Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Zululand, 1999. / Since the emergence of the new democratic dispensation in the South African political arena, promises of more work opportunities, and hence a better life-style for the previously deprived citizens, inundate the media. The financial staff of the Sunday Tribune (February 9, 1997 :1) state that the government has committed itself to a coherent market-oriented economic growth plan in its Growth, Employment and Redistribution strategy (Gear). There appears to be tremendous shortages of personnel skilled in the economic sciences and as a result more students have undertaken to study economics so that they may have the necessary qualifications to gain access to these economically-linked careers. By directing this research specifically at the career aspirations of undergraduate economic students, much could possibly be done in teaching, and guiding them toward the realisation of their aspirations. The aims of this study were: * To pursue a study of relevant literature on achievement motivation, career choice and the self-concept. * To undertake an empirical investigation into the career aspirations of a group of undergraduate economic students at the University of Zululand, Durban-Umlazi campus. * To provide certain guidelines and recommendations regarding the inclusion of economics in a university curriculum that may help the student realise his career aspirations. Research with regard to this study was conducted as follows: * A literature study of available, relevant literature. * An empirical study comprising self-structured questionnaires completed by 304 undergraduate economic students of the University of Zululand (Durban-Umlazi Campus). The findings revealed, inter alia, that there are more female students engaged in further tertiary education; some students find it difficult to obtain career information; great difficulty is experienced by some students in getting to 'know themselves'; some students are not adequately trained in decision-making skills, and there is a limited number of trained vocational guidance counsellors to help them with career related problems. In the light of the aims and findings of the study, the following were recommended to tertiary educational institutions: provision of career resource centres; availability of trained vocational and subject advisors; establishment of employment contact offices, and an active mechanism should be set in motion to assist students to 'know themselves' and to develop their decision-making skills. This investigation has the following value: * It provides information on necessary prerequisites to enter economic-related careers. * The research served as an indicator of the relevance of economics in certain career aspirations.

ABSTRACT Pro or Bust: Career Aspirations of Division I and Community College Basketball Players Alexander Shahriar Engel The purpose of this study was to determine the difference, if any, between Division I and community college basketball players career aspirations. Interviews were held with eleven athletes from the Cal Poly Men’s Basketball team, and ten athletes from the Cuesta College Men’s Basketball team. The interviews were used to determine the impact of different variables on the athletes career aspirations, and to explore themes in the data. To look for themes, both axial and open coding was used. Division I athletes were more likely to aspire to be professional basketball players than the athletes at the community college level. However, community college athletes aspired toward higher education levels overall. Many of the variables such as low parental involvement and low socioeconomic status that typically have a negative impact on career aspirations did not seem to affect these athletes long term academic and professional aspirations. Being involved in athletics may shield or reduce the negative effects of the variables on the athletes; however, further study is needed. These findings can help coaches, athletic departments, and individuals working with youth. Keywords: Career aspirations, college athletes, men’s basketball, Division I, community college

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Curriculum and Instruction / Steven Harbstriet / Colleges of agriculture across the country are challenged to produce more graduates in order to meet the increase in employment opportunities in the areas of agriculture, food, and renewable natural resources. To attract students from areas with the most growth, urban communities, this study identified factors such as exposures to agriculture, college factors, and career aspirations that influenced urban students to major in agriculture and enroll in the College of Agriculture at Kansas State University (KSU). The accessible sample consisted of 125 students currently majoring in the College of Agriculture (agriculture students) and 18 students no longer majoring in the College of Agriculture (non-agriculture students) who completed the online questionnaire. Students from both groups were predominately female, non-minority students from the state of Kansas who entered KSU as incoming freshmen. The majors most represented were animal sciences and industry, pre-veterinary medicine, and food science and industry. The mean ACT score for agriculture students was 26.23 and 24.81 for non-agriculture students. For both groups of students, having a relative who worked in a field related to agriculture (grandparents, parent/guardian, aunt and uncle) was influential when they chose their academic major. A higher percentage of agriculture students had a relative who worked in a field related to agriculture or in production agriculture, compared to non-agriculture students. Career opportunities for graduates, hands-on-learning opportunities, friendly atmosphere in the College of Agriculture, visit to campus, quality and reputation of college faculty, availability of academic programs, and affordability of KSU were college factors most influential among the sample of students. Least influential factors were interaction with alumni, agriculture related camps and competitive events on campus, and ability to take online courses. Agriculture students were more influenced by career aspirations specific to career interests, such as working with people and animals, being able to use their creativity, or work with their hands. Non-agriculture students were influenced by broader career aspirations, such as having a job they enjoyed or being able to advance in their career.

Syfte: Syftet med studien är att skapa en djupare förståelse för hur stereotypiska hotet mot kvinnors karriärambitioner uppfattas påverka deras framgång i organisationen. Metod: I studien används en kvalitativ forskningsmetod med en hermeneutisk forskningsansats. I studien genomfördes tio semi-strukturerade intervjuer som analyserats enligt en tematisk analys. Slutsats: Studiens slutsats överensstämmer med tidigare forskning vad gäller de tre huvudkonsekvenserna från stereotypiska hot. Kvinnor upplever låga karriärmöjligheter, separerad identitet och ökad oro. Studien påvisar även stress som en konsekvens av en längre tids upplevelse av separerad identitet, vilket tidigare forskning inte funnit. Konsekvenserna gav oss en djupare förståelse av hur kvinnornas framgång iorganisationen påverkas av stereotypiska hoten. Förslag till fortsatt forskning: För att få en ännu djupare förståelse föreslår vi till fortsatt forskning att undersöka hur stereotypiska hot påverkar en organisation under en längre tid, genom att använda longitudinell metod. Uppsatsens bidrag: Studien bidrar till en djupare förståelse hur stereotypiska hotet mot kvinnors karriärambitioner påverkar deras framgång i organisationens. / Aim: The aim of the study is to create a deeper understanding of how stereotypical threats for women's career ambitions perceived influence their success in the organization. To understand the women and the organization we designed research questions for this purpose; How does gender stereotypes in leadership impact women's idea of leadership? How does the stereotypical threat impact women's career aspirations to climb in the organization? How do women experience that their success is influenced by stereotypical threat in leadership? Method: The study used a qualitative research with a hermeneutic research approach. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted, analyzed with a thematic analysis. Conclusions: The study's conclusion is consistent with previous research regarding the three main consequences of stereotypical threat. Women experience low career prospects, separate identity and increased anxiety. The study also found stress as a consequence of a longer experience of separate identity, which previous research has not found. Consequences gave us a deeper understanding of how women's success in the organization is influenced by stereotypical threats. Suggestions for future research: To get an even deeper understanding, we suggest further research to investigate how stereotypical threat affects an organization for a long time, using the longitudinal method. Contribution of the thesis: The study contributes to a deeper understanding of how the stereotypical threat to women's career ambitions affect their success in the organization.

More and more people are attempting to increase their human capital by increasing their qualifications. Post-graduate studies, according to many, is the way forward as it will enhance one‟s personal and professional prospects. This research project is intended to make a contribution to the field of education by looking at how a Masters degree affects the life values (the meaning and status attached to one‟s life) and prospects of individuals taking up post-graduate studies. It uses the tracer study methodology to create an impact in determining how the WITS Masters Programme has affected the post-graduate student in terms of life values. It specifically targets the Masters in Education degree at the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS) by tracing the lives of six graduates from the year 2002. The research is a qualitative tracer study that aims at establishing a relationship between what is studied and the effects this has on the lives of the graduates

Year 12 has been identified as a critical decision point in the career decision making process for students. Students have been found to make decisions in different ways some having already defined goals for the future others are doubtful and make tentative goals. At the end of Year 12 students are faced with the task of career decision. During the final two weeks of year 12 these students will have to make choices about their imminent future that is whether to do tertiary studies/seek apprenticeships look for immediate employment or defer studies for a time and seek employment. A review of major theories relating to career determination was undertaken. Decision-making theories have identified twelfth grade/age range 16 - 18 years, as being one of the critical decision periods for an adolescent. 355 A.C.T. Year 12 students from Catholic Colleges were given a questionnaire designed to probe students' self awareness in relation to study habits coping abilities, as well as a description of some of their personal qualities relating to school life, subject interest, and career benefits derived from the future career considered. The information gained from the Questionnaire was reduced to a number of sets of relationships by factor analysis. The personal factors of subject interest, career benefits and further study interests were examined by canonical correlation techniques with Career Types. Students with an interest in scientific careers exhibited an interest in the physical science subjects. Those with an expressed interest in a blend of science and expressive arts career were a group of students with creative ideas / leadership aspirations,an interest in cultural and physical science subject, and a desire for further- studies. Another group of year 12 students involving more girls than boys showed an interest in a cluster of careers with a social involvement component but a rejection of routine activities. Students with an interest in environmental subjects with a possession of management and living skills looked towards careers that provided out of doors activities involving social work and selling. There was a positive correlation between these personal factors and the students' choice of a career.

This study set out to document and compare differences in career paths and career aspirations between women and men primary school teachers in the ACT. The study wished to confirm in the ACT, the kinds of differences between career patterns well documented elsewhere and to go beyond this to an exploration of why these differences persist and the implications of them. A questionnaire with factual items on teachers' career backgrounds and open-ended questions on teachers' attitudes was sent to a random sample of teachers in ACT government primary schools within the four cells made by the two dichotomous criteria of women and men, promoted and non-promoted. Data was tallied, categorized, and despite the small sample, statistically significant differences were found: Women take more and different kinds of leave; women teach the younger children but have greater teaching experience across the grades; in terms of intending to stay in their career, women have a greater commitment to teaching than men. Women are more negative towards promotion and express career ambition in professionally oriented terms, i.e. in terms of children and teaching. Men, particularly those promoted, express career ambitions in extrinsic, promotional terms. Women have high career satisfaction; promoted men are the most dissatisfied. In contrast with promoted men, non-promoted men come from metropolitan areas and have less extrinsic and more child-centred career aspirations. Teachers' attitudes to grades were studied: grades 5/6 were the most sought after for promotional purposes, had the highest status yet were considered to be relatively easy to teach. The early years had least value in promotional terms, lower status and were the most difficult to teach. The system needs to re-appraise definitions and assumptions about teachers' careers in general and women's role as a commited group of professional teachers. Teachers disinterested in conventional career ambitions, most of whom are women, are undervalued while decision-making is in the hands of non-practicioners in male-dominated heirarchical structures.

This field study aims to identify and examine the consequences and influences of course selections and career choices made by students, their parents and college staff. Because of a lack of information regarding the implications of their selected programmes of study, many students choose unwisely and as a result, have become confused about the relevance of their choices in relation to the achievement of their ultimate career aspirations. To achieve the aims of this study, an analysis of the course selections and career choices of the Year 12 graduates of 1983 from Copland College was completed. This field study is divided into three main sections. The first section comprises Chapters I and II which outline the historical development of secondary colleges within the Australian Capital Territory. The author briefly discusses the influence of both the Hughes and the Campbell Reports and illustrates how these Reports were used as the basis for the establishment of the educational structure we now have for our senior secondary college students in Canberra. In addition, this section details the historical background of careers education within the Australian Capital Territory and the influences this has had on the status of career education at Copland College. The second section covers Chapters III, IV and V. In this section the function of the Student Services Faculty within Copland College is discussed and also a brief explanation given of the type of information gathered by college and administrative staff for career and course advice. The author provides a description of the procedures II used to obtain and collate the information collected for this field study. A questionnaire method of data collection was the basis used to examine the post-collegiate activities of over 240 graduate students of 1983, and part of the questionnaire relates specifically to the destinations of these ex-students. Finally, the third section incorporates Chapters VI and VII. It details the results of my research covered in earlier chapters and at the same time, synthesizes that of other educationalists as it relates to this field study. The concluding portion of this section sets out recommendations proposed to meet the problems identified in such areas as student course selections and careers advice.

This mixed methods study investigates how ecological factors influence the decisions urban Hispanic middle school and high school adolescents make concerning their college and career aspirations. I examine the academic aspirations, career aspirations, the influence of peers, teachers, and parents of seventh-, eighth-, ninth-, and tenth-grade urban Hispanic adolescents, and gender roles in college and career aspirations through the lens of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological subsystems theory. Participants took the Student Career Assessment (SCA) survey consisting of Likert-type multiple choice questions and open-ended questions to assess their college and career aspirations. Quantitatively analyzed data examined the extent urban Hispanic middle school and high school adolescents were influenced by items on scales of encouragement, literacy, and education and whether there were differences by gender and grade level. Student responses as to why they chose a specific career were analyzed qualitatively. Combined results for urban Hispanic middle school and high school adolescents show a) both genders are interested in finishing high school and going to college, b) Hispanic females are encouraged more than males to pursue their college and career aspirations, c) more females than males know their career aspiration, but the majority of students do not know how to prepare for their chosen career, e) females have more confidence in their literacy skills than males. The more confidence Hispanic high school students have in their literacy skills, the more likely they are to graduate from high school. Implications for future research should involve conducting studies in the areas of college and career aspirations of urban Hispanic adolescents using random sampling. More gender studies involving the college and career aspirations of urban Hispanic adolescents would significantly add to the current body of knowledge.

This qualitative study utilizes data acquired from interviews with 18 community college transfer students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) majors and 7 university staff people who work in direct student services with this student population. This study explores the experiences of transfer students in STEM majors regarding what influenced their college persistence, particularly the relevance of STEM career aspirations. Students report their experiences of social and academic integration after transfer; the phenomenon of transfer shock is also explored and incorporated. Institutional policies such as articulation agreements are considered. Implications for student services practice and future research are presented.