Worldwide, the estimated prevalence of intellectual disability in developed countries is between 2% and 3% (Foskett, 2014). As a developing country, the South African Government show signs of taking the necessary steps in including persons with disabilities in the general workforce (Department of Social Development of the Republic of South Africa, 2015). Forthrightly, post school options for learners from special schools are limited (DSD, DWCPD & Unicef, 2012) and, historically, they have been encouraged to pursue work encompassing basic skills, with little or no autonomy – and denied opportunities in the formal sector. The study aims to explore the value of implementing life design counselling as a means to educate and prepare learners from the vocational school setting (learners with intellectual/mental disability) for opportunities after the completion of their formal schooling; and encourage debate around the training of the relevant role players. Moreover, to counter the adverse thinking the learners – and teachers and parents – may be participating in. Through the comparison of the value the learners ascribe to their current career guidance/counselling and when supplementing life design counselling to the already implemented model; the learners are introduced to innovative/novel options and guided through the process with support. The quantitative findings of the study did not confirm nor refute the assumption of the intervention resulting in an increased career adaptability for the participant. Even so, the qualitative findings supported the aims of the intervention. The participant was able to, and expressed wanting to continue to, construct his concept of self within his systems of functioning, while also actively pursuing his vocational choices and the means to attaining them. Overall, the researcher found the life-design approach used in the study highly applicable to the participant and the context in which the study was conducted. The possibilities and limitations from this study could promote further research in the vocational schooling sector, equipping the role players to better service the demarcated category of learners (learners with intellectual disability). / Mini Dissertation (MEd (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2021. / Educational Psychology / MEd (Educational Psychology) / Unrestricted

Mediernas snabba utveckling skapar en oförutsägbar arbetsmarknad och den höga konkurrens som råder på området kan bidra till ohälsa och kostnader för samhället. Den ställer också krav på att utbildningar i hög grad måste hålla sig uppdaterade för att matcha den föränderliga omvärlden. Syftet med studien är att undersöka medie- och kommunikationsvetares karriärskapande inför, under och efter examen mot de kulturella näringarna. Utifrån The Chaos Theory of Careers används begreppen strange attractor, point attractor, locus of control och phase shift som analysverktyg. Vidare används begreppen Yrkesidentitet och Socialt Kapital. Studien utgår från intervjuer med sju medie- och kommunikationsvetare.Resultatet visar att det krävs särskilda färdigheter för att konstruktivt förhålla sig till en osäker och rörlig framtid. Flera sådana används redan i olika grad omedvetet i studenternas karriärskapande. Vid sidan av att lära sig nya färdigheter behöver medvetenhet om de färdigheter som redan används utvecklas. Undersökningen visar att studenter är beredda att genom ideellt arbete ”köpa” socialt kapital för att göra sig anställningsbara. Det sociala kapitalet riskerar att gå förlorat vid en flytt, vilket talar för att fler globala samarbeten behövs. Ett större fokus på mentorskap och handledning från näringslivet är gynnsamt för både utbildning och näringsliv. Två sammanvävda faktorer är avgörande i karriärskapandet; yrkesidentitet och socialt kapital. Samarbeten mellan studievägledarstudenter och studenter inom medie- och kommunikation kan bidra till båda gruppernas utveckling. Berättande i sig kan också användas för att få syn på karriärskapande färdigheter som redan används. / Media's rapid development creates an unpredictable labour market for media and communication scientists. The competition within the work area can lead to stress and illness, which in turn leads to high costs for society. The aim of this survey is to investigate media- and communication scientists’ creation of a career before, during and after graduation. The survey is based on the following question: How have media and communication scientists created their career before, during and after a general bachelor of media and communication studies? The concepts of strange attractor, point attractor, locus of control and phase shift (from The Chaos Theory of Careers) have been used as analytic tools. Along with this, the concepts of career identity and social capital have been used. The survey is based on interviews with seven media and communication scientists.The result shows that it requires special skills to respond constructively to an uncertain future. Some of these skills are apparent, however, without the students being aware of the influence the skills have in their career building. Besides learning new skills, awareness of the skills individuals already have, is needed. The survey also shows that students work for free to gain social capital. Therefore, a greater focus from the labour market on mentoring and coaching is desirable. The social capital, connected to the original region of education, is likely to be lost for students who move to a different location. Consequently, the development of a more global cooperation between education and labour market is needed. Two interacting factors are decisive in the career creation. These are career identity and social capital. Collaborations between career counsellor students and media and communication students, may also contribute to the development of both groups. The survey has also revealed that students describing their process of creating a career can be used as a tool to help students discover career creation skills that they already use.

A família e o trabalho sempre foram considerados eixos estruturantes para a construção da vida, embora seja consenso que estes domínios venham sofrendo transformações em seus paradigmas, o que tem repercutido nas trajetórias de carreira dos indivíduos. Por se considerar que os pais mantêm significativa importância nos processos de construção da carreira de seus filhos, duas investigações foram desenvolvidas. No Estudo 1, realizou-se uma intervenção com pais de adolescentes em fase de escolha profissional - o Grupo de Orientação de Pais - quando se investigou como os pais se posicionavam frente aos processos das primeiras escolhas de carreira de seus filhos. Os resultados do Estudo 1 culminaram com a proposta de realizar uma investigação de acompanhamento desses pais. Assim, o Estudo 2, apresentado nesta tese de doutorado, objetivou analisar como uma amostra desses participantes vivenciavam a construção das trajetórias de carreira dos filhos, após quatro anos do Grupo de Orientação de Pais. Para isto, realizou-se uma entrevista semiestruturada com os participantes que aceitaram colaborar novamente. Na fase do tratamento dos dados, temas narrativos foram delineados por meio da síntese de categorias temáticas construídas a partir das narrativas dos pais participantes, segundo a proposta de análise qualitativa de Minayo. Para a análise dos dados, dialogou-se com concepções de Winnicott e, da área da Orientação Profissional e de Carreira, com contribuições de Bohoslavsky e Savickas, a fim de se compreender como os pais atuavam junto a seus filhos na construção de suas trajetórias de carreira, favorecendo o desenvolvimento emocional. Após quatro anos do grupo de pais, os resultados apontaram que as experiências emocionais dos pais em suas trajetórias (inclusive com a família de origem) influenciavam suas atuações junto aos seus filhos. Considerando que as relações de influência ocorrem reciprocamente, as experiências dos filhos, na medida em que se desenvolviam emocionalmente e ampliavam seus contextos sociais, também repercutiam sobre as trajetórias dos pais, produzindo novos significados nesta relação. Entretanto, evidenciaram-se diferenças na construção das trajetórias de carreira entre os filhos dos participantes, assim como nas possibilidades de apoio material e emocional dos pais, sobretudo, em função de suas realidades psicossociais, econômicas e trajetórias educacionais-profissionais. Observaram-se ainda diferenças no modo como vivenciavam a progressiva independência emocional dos filhos que conduz à vida adulta. Em termos longitudinais, passados quatro anos, a experiência do Grupo de Orientação de Pais mostrou-se presente para os participantes, identificando-se sinais de que repercutiu positivamente em suas vidas no período circunscrito, segundo as peculiaridades de suas vivências. Isso se evidenciou ao fazerem referências a questionamentos ou mudanças que promoveram em suas próprias trajetórias de carreira e/ou às revisões em suas atuações junto aos filhos, no que se refere à construção das trajetórias destes e ao favorecimento do desenvolvimento. Considera-se que os achados contribuem com subsídios para o aprimoramento de programas de intervenção com pais, como também para a estruturação de novas pesquisas e intervenções que considerem a importância da construção da carreira ao longo da vida. / Although family and work have been considered essential to build ones life, it is agreed that these contexts have changed as in respect to their paradigms, which, as a result, has impacted the individuals career trajectory. As parents are believed to be significantly important in the career construction processes their children eventually go through, two investigations were carried out. In Study 1, an intervention was conducted with parents of adolescents who were choosing their careers Parent Counseling Group where it was possible to study how parents would behave while facing the processes that refer to their childrens first choices regarding their careers. The findings from Study 1 culminated in a proposal to offer follow-up counseling investigation to these parents. Therefore, Study 2, presented on this PhD thesis, had the objective of analyzing how a sample of the participants experienced the construction of their childrens career trajectories, four years after they had taken part in the Parent Counseling Group. In order to achieve that, a semi-structured interview was carried out with the participants who accepted to take part in this second study. When treating data, narrative themes were designed by means of synthesizing theme categories which were built from the parents narratives, according to Minayos proposal of qualitative analysis. In order to analyze data, Winnicotts conceptions were kept in mind and, when concerning Professional and Career Counseling, Bohoslavskys and Savickass contributions were taken into account, aimed at understanding parents role in the construction of their childrens career trajectories, favoring emotional development. Four years after the Parent Counseling Group, the results showed that the parents emotional experiences (including experiences they had had in the families they were born to) influenced the way they performed in relation to their children. Considering that the influential relationships were reciprocal, the adolescents experiences as they developed emotionally and broadened their social contexts would also impact their parents trajectories, bringing new meanings into this relationship. Nevertheless, some differences could be evidenced in regard to the construction of career trajectories amongst the participants children and also in regard to the possibilities of material and emotional support provided by parents, being the latter especially related to different psychosocial and economic realities and professional-educational trajectories. Other differences could be observed when it came to the way parents experienced their childrens progressive emotional independence, which leads adolescents into adulthood. In longitudinal terms, four years later, the experience with the Parent Counseling Group proved to be present for the participants, showing clear signs that it had positively impacted their lives during the mentioned period of time according to the peculiarities of each individuals existence. Such observation could be evidenced when they referred to questionings or changes they had made to their own career trajectories and/or when they looked back on their performances as parents concerning their childrens trajectory construction and the favoring of their development. These findings bring subsidies that shall improve intervention programs for parents and structure new research and interventions that consider the importance of career construction throughout ones life.

Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka hur privata aktörer arbetar med stöd och matchning av arbetssökande individer som saknar gymnasieexamen. Uppsatsen avser att besvara två frågeställningar: -Hur beskriver de privata aktörerna sitt arbete med lågutbildade individer? -Vilka insatser finns för lågutbildade individer i matchningsarbetet? Uppsatsen behandlar matchningsprocessen för arbetssökande. Främst belyses privata aktörers arbete med matchningsprocessen för lågutbildade individer samt vilka insatser som står till förfogande för målgruppen. Insamlad empiri består av fem kvalitativa intervjuer genomförda i en mindre och en större stad. Informanterna valdes strategiskt utifrån uppsatsens undersökta område. Intervjuguiden är formulerad i ett semistrukturerat format och baseras på teman som ansågs relevanta för att besvara frågeställningarna. Resultatet visade att det råder utmaningar med att matcha lågutbildade individer till sysselsättning samt att matchningsprocessen var densamma oberoende av utbildningsnivå. Signifikant för aktörerna var att de var beroende av arbetsmarknadspolitiska åtgärder och påverkades till stor del av Arbetsförmedlingens omorganisation.

Cette recherche qualitative, conduite dans un cadre épistémologique socioconstructiviste, a pour objectif d’explorer la construction des identités professionnelles de jeunes professeurs des écoles issus des immigrations. Les données de l’enquête ont été recueillies à l’aide d’entretiens semi-directifs auprès d’une population de 20 professeurs des écoles de la région Aquitaine âgés de 30 à 35 ans (10 issus des immigrations – 10 d’ « origine française »). Une analyse de contenu thématique du verbatim des entretiens a ensuite été réalisée. Des comparaisons entre les 2 groupes ont mis au jour des points communs et des différences au niveau : de l’éducation familiale reçue, des valeurs, du rapport à la religion, du choix du métier (désirabilité relative), des représentations et postures professionnelles. L’analyse du discours des enseignants issus des immigrations a révélé l’apport primordial des relations interpersonnelles dans la construction de leur Soi professionnel : c’est dans les interactions et dialogues avec les autrui significatifs de leurs contextes de vie (notamment familial et scolaire) que ces sujets se sont orientés, ont élaboré et concrétisé leur projet professionnel. Si en tant que descendants de parents immigrants, ils ont à relever des défis spécifiques (se construire dans une identité biculturelle, faire face à la discrimination, etc.), la diversité de leurs parcours d’intégration psychosociale et de leurs processus de personnalisation se manifeste par la construction d’identités professionnelles plurielles. Celles-ci se traduisent notamment par 2 manières d’être au métier : s’investir d’une mission professionnelle interculturelle en jouant un rôle de médiateur auprès d’élèves issus de familles défavorisées et/ou immigrées ; ne mettre en œuvre aucune pratique volontariste. / This study, conducted from a socioconstructivist framework, used qualitative methodology to explore the construction of minority teachers’ professional identity. Data collection consisted of in-depth semi-structured interviews with 20 primary school teachers aged from 30 to 35 years old (10 descendants of immigrants – 10 of French origin). The verbatim was analyzed using content analysis methodology. Comparisons between the 2 groups have shown differences and similarities in their: familial education, values, relationship to religion, career choice, professional representations. The analysis of minority teachers’ interviews has revealed the primordial contributions of interpersonal relationships in the construction of their professional Self (with significant others from family and school contexts, in particular). As descendants of immigrants they have faced specific challenges (face racism and discrimination, build an ethnic identity, etc.), the diversity of their psychosocial integration paths occurs in the construction of contrasted professional identities. Some of them are motivated by a desire of social justice, the goal of creating a bridge between mainstream culture and minority cultures becoming a career mission. Others, don’t do anything in particular for disadvantaged pupils or for those belonging to ethnic minorities.

Cette recherche qualitative, conduite dans un cadre épistémologique socioconstructiviste, a pour objectif d’explorer la construction des identités professionnelles de jeunes professeurs des écoles issus des immigrations. Les données de l’enquête ont été recueillies à l’aide d’entretiens semi-directifs auprès d’une population de 20 professeurs des écoles de la région Aquitaine âgés de 30 à 35 ans (10 issus des immigrations – 10 d’ « origine française »). Une analyse de contenu thématique du verbatim des entretiens a ensuite été réalisée. Des comparaisons entre les 2 groupes ont mis au jour des points communs et des différences au niveau : de l’éducation familiale reçue, des valeurs, du rapport à la religion, du choix du métier (désirabilité relative), des représentations et postures professionnelles. L’analyse du discours des enseignants issus des immigrations a révélé l’apport primordial des relations interpersonnelles dans la construction de leur Soi professionnel : c’est dans les interactions et dialogues avec les autrui significatifs de leurs contextes de vie (notamment familial et scolaire) que ces sujets se sont orientés, ont élaboré et concrétisé leur projet professionnel. Si en tant que descendants de parents immigrants, ils ont à relever des défis spécifiques (se construire dans une identité biculturelle, faire face à la discrimination, etc.), la diversité de leurs parcours d’intégration psychosociale et de leurs processus de personnalisation se manifeste par la construction d’identités professionnelles plurielles. Celles-ci se traduisent notamment par 2 manières d’être au métier : s’investir d’une mission professionnelle interculturelle en jouant un rôle de médiateur auprès d’élèves issus de familles défavorisées et/ou immigrées ; ne mettre en œuvre aucune pratique volontariste. / This study, conducted from a socioconstructivist framework, used qualitative methodology to explore the construction of minority teachers’ professional identity. Data collection consisted of in-depth semi-structured interviews with 20 primary school teachers aged from 30 to 35 years old (10 descendants of immigrants – 10 of French origin). The verbatim was analyzed using content analysis methodology. Comparisons between the 2 groups have shown differences and similarities in their: familial education, values, relationship to religion, career choice, professional representations. The analysis of minority teachers’ interviews has revealed the primordial contributions of interpersonal relationships in the construction of their professional Self (with significant others from family and school contexts, in particular). As descendants of immigrants they have faced specific challenges (face racism and discrimination, build an ethnic identity, etc.), the diversity of their psychosocial integration paths occurs in the construction of contrasted professional identities. Some of them are motivated by a desire of social justice, the goal of creating a bridge between mainstream culture and minority cultures becoming a career mission. Others, don’t do anything in particular for disadvantaged pupils or for those belonging to ethnic minorities.

A família e o trabalho sempre foram considerados eixos estruturantes para a construção da vida, embora seja consenso que estes domínios venham sofrendo transformações em seus paradigmas, o que tem repercutido nas trajetórias de carreira dos indivíduos. Por se considerar que os pais mantêm significativa importância nos processos de construção da carreira de seus filhos, duas investigações foram desenvolvidas. No Estudo 1, realizou-se uma intervenção com pais de adolescentes em fase de escolha profissional - o Grupo de Orientação de Pais - quando se investigou como os pais se posicionavam frente aos processos das primeiras escolhas de carreira de seus filhos. Os resultados do Estudo 1 culminaram com a proposta de realizar uma investigação de acompanhamento desses pais. Assim, o Estudo 2, apresentado nesta tese de doutorado, objetivou analisar como uma amostra desses participantes vivenciavam a construção das trajetórias de carreira dos filhos, após quatro anos do Grupo de Orientação de Pais. Para isto, realizou-se uma entrevista semiestruturada com os participantes que aceitaram colaborar novamente. Na fase do tratamento dos dados, temas narrativos foram delineados por meio da síntese de categorias temáticas construídas a partir das narrativas dos pais participantes, segundo a proposta de análise qualitativa de Minayo. Para a análise dos dados, dialogou-se com concepções de Winnicott e, da área da Orientação Profissional e de Carreira, com contribuições de Bohoslavsky e Savickas, a fim de se compreender como os pais atuavam junto a seus filhos na construção de suas trajetórias de carreira, favorecendo o desenvolvimento emocional. Após quatro anos do grupo de pais, os resultados apontaram que as experiências emocionais dos pais em suas trajetórias (inclusive com a família de origem) influenciavam suas atuações junto aos seus filhos. Considerando que as relações de influência ocorrem reciprocamente, as experiências dos filhos, na medida em que se desenvolviam emocionalmente e ampliavam seus contextos sociais, também repercutiam sobre as trajetórias dos pais, produzindo novos significados nesta relação. Entretanto, evidenciaram-se diferenças na construção das trajetórias de carreira entre os filhos dos participantes, assim como nas possibilidades de apoio material e emocional dos pais, sobretudo, em função de suas realidades psicossociais, econômicas e trajetórias educacionais-profissionais. Observaram-se ainda diferenças no modo como vivenciavam a progressiva independência emocional dos filhos que conduz à vida adulta. Em termos longitudinais, passados quatro anos, a experiência do Grupo de Orientação de Pais mostrou-se presente para os participantes, identificando-se sinais de que repercutiu positivamente em suas vidas no período circunscrito, segundo as peculiaridades de suas vivências. Isso se evidenciou ao fazerem referências a questionamentos ou mudanças que promoveram em suas próprias trajetórias de carreira e/ou às revisões em suas atuações junto aos filhos, no que se refere à construção das trajetórias destes e ao favorecimento do desenvolvimento. Considera-se que os achados contribuem com subsídios para o aprimoramento de programas de intervenção com pais, como também para a estruturação de novas pesquisas e intervenções que considerem a importância da construção da carreira ao longo da vida. / Although family and work have been considered essential to build ones life, it is agreed that these contexts have changed as in respect to their paradigms, which, as a result, has impacted the individuals career trajectory. As parents are believed to be significantly important in the career construction processes their children eventually go through, two investigations were carried out. In Study 1, an intervention was conducted with parents of adolescents who were choosing their careers Parent Counseling Group where it was possible to study how parents would behave while facing the processes that refer to their childrens first choices regarding their careers. The findings from Study 1 culminated in a proposal to offer follow-up counseling investigation to these parents. Therefore, Study 2, presented on this PhD thesis, had the objective of analyzing how a sample of the participants experienced the construction of their childrens career trajectories, four years after they had taken part in the Parent Counseling Group. In order to achieve that, a semi-structured interview was carried out with the participants who accepted to take part in this second study. When treating data, narrative themes were designed by means of synthesizing theme categories which were built from the parents narratives, according to Minayos proposal of qualitative analysis. In order to analyze data, Winnicotts conceptions were kept in mind and, when concerning Professional and Career Counseling, Bohoslavskys and Savickass contributions were taken into account, aimed at understanding parents role in the construction of their childrens career trajectories, favoring emotional development. Four years after the Parent Counseling Group, the results showed that the parents emotional experiences (including experiences they had had in the families they were born to) influenced the way they performed in relation to their children. Considering that the influential relationships were reciprocal, the adolescents experiences as they developed emotionally and broadened their social contexts would also impact their parents trajectories, bringing new meanings into this relationship. Nevertheless, some differences could be evidenced in regard to the construction of career trajectories amongst the participants children and also in regard to the possibilities of material and emotional support provided by parents, being the latter especially related to different psychosocial and economic realities and professional-educational trajectories. Other differences could be observed when it came to the way parents experienced their childrens progressive emotional independence, which leads adolescents into adulthood. In longitudinal terms, four years later, the experience with the Parent Counseling Group proved to be present for the participants, showing clear signs that it had positively impacted their lives during the mentioned period of time according to the peculiarities of each individuals existence. Such observation could be evidenced when they referred to questionings or changes they had made to their own career trajectories and/or when they looked back on their performances as parents concerning their childrens trajectory construction and the favoring of their development. These findings bring subsidies that shall improve intervention programs for parents and structure new research and interventions that consider the importance of career construction throughout ones life.

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the relationship between top academic achievement in Grade 12 and certain characteristics of career adaptability. The career construction theory and the counselling model for life designing constituted the theoretical framework for the study. This research study of limited scope was conducted according to an interpretivist metatheoretical paradigm. I followed a qualitative methodological paradigm based on a case study design. Purposive sampling was used to select participants according to their top academic achievement. A very important factor in all case studies is the collection of data from multiple sources. Therefore, data collection methods included the Career Adapt-Abilities Inventory, individual interviews, life line and life story. A deductive style of analysis was used to identify themes (concern, control, curiosity, confidence). Inductive analysis was used to identify subthemes. Based on the findings of the study the salient aspects of career adaptability were established as being concern, control, curiosity and confidence. The importance of career adaptability when negotiating change was demonstrated by participants in their orientation and preparation for the future, making decisions after careful planning and exploration, and seeking information, as well as having confidence in their own ability and choices. Finally the findings of my research study suggest a significant relationship between Grade 12 top academic achievement and certain characteristics of career adaptability. Additionally findings suggest that other variables such as participation in extracurricular activities, gender, race and socioeconomic circumstances should not be excluded and therefore need to be investigated further. Copyright / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

Please read the abstract in the dissertation. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

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