Most of the research point out that the need is more evident in African schools. This can be linked to the high school dropout rate, resulting in unemployment and a low quality of life in some sectors of the population. Other factors like poverty and parents’ socio -economic status plays a part. This study sees the school as the most important setting and environment that is responsible for developing and promoting quality career development programmes that will produce learners that are going to be self-reliant in life. For such programmes to address the needs of the learners, they should be developmental in nature. Some of the characteristics of a developmental career development programme are that it takes all children in the school into consideration. It also has a preventative emphasis. The study raises concerns about the nature of career development in schools and whether their programmes are developmental in nature. The training of the guidance counsellors, as they are responsible for programme development, is also an issue. The study therefore describes at length a developmental career guidance programme, its characteristics, principles on which it is based and implementation. The psycho-education model is seen as a proper vehicle for training and for enhancing the skills of the guidance counsellors. A training manual in career development was developed as an intervention process in this study. Ten teachers who were firstly interviewed to assess their level of knowledge and training on career development were trained using this manual. The teachers were then interviewed, and gave a descriptive account of the knowledge acquired from the training. The results are discussed with reference to the theory and literature that are put forward in this study. The evaluation of the intervention of the study, which was the training manual, was positive. The teachers described it as helpful and easy to apply.

M.Ed.

D. Litt. et Phil. / The empirical aim of this study is the validation of a career guidance intervention, i.e. the SNUG-guide to career choices. Scheepers (1996) developed this guide for socio-economic deprived learners. An investigation will also be undertaken to ascertain whether the SNUG corresponds at a structural level with the SDS. If this assumption is validated, then the SNUG can replace the SDS as a measuring instrument in South Africa. The learners in the sample come from disadvantaged, socio-economic deprived backgrounds, and therefore Chapter One contained a discussion about the problems that face such communities in the career decision-making realm. The necessity of program development and validation to address these challenges was highlighted. It was determined that the focus should be on empowerment, in order to facilitate sustainability and to ensure that the community can regain control over their lives and future. The theoretical base was formed on Super (1990) and Bandura's assumptions and principles. The intervention was based on Holland's (1985) structural-inter-active model -just like the SDS. To meet the empirical aim of the study, a research method, namely the developmental research method, was utilized. The focus was on the evaluation phase, as this study focused on the validation of an intervention. Due to rationalization and other after-effects of the Apartheid era, there is a shortage of trained guidance personnel in disadvantaged communities. Applying the SNUG-guide can fill this gap, because both facilitators and learners can easily understand it. It was found that the SNUG-guide corresponded with the SDS on a structural level. The results of the research also revealed that most learners like their parents, still preferred Social and Conventional career fields. There is a welcome inclination towards the Investigative careers, which should be encouraged, because few disadvantaged people were historically represented in these careers. There was an absence of interest in the Enterprising fields, which should be investigated further. Learners also indicated that they have an aversion to Realistic careers, because of its historic negative connotation. The learners seemed to view the Artistic field as an extra-mural activity, rather as a career field. In the evaluation, most learners indicated that they had found the program beneficial and that they would be able to make and implement a career decision, due to the help that they have received. An empowerment program, like the SNUG - guide, proved to be a powerful tool to uplift and empower socio-economic deprived communities. It enhances their self-efficacy and leads to feelings of being in control of their lives. With the implementation of the SNUG-guide in this study, the intervention was validated as being an adequate tool to address the career decision-making difficulties of disadvantaged learners, and to empower the community.

Knowledge workers need to understand, leverage and capitalise on the new world of work to progress their careers through accumulating career competencies. Career capital is the concept of cumulative career competencies that are of value to the field of the individual’s work. A need exists for greater understanding of career path opportunities available and a possible sequence of accrual. This research adopts an exploratory approach and aims to probe rather than answer questions arising out of the need for more understanding. A qualitative methodology was used through a series of semi-structured but in-depth interviews on a sample of knowledge workers of engineers and information technology workers. The roadmap of career capital accrual for knowledge workers (Figure 5) transpired from empirical research findings founded from within the literature. The model concludes that career capital is accumulated along a recognisable path and sequence and that career gates generally act as reflection opportunities for workers. Not all workers enter these career gates, but value creation and career capital formation is possible for both workers entering and staying behind to specialise and optimise. The outcome of this research could support knowledge workers in unlocking value from their careers, making them more sufficient in creating careers with knowledge that is sought after by organisations. The research outcome could also facilitate organisations to retain top talent by understanding their career capital accrual approach. Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Knowledge workers build their career capital through learning experiences throughout their careers. How this occurs for the R&D knowledge worker has not been previously documented. The loss of key R&D personnel in the hightechnology (high-tech) industry contributes to a loss of tacit knowledge and increased costs. A greater understanding of why and how career capital is accumulated by R&D knowledge workers will facilitate the design of career management practices that could reduce voluntary employee turnover. A qualitative investigation into the applicability of eight widely recognised career capital components revealed a new component that is relevant to the high-tech R&D environment. These applicable career capital components and associated accumulation methods were used to build a quantitative questionnaire that measured the perceptions of 59 knowledge workers in the R&D environment. This research has, for the first time, explicitly defined tangible career capital constructs that are relevant to knowledge workers in the high-tech R&D environment. The findings have been used to develop a model to help organisations understand the career needs of the R&D knowledge worker within the context of the business environment. Recommendations are presented to allow organisations and R&D knowledge workers to leverage off this research. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

The purpose of this study was to examine (a) the ways in which employed feminist mothers of adolescent daughters share information about the world of work, and (b) how daughters are influenced by the communication they have with their mothers about careers. The research was conducted in a series of qualitative interviews with eight mother-daughter dyads and two mother-daughter triads. The mothers and adolescent daughters lived in one of two communities in the Southeastern United States. Mothers and daughters were interviewed together and separately. In the process of analyzing data from the interviews, 30 themes emerged. The themes in the category of "Mothers' Attitudes" were: 1) earlier career goals, 2) barriers to occupations, 3) sex discrimination at work, 4) sexual harassment, 5) positive professional experiences, 6) balancing work and family, 7) expectations of others, 8) something to fall back on, 9) division of labor at home, 10) influencing daughters' choices, 11) assessment of daughters' strengths and struggles, 12) workplace challenges daughters may face, 13) definitions of feminism, 14) comfort level with feminist label, 15) developing a feminist consciousness, and 16) feminism and child rearing. "Daughters' Attitudes" were coded: 1) dream job, 2) roads not to be taken, 3) career goals and objectives, 4)attitudes toward subjects in school, 5) influence of teachers and others 6) perceptions of mothers' expectations, 7) perceptions of mothers' work life, 8) career awareness and exploration, 9) fifteen years from now, 10) projected division of labor at home, 11) definitions of feminism, and 12) comfort level with feminist label. "Mother-Daughter Interaction" yielded two themes: 1) frequency and location of communication, and 2) advice and support for daughters' career choices. Recommendations for action included (a)that school personnel recognize mothers' contributions to career development, and (b) that schools and parents work together on eradicating sexism in schools. Some suggestions for areas for future research were (a) math teaching strategies, (b) parents and daughters in extra-curricular activities, (c) mothers in nontraditional careers, and (d) mothers and daughters in different cultures. / Ph. D.

This research endeavor contributes to a better understanding of the career development of adolescent mothers by (a) highlighting the contextual considerations; (b) examining the existing body of literature; (c) contributing to the research on adolescent mothers' career adaptability, resiliency, and obstacles; and (c) proposing ways to bridge the research to practice gap. An ecological examination of the contextual considerations associated with adolescent pregnancy and motherhood provided pertinent information on which to base a culturally sensitive framework to examine the career development of adolescent mothers using the concepts of career adaptability and resiliency and an assessment of obstacles that may impede their career development. The culturally sensitive framework was used in two studies conducted to better understand the career development of adolescent mothers. The first was a content analysis designed to provide a better understanding of the published literature and to direct a research study. Content analysis findings revealed the need to develop and implement comprehensive programs for adolescent mothers that are strength-based, responsive to areas of need, and foster career development skills/knowledge and resiliency. Using the results of the content analysis, a study was designed to examine the relationships among career adaptability, resiliency, and perceived obstacles to career development with a convenience sample of adolescent mothers. Results indicated that these adolescent mothers were similar to non-mothering peers in the planning and decision making dimensions of career adaptability but lower in exploration. Traits of personal resiliency and emotional reactivity were comparable to non-mothering peers, but relational resiliency was lower. Obstacles most often cited as impeding career development were pressing immediate needs and educational/career related concerns. Finally, the need to bridge the research to practice gap is discussed including considerations related to practitioners, organizations, and communication. In an effort to bridge the research to practice gap, the Interactive Systems Framework (ISF) is proposed as a model for communicating with practitioners through Synthesis and Translation, Support, and Delivery systems. The model is presented as an example for sharing with practitioners a culturally sensitive framework on the career adaptability of adolescent mothers supported by dissemination and implementation of research findings. / Ph. D.

School leaders are charged with the articulation of a clear vision for bringing about school change and providing students with an instructional program that promotes optimal learning (ISLLC, 2015). The purpose of this study was to examine secondary school principals' perceptions of professional development to achieve and/or maintain school accreditation. The study used a quantitative non-experimental research method along with simple descriptive statistics to analyze professional development experiences of principals and principal perceptions. The study included Virginia secondary schools in Region 2. Region 2 consists of 16 different school divisions with a total of 63 middle schools and 53 high schools. The research measured alignment of professional development to national ISLLC standards revealed in the literature review. Further examining relationship among relevance, quality, duration, format and differentiation of professional development for principals and variables such as school accreditation status. The research findings identified professional development experiences that were grouped by the following administrative themes: administrative, culture, data analyzing, instruction and technology. Approximately 99% of the professional development experiences were presented to principals face-to-face. All (100%) of the professional development experiences were aligned with the national ISLLC standards. Principals in the research study participated in only four online professional development experiences. Principals assigned to fully accredited schools accounted for 54.5% of the professional development experiences. Principals assigned to schools rated conditionally accredited reconstituted accounted for 28.7% of the professional development experiences. Implications for practice for improving the work of principals in secondary schools are recommended, as well as suggestions for future research. ' / Ed. D. / The purpose of this study was to examine secondary school principals’ perceptions of professional development to achieve and/or maintain school accreditation. The study included Virginia secondary schools in Region 2. Region 2 consists of 16 different school divisions with a total of 63 middle schools and 53 high schools (see Appendix A). The research measured alignment of professional development to national ISLLC standards revealed in the literature review. Further examining relationship among relevance, quality, duration, format and differentiation of professional development for principals and variables such as school accreditation status. The research findings identified professional development experiences that were grouped by the following administrative themes: administrative, culture, data analyzing, instruction and technology. Approximately 99% of the professional development experiences were presented to principals face-to-face. All (100%) of the professional development experiences were aligned with the national ISLLC standards. Principals in the research study participated in only four online professional development experiences. Principals assigned to fully accredited schools accounted for 54.5% of the professional development experiences. Principals assigned to schools rated conditionally accredited reconstituted accounted for 28.7% of the professional development experiences. Implications for practice for improving the work of principals in secondary schools are recommended, as well as suggestions for future research.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Baylor University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 135-139).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Ohio University, June, 2009. / Release of full electronic text on OhioLINK has been delayed until June 1, 2014. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-111)