Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2002. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 74-80). Also available on the Internet.

“Career-related Experiences (CRE)” is one of the components of Other Learning Experiences (OLE) within the New Senior Secondary (NSS) curriculum system. This research is a multiple case study to investigate the impacts of CRE on career education and guidance practices at NSS level. Semi-structured interviews are conducted with the career masters, class teachers, subject teachers and Secondary 5 students from three aided schools of varying academic levels. The results of interviews reveal that school management and teachers are in general positive towards the implementation of CRE. Correspondingly, changes are brought to the preexisting practices of career education and guidance, which include the adoption of developmental approach, and increased diversity of activities and allocation of resources. However in terms of students’ career development, the impacts on self-understanding and perception of future career are relatively shallow, when compared to the effort made by the career team. It is suggested that higher concerns should be placed on the depth of programmes so as to help students internalise their learning through career education. While the value of CRE is to a certain extent confirmed in this study, practical suggestions for implementing of CRE are made. Topics for further research are also proposed with regard to the limitations of this research. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

It has always been the initiative of agricultural education to provide our American society with the educational "needs of the day" (Meyer, 1999). As our nation and state enters a new era, it is fitting for an examination of the future needs of agricultural education teachers. In Texas, the State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) currently has no assessment of the agricultural systems knowledge of agricultural education teaching candidates. This study examines the future agricultural systems competencies of beginning agricultural education teachers. Two groups, agricultural education professionals and administrators of agricultural education programs, were asked "what the future agricultural systems competencies of beginning agricultural science teachers should be." Two independent panels, the first composed of eleven (11) educators and the second composed of twelve (12) school administrators, were identified to serve as experts. A three-round Delphi was used to collect the data. Each round allowed the expert panelists to converge to a consensus of agreement that identified future competencies for beginning agricultural science teachers. Panelists were asked to provide competencies associated with the five powerful and fundamental conceptual areas of biological, physical, social, informational, and other integrative science which underpin agricultural education (Paul, 1995). The study revealed a three-fourths consensus with one-hundred (100) future competencies necessary for beginning Texas agricultural science teachers. Among these competencies twenty-three (23) were associated with the biological sciences, twenty-seven (27) were associated with the physical sciences, twenty-five (25) were associated with the social sciences, twenty (20) were associated with the informational sciences, and five (5) were associated with other integrative sciences. The study found seventeen (17) "highly recommended" topics and six (6) "recommended" topics related to the future agricultural systems competencies identified by the expert panelists. Cooper and Layard (2001) reveal that our future society will be much more technologically and sociologically advanced requiring teacher preparation institutions and state agencies associated with teacher preparation to develop new, innovative programs to better prepare tomorrow's educator. This study recommends that new agricultural systems standards be developed to adequately prepare future beginning agricultural science teachers.

For some time, youth worldwide have faced high levels of unemployment, up to twice as high as adults in Canada (Quintini, Martin, & Martin, 2007). In an environment proliferated with economic recovery initiatives responding to the global economic downturn that began in 2008 (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2010), navigation towards employment for youth is complex and dynamic. Many rural communities were damaged by the global economic downturn, particularly in eastern Ontario (Jinha, 2009). The value of career education in supporting youth with transition from school-to-work is widely supported (Bell & O’Reilly, 2008). To my knowledge, a teacher’s perspective on teaching compulsory career studies within times of significant economic challenge has remained unexplored. Using two strands of data collection, document analysis was used to describe policies and strategies that comprised the Canadian and Ontario governments’ responses to the global economic downturn and the provincial policy on career education. I undertook interviews with a career studies teacher to document her knowledge of Canadian and Ontario governments’ responses, and how and from where she gained this knowledge. The teacher’s perceptions of challenges faced by career studies students’ when seeking employment, and of what this knowledge contributed to her teaching practice were also reported. The documents revealed that Canadian and Ontario governments’ had responded to the global economic downturn with similar policies and strategies, influenced by future economic security. The Ministry of Education curriculum documents included economy which was linked with the students’ learning and to the expectations of the curriculum. The teacher had limited knowledge of federal and provincial policies and strategies, although she saw connections to the career studies curriculum. The teacher supported her career studies practice through experience gained in a combined role as a teacher of cooperative education and business subjects, and the experience of colleagues. I concluded that the teaching of career studies was influenced by the teacher’s other teaching subjects, and career studies teachers’ need access to appropriate, current resources to meet curriculum expectations. Expanding the program to full-credit status might allow teachers greater flexibility to tailor the career studies program to meet individual students’ needs. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2011-09-27 11:37:15.56

<p>The thesis took the general question of responsive curriculum development which meets both the needs of work and those of the academy as its starting point. The rationale for the topic flows out of education policy and societal pressures worldwide which are calling for an ever greater responsiveness from higher education to the workplace in the twenty-first century. Responsiveness to work requires collaborative and integrative work between communities of academic and non-academic practitioners. Differences between knowledge and practices at work and within the academy are broadly acknowledged in the literature, yet the ensuing nature and complexity of interactions between these two communities in curriculum design on the ground is poorly understood. A key point is to recognize that integration as such cannot be the goal / the differences remain, but have to turned into productive collaboration and joint development, for example, of a curriculum.</p>

This study aimed at investigating African students' perceptions of careers guidance in African schools. It aimed at determining the extent to which students viewed careers guidance and the effectiveness to which careers guidance programmes in schools have been able to assist them to make informed career decisions and choices. Literature reviewed revealed that careers guidance services were inadequate in schools due to the legacies of the apartheid era. As a result a lot of school leavers found themselves unable to make occupational choices. The relevance of careers guidance in relation to career development theories argues that a holistic approach to careers guidance in African schools is important because of a variety of factors (personal, situational and developmental) which influence career decisions and choices. Also, the negative views held by teachers and learners of careers guidance greatly impacts on its success. The study drew its data from a sample of University of Zululand students enrolled in the faculties of Arts, Education, Commerce and Administration, Law and Science. The research used a questionnaire with closed-ended questions to elicit the data required. The questionnaire focussed on the importance of careers guidance, effectiveness of careers guidance programmes in career decision making and choices, and the influence parents have on career decisions and choices. The study also tested the relationship between students' perceptions of careers guidance and the variables of gender, family composition, and degree registered at the university. The findings revealed that students perceived careers guidance to be important. However, careers guidance is perceived by students as having been ineffective in helping them make informed career decisions and choices. Parents were also found not to have been influential in career decisions and choices of their children. The study also revealed significant differences between males and females, single and both parent families, and the different degrees registered. Females were found to be more wanting of careers guidance than males. Students from single parent families were found to rely more on the school than the home for careers guidance as opposed to both parent students. Females found parents to have been more influential in their career decisions and choices than males who considered parents unimportant in influencing career decisions and choices. The implications of the findings were that careers guidance programmes ineffectively enhance learners' career development. As a result they are unable to make sound career decisions and choices. Learners' decisions and choices may still be influenced by gender, family and academic constructs. It is recommended that careers guidance be enforced in schools and given equal status to the other subjects . Relevant careers guidance programmes which are context specific and related to the job market are also an absolute necessity for learners. Only effective careers guidance programmes would lead to effective career decisions and choices. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1999.

The purpose of this research was to investigate career development of gifted and regular elementary school students. Students in grades four through six from a university laboratory school were examined by ability, grade level, and gender in several areas of interests, using the Holland (1985a) Theory of Vocational Personalities and Work Environments.The Self-Directed Search - Form E (SDS-E; Holland, 1985b) and The Occupational Alternatives Questions (OAQ; Slaney, 1980) were administered to 148 students, 34 of which had been identified as gifted. Holland (1985b) SDS codes were assigned to the SDS obtained scores and the stated occupational choices. Prestige of occupational choices were also assigned, using the socioeconomic index of Stevens and Cho (1985).Demographic variables and hypotheses were tested by MANOVA and ANOVA statistical procedures to determine the nature of relationships between variables.Results indicated overall significant main effects in the MANOVA of obtained SDS codes for the independent variables of grade, sex, and ability. Males scored higher than females on the Realistic code. Females scored higher on the Artistic and Social codes. Gifted students scored higher on the Investigative code. On the ANOVA of the differential variable, there were significant differences by grade and sex, with fifth grade students and females more highly differentiated. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

Thesis (D.Ed.)--Pennsylvania State University, 2007.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University. / Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Peter C. Cairo. Dissertation Committee: Marion R. Dragoon. Bibliography: leaves 93-101.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1997. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 87-91). Also available on the Internet.