The purpose of this study was to explore career outcomes in young adulthood for individuals with ADHD and/or high abilities. The sample included respondents who had valid ability and ADHD measures from waves 1 (1995), 3 (2002), and 4 (2009) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent and Adult Health in-home questionnaire. Using multiple group path analysis, we examined the pathways for three groups of individuals (i.e., ADHD, high ability, and both). Our findings indicated shared as well as unique pathways in these three groups, involving their parents’ education, parental educational expectation, family income, school attachment, depression and anxiety symptoms, educational aspiration, high school GPA, and post-secondary educational enrollment modeled on perceived social class, occupational status, and career goal attainment. The findings suggested group differences in some significant pathways. Knowledge about these trajectories will help educational and mental health professionals better understand the potential supports and barriers in career success for these individuals with exceptionalities.

Abstract THE ROLE OF LEARNING EXPERIENCES, SUPPORTS AND BARRIERS FOR THE DOCTORAL STUDENT By Madeline B. Goldman, DDS, MEd A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2018 Major Director: Robin Hurst, Ed.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Teaching and Learning This study seeks to understand the role of career development classes offered by the graduate school at a large public research university as part of its Leadership and Entrepreneurs for Professional Development (LEAPD) program and the LEAPD program effects on doctoral students’ career development and choices. The study also aims to understand the contextual influences on doctoral students, specifically the perceived supports and barriers that influence their career choices. The study’s goal in understanding these issues is to discover how the LEAPD courses impact these students as well as identify perceived supports and barriers in career development for doctoral students. The Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) serves as a theoretical foundation for the study. This qualitative interview study involved students from different STEM programs at the doctoral level. Results of this study showed that the LEAPD program raised the career development confidence and inferred self-efficacy of these students. Furthermore, performance accomplishments were a significant factor in the persistence of these students to the doctoral level. Teachers and professors were most frequently reported as sources of support for these doctoral students, and the presence of supports seemed to minimize barrier perceptions. Keywords: doctoral students, career development, learning experiences, SCCT, supports, barriers, performance accomplishments, vicarious learning, teacher support, STEM

Thesis (MPA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2015

The Muslim population in the United States has faced numerous challenges in the aftermath of September 11th, including increased negative portrayal of Muslims in the media. While there is increased understanding that the social environment in the US has become more Islamophobic, there is little research in applied psychology fields to understand how this is influencing the life choices of young Muslims in the United States. This investigation focuses on South Asian Muslim Americans and the factors that influence their career decision-making process. Lent and Colleagues’ (1994) Social Cognitive Career Theory career choice model was used to develop a better understanding of these factors. This study investigated how the variables of gender, ethnicity, religiosity, perceived discrimination, and family involvement relate to career decision-making self-efficacy and outcome expectations for South Asian Muslim college students. A hierarchical regression analysis was used to understand the relationships among the variables. The goal of this study was to provide initial understandings of the factors influencing South Asian Muslim Americans career decision-making process. The study did not find a significant relationship among the variables or the applicability of the SCCT career choice model to this population. These findings demonstrate a need to learn more about the career process for this population and other factors specific to the population that may be involved in the career development process. The results provide valuable information for counseling psychologists in university counseling centers to broaden their understanding and support the needs of South Asian Muslim American students during the career choice process.

The Asian American population is one of the fastest growing racial groups within the United States, and will soon become a significant proportion of the nations' work force (Census, 2008). It is important for counselors and other helping professional to better understand the needs of this population in order to better prepare them for the nation's workforce. Given the limitations of the current knowledge pertaining to Asian American career development, researchers have called for additional studies examining the career development process for Asian Americans (Flores et al., 2006; Leong & Serifica, 1995). A notable gap in today's Asian American vocational literature is on the career development process for those who pursue underrepresented occupations, such as work in the humanities and arts. Researchers have noted that Asian American vocational research has predominantly focused on occupations in which there are more representation, such as Investigative or Enterprising fields (Escueta & O'brien, 1991), the unique career concerns of specific ethnic groups (Kim, 1993; Yang, 1991), familial involvement in career (Tang, Fouad, & Smith, 2004), or provides a broad conceptualization of career development of Asian Americans (Leong, 1986; Leong, 1991). However, there are no studies that examine the intersection of gender, race, and nontraditional career choices for Asian American women. This is especially true for occupational field that is often ignored in vocational research, such as the Artistic field (Ng, Lee, & Pack, 2007). Little is known regarding the why and how Asian American women choose to go into a field that is nontraditional and in which they are underrepresented. Further examination of this will allow helping professionals to gain a better understand the challenges and resiliency factors that influence Asian American women, especially those who choose to enter difficult field often not well regarded as an ideal career by family or society. The purpose of this study was to investigate the following questions: (1) What are unique aspects of the career development of early career Asian American female visual artists, (2) how do contextual factors in Asian American female visual artists' career development impact both their psychological and vocational well-being, and (3) what are the major supports and barriers for Asian Americans females in pursuing an Artistic career? Utilizing Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) methodology (Hill, Thompson, & Williams, 1997), Asian American female early career visual artists were recruited, identified, and screened nationally through an online survey. Twelve East (n=10) and Southeast (n=2) Asian American female visual artists between the ages of 21 - 35 were interviewed utilizing a semi-structured interview protocol. Eight domains emerged from the analysis of the results: 1) Description of career path into the visual arts, (4) Ecological factors impacting overall career, (5) Financial influences on the career development, (6) Perceived additional skills and resources needed for career, (2) Influences on art work and artist identity, (3) Individual strengths contributing to career development, (7) Influences of support on career development, (8) Perceived barriers to career development. A detailed summary of these results, implications of these findings and recommendations for clinical work and future research will be provided.

Though a primary purpose of K-12 education in the United States is to prepare students to meet the economic demands of the country, there is currently a major shortage of workers to fill the open positions in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). This shortage is only expected to grow in the coming decade unless a significant number of students choose to pursue STEM careers. Some authors have identified the approximately 1.5 million underserved rural, high-potential students as an untapped population representing future STEM workers. However, school counselors, who oversee most of the career development in K-12 education, currently lack a strong understanding of how to promote STEM college and career readiness with rural, gifted students. This paper shares the results of a study that examined whether factors such as academic potential, personal traits, or social engagement have an impact on the early career development of gifted students from under-served rural schools. Particularly, the study examined whether a STEM extra-curricular program – STEM Excellence and Leadership – influenced the career development of the rural, gifted middle school student participants. Results indicate that perceived social engagement had the most significant impact on the career development of rural, gifted middle school students, and that the extra-curricular program was helpful in developing their career expectations and goals. The final section of this paper shares important lessons for practicing school counselors and school counseling preparation programs.

O grande interesse dos países em atingir o sucesso esportivo vem aumentando cada vez mais o número de pesquisas em torno desse tema. O termo \'sucesso\' está relacionado principalmente ao desempenho dos atletas em competições internacionais. Um dos fatores fundamentais que pode contribuir para os atletas alcançarem o sucesso no ambiente esportivo e atingir uma carreira profissional com excelência é o apoio recebido durante sua trajetória no esporte, especialmente nas primeiras fases da carreira. Entretanto, há pouca informação sobre o tema no Brasil. Levando em consideração este contexto, o objetivo desta pesquisa foi compreender como se dá o processo de suporte à carreira do atleta nos clubes formadores brasileiros. O estudo se caracteriza como uma pesquisa descritiva e de abordagem predominantemente quantitativa utilizando-se da estatística descritiva. Foram selecionados 83 clubes formadores relacionados no diagnóstico de clubes do Comitê Brasileiro de Clubes que responderam um questionário composto por cinco seções: Caracterização das principais modalidades desenvolvidas no clube; Caracterização do programa estruturado de suporte presente no clube para seus atletas; Avaliação da adequação das condições de oferecimento dos serviços do programa aos atletas; Avaliação do clube em relação à sua atuação no desenvolvimento de carreira do atleta, e Caracterização dos sujeitos. Os sujeitos da pesquisa foram gestores do departamento de esporte dos clubes selecionados. Os resultados obtidos de 17 clubes respondentes mostraram que não há um programa estruturado que atenda todas as necessidades dos atletas na fase de desenvolvimento. Apesar de todos os respondentes serem formados na área de Educação Física, ainda existem algumas dificuldades enfrentadas por eles para desenvolverem os programas nos clubes. Os principais recursos disponibilizados aos atletas são aqueles de suporte técnico, referentes ao treinamento, como preparação física e fisioterapia. Em contrapartida, os suportes extras, aqueles que são aliados ao treinamento, ainda não estão presentes de maneira satisfatória para os atletas. Entre eles, a assessoria de carreira, planejamento e orientação profissional, psicologia e apoio na educação obtiveram as piores classificações. As participações em competições internacionais, essenciais para estimular o nível competitivo dos atletas, ficaram aquém do desejado, três de 16 modalidades afirmaram participar. Em relação às principais dificuldades enfrentadas pelos clubes para desenvolver programas de suporte à carreira estão os recursos financeiros. Os respondentes admitem altos custos para manter uma categoria competitiva e, paralelamente, oferecer os serviços de suporte aos atletas nos diferentes estágios da carreira. A análise dos resultados sugere que em termos de constituição, não é possível verificar a existência de um programa sistematizado nos clubes formadores de atletas no Brasil. Além disso, é necessário mudar a cultura imediatista da nossa realidade e alocar recursos de maneira estratégica. Limitações e sugestões são apontadas para enriquecer o tema e contemplar pontos não explorados nessa pesquisa / The great interest of the countries in achieving sporting success is increasing the researches around this subject. The term \'success\' is mainly related to the performance of athletes in international competitions. One of the fundamental factors that can contribute to athletes achieving success in the sporting environment and achieving a professional career with excellence is the support received during their pathway in the sport, especially in the early stages of the career. However, there are few information on the subject in Brazil. Given this scenario, the objective of this research was to understand how the process of supporting the athlete\'s career in the Brazilian sports clubs happens. The study is characterized as a descriptive and predominantly as a quantitative approach using descriptive statistics. 83 sports clubs related on the diagnosis of clubs of the Brazilian Club Committee were selected. They answered a questionnaire composed of five sections: Characterization of the main modalities developed in the club; Characterization of the structured program of support present in the club for its athletes; Evaluation of the adequacy of the conditions of the services offered in the program to the athletes; Evaluation of the club in relation to its performance in the athlete\'s career development, and Characterization of the subjects. The research subjects were managers of the sports department of the selected clubs. The results obtained from 17 participating clubs showed that there is no structured program that meets all the needs of the athletes in the development phase. Although all respondents have a degree in Physical Education, there are still some difficulties they face in developing the programs in the clubs. The main resources available to athletes are those of technical support, referring to training, such as physical preparation and physiotherapy. In contrast, the extra supports, those that are associated to the training, are not present in a satisfactory way for the athletes. Among them, career counseling, professional orientation, psychology, and education support scored the worst ratings. Participations in international competitions, essential to stimulate the competitive level of athletes, was below expectation, only three of the 16 modalities claim to participate. In relation to the main difficulties faced by clubs to develop career support programs are the financial resources. The subjects admit high costs to maintain a competitive category and, at the same time, to offer the support services to the athletes in the different stages of the career. The analysis of the results suggests that in terms of constitution, it is not possible to verify the existence of a systematized program in the sports clubs in Brazil. In addition, it is necessary to change the immediate culture of our reality and allocate resources in a strategic way. Limitations and suggestions are indicated to enrich the theme and contemplate points not explored in this research

Abstract not available

THE PROFESSIONAL LIFE-CYCLES AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF ADULT TEACHERS OF ENGLISH TO SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES (TESOL) This thesis focuses on the findings of a research study conducted in Geneva and Sydney to examine the career cycles of TESOLs. It explores many of the issues investigated in Huberman???s study of 160 secondary school teachers in Geneva (1989, 1993). Seventy-three in-depth interviews were conducted with teachers and trainers / administrators in adult TESOL, and professional development issues were examined in greater detail than in the Huberman study. The central purpose of the study was to test the universality of the Huberman model of career phases. TESOLs were found to have far more variations during their career cycles than school teachers, who were in a more stable and predictable situation. The study focused on particular moments in the career cycle, exploring TESOLs??? levels of satisfaction. TESOLs in the present study were found to have similar intrinsic satisfactions and concerns about working conditions as the findings of other TESOL studies. Although the occupation was reportedly becoming increasingly more professional, its unpredictable nature made it stimulating and rewarding. In spite of the instability of the TESOL career, TESOLs appeared to have more positive career experiences overall than many school teachers with more stable career paths. The study also examined professional development issues by comparing the perceptions of TESOLs and their trainers / administrators. They had many divergent opinions as to the professional development requirements of TESOLs. While there was no conclusive evidence that professional development could be linked to stages, TESOLs in a phase of diversification were found to have different professional development requirements from other phases. Personal, professional and environmental factors also affect the professional development requirements of TESOLs at any stage. In summary, it appears that the traditional career phase model is inappropriate when applied to TESOLs, and perhaps for other similarly unstable careers. With the recent changes in people???s professional lives, requiring increasing mobility and adaptability in the changing job market, other career path models to guide counselling, professional development and other staff management programs will need to be explored.

This study was an investigation into participant perceptions of principal appraisal in Australian Lutheran schools where a national, systematic appraisal process for principals, entitled Principal Appraisal for Development (PAD), has been in place since 2000. The study group for the investigation consisted of fifteen principals, ten chairpersons of school councils and two district directors, all of whom had been involved in the process. The literature review indicated that whilst there was substantive scholarly writing on the purpose and methods of principal appraisal, there was a lack of recorded research on the experience and longer term outcomes of appraisal. Accordingly, the focus of the study was an examination of participant perceptions of the experience and impact of appraisal. The study's theoretical underpinning was symbolic interactionism and it adopted a qualitative approach to answer the central research question: What are principal and governing council chairperson perceptions of the efficacy of principal appraisal processes in Australian Lutheran schools? Data for the study were gathered through focus group and individual qualitative interviews. In addition, documents associated with the appraisal process were obtained for analysis. The data were then analysed using grounded theory methods, leading to the generation of three theoretical propositions. The first proposition was that the efficacy of principal appraisal depended on the completion of an explicit process that followed six clearly defined and understood steps; the second: that five perceptions of the efficacy of the appraisal process could be identified amongst participants; and the third: that the role played by key players in a spirit of trust in the process and in one another facilitated perceptions of efficacy in the appraisal process. Furthermore, the context in which the process took place, the actual purpose of the process and the nature of responses by participants emerged as key factors in each proposition. In particular, these factors determined whether the appraisal process advanced through the six defined stages required to ensure meaningful, long-term development for the principal, which of the perceptions of efficacy of the process for development was held by participants, and the extent to which trust in one another and in the process was evident. From these propositions eight statements that describe the experience of study participants were identified. These comprised: their belief that a development purpose must have priority in appraisal for perceptions of efficacy of the process; credible messages needed to emerge from the appraisal process for perceptions of its efficacy; appraisal needed to be perceived as a complex process of change involving meaning-making; principal as agent and initiator in the appraisal process facilitated perceptions of efficacy; a supportive and improvement-oriented environment for professional development was associated with perceptions of efficacy of the process; professional development of the principal needed to be perceived as a complex process; trust in the process and in one another was necessary for perceptions of appraisal's efficacy; and appraisal was recognised as having outcomes that may distract from development. These findings have specific implications for the policy and practice of principal appraisal in Lutheran schools, especially as PAD is reviewed. The findings also have application to other appraisal settings and generated key questions to assist in developing, implementing and evaluating principal appraisal systems. The study also indicated that those involved in the appraisal process need to think through how appraisal, development and accountability are related. These concepts are important and legitimate, and are to be both separated and recognised in any employment context. The study found that appraisal that resulted in development was a complex process of change involving shifts to meaning and behaviour. Such a process needed to be supported through an environment of trust with an improvement focus. The study has indicated that appraisal for development needs to be informed more fully by an understanding of the professional development literature. In summary, the study has contributed to an understanding of the place of appraisal in the learning and development of school principals.