Teacher attrition continues to impact public schools that seek to retain teachers in the classroom and meet rising enrollment rates. The recruitment of experienced career changing professionals into the educational workforce is a viable option to address teacher shortages. In addition, while the use of mentorship may support teacher retention and job satisfaction for novice teachers, inconsistencies in mentoring practices have limited the effectiveness of mentoring programs and support systems. The problem of limited research that examines the needs of career changing teachers (CCTs) and their initial mentoring experiences was addressed in this study. The social learning theory and Maslow's hierarchy of needs frameworks were used in this phenomenological study to explore perceptions of 15 novice CCTs from the middle or high school levels, who had completed 1 to 5 years of teaching service. The research questions focused on CCTs' perceptions of their mentoring experience, and the support they needed as novice teachers. Data collected from 2 rounds of semistructured interviews were analyzed with a multilevel coding approach to identify patterns and emergent themes. Emergent themes revealed CCTs' experiences and skills as viable teaching candidates, perceptions of their mentoring experiences, and support and retention needs. The findings revealed CCTs' desire for support in mentorship availability and quality, improvement in instructional pedagogy, and the promotion of emotional resiliency and job satisfaction. Recommendations point to the need for mentorship as ongoing practice, the personalization of mentorship programs, and the leveraging of professional development practices to provide mentoring support. The major implications for social change are the improvement of mentoring program design and the implementation for the development and retention of highly effective teachers to impact student achievement.

The specific objective of this research was to determine if the MACE (Mobile Assisted Career Exploration) Program has had an effect on the realistic occupational decision-making ability of students after a period of 3 years. Subjects were 12th grade students at Dixie High School. The experimental group was composed of 40 students (15 males and 25 females) who had been involved in project MACE in the ninth grade. The control group was composed of 32 students (15 males and 1 7 females) who had moved into the boundaries of Dixie High School since the loth grade and who had, therefore, not been involved in the MACE Program. Both groups were administered the SVIB (Strong Vocational Interest Blanks) to determine their highest interests. Grades for both semesters of the 11th grade and the first semester of the 12th grade were collected as an indicator of each student's strongest aptitudes. A questionnaire was administered wherein the student was required to 1) select an occupation that he was planning to enter; 2) report whether he thought his interest and aptitudes agreed with his job choice (the SVIB and grades were used as instruments to verify if a student's interests and aptitudes did in fact agree with his job choice); 3) report the degree of certainty he felt about his job choice; 4) select the type of training that would be required to qualify for his job choice; 5) report a specific institution where such training could be acquired; 6) report those persons and/ or influencing factors which had lead up to his job selection; and 7) report at which grade level he had decided on his present job choice. Seven null hypotheses were formulated stating differences would not be found between the control and experimental groups on the criteria measured by the aforementioned measuring instruments. Results of the study indicate that in fact no difference was found between the experimental and control groups in the following areas tested. Correct identification of personal interests with job choice. Correct identification of personal aptitudes with job choice. Degree of certainty about job choice. Selection of the categories mobile van, parents and personal interests as being of assistance in making a job choice. Selection of the ninth and 10th grades as the time periods when job choice was made. Selection of an appropriate type of education or training for the student's job choice. Selection of a specific and appropriate institution at which the student had made plans to obtain the training or education for his job choice. On the criteria measured, the MACE Program had no apparent longitudinal effect on the occupational decision-making ability (as defined in this study) of the students tested. Several limitations of the study should be considered in this conclusion: 1) sample size was small and limited to a rural, all-white population; 2) other measures may detect advantageous effects of the program. However, it is recommended that a program such as MACE be part of a total K-12 career development program rather than a one grade level experience.

The Problem. This study investigated whether or not a structured career development program, using a mobile guidance unit and operating on a limited time schedule, could provide a feasible means for facilitating the career development of ninth grade students in the rural school setting. Project MACE. MACE stands for "Mobile Assisted Career Exploration." Project MACE was a study developed by the research office of the Utah State Board of Education and conducted by Utah State University. The study used ninth grade students in sixteen selected rural Utah high schools and in two rural southeastern Idaho schools. Design of Research. The specific objectives of the study were measured in the form of the following null hypotheses: There is no significant difference between experimental and control groups in terms of career attitudes as measured by the Vocational Development Inventory Attitude Scale. There is no significant difference between experimental and control groups in terms of career values as measured by the Occupational Values Inventory. There is no significant difference between experimental and control groups pre- and post-test estimates of their aptitudes and interests as measured by the Self Ranking Inventory of Aptitudes and Interests. Since this study is an evaluation of an educational program still in some state of development, it is a formative evaluation. The format for the study is a research and development model rather than a true experimental design. Population. Project MACE selected those schools which were considered representative of rural Utah high schools, It was decided that project MACE could accommodate about one thousand students during the school year. Sixteen schools were selected for the study. In addition, two schools in Southeastern Idaho were chosen as a control population. Observational Design. Three objective tests were given on a pre- and post-test basis to all of the students included in Project MACE. In addition, subjective data were gathered through student, parent and faculty questionnaires. Program.The treatment program was designed to give each student an opportunity to evaluate and discuss his aptitudes and interests. The student was then assisted in relating this information to various occupations and training possibilities. Each student learned how to use occupational information sources and was encouraged to investigate several occupations of his choice. All students were involved in group and individual counseling, including a joint session with their parents. The major focus of the counseling sessions was to assist students in making tentative career choices which were realishc and obtainable for them. To carry out the program, a counselor and occupational instructor were employed. Conclusions. Hypotheses one and three were both rejected as the data revealed differences at a statistically significant level. Career attitudes and knowledge of aptitudes and interests were positively influenced by the experimental program. Hypothesis two, concerning career values, was accepted for the values of salary, security and demand, and rejected for the values of prestige, interest and satisfaction. Sex differences were noted on all the evaluation instruments. Recommendations. The treatment program should be continued in schools needing the service on a continuous basis. Several possible avenues for future research were suggested. Among the more important were: (1) a replication of this study using urban schools and comparing the treatment conducted in a mobile facility versus the same program in a classroom setting; (2) a study of the independent teaching variables to determine which are most effective; and (3) a study to determine the long range implications of the treatment.

As English expands across the world, quality English teachers are increasingly needed. However, reports that even well-trained TESOL professionals have a hard time obtaining stable employment are prevalent. This study sought to provide some solid evidence about employment trends in TESOL. It is based on a survey administered to alumni who graduated between the years of 1973 and 2008 from Brigham Young University's TESOL program. The results indicate that graduates spend about half of their career time in TESOL-related employment. Most are involved in teaching, but jobs in administration, materials development,or testing are more likely to be full-time and offer benefits. Graduates spend little time in EFL positions, but these jobs are the most likely to be full-time and offer benefits. A surprising amount of time was spent unemployed by choice, and the majority of graduates report salary satisfaction, indicating that perhaps the field attracts those who are not looking for stable, full-time employment. These findings are useful for those anticipating a career in TESOL and for teacher educators. They likewise add a valuable contribution to the small body of literature focused on TESOL employment.

This study traced the history of the outplacement industry from 1960 to 1997 through the stories of seven outplacement firms, the three organizations that emerged from the industry and the changes that occurred in the design and delivery of outplacement services. The history was studied in the context of the changes that occurred in the social and economic environment that formed the American workplace between 1960 and 1997 and the subsequent impact those changes had on corporations, their employees and the outplacement industry. Outplacement has its roots in the job search counseling service designed and delivered by Bernard Haldane following WW II to assist veterans with their reentry into the post war workplace. In the 1960s, entrepreneurs expanded Haldane's service to include consulting with corporate managers on how to terminate employees, remove them from corporate payrolls and support their job search efforts until they found new positions. They called this service outplacement. The primary data for this study came from personal interviews with industry founders, leaders and practitioners, the archives of the AOCFI, industry newsletters and published materials. The study traced the changes that occurred in the reasons corporations purchased outplacement services and the affect those changes had on the way corporations bought and distributed outplacement services for their terminated employees. The study traced modifications outplacement firms made to their services in response to corporate demands and the affect those changes had on the future of the industry. The study traced the evolution of outplacement services from a personal consulting service to a new curriculum of learning resources from which corporate buyers of outplacement services selected services to meet the diverse learning needs of terminated employees. The study traced the growth and decline of the industry, the subsequent impact on the industry's trade, professional member and certification organizations and the difficulties those organizations experienced as they attempted to respond to their members changing needs. This study traces a history of the industry from the collected stories of industry founders, leaders, practitioners and industry archives and relates those stories to the rise and decline of the outplacement industry. / Ed. D.

This study enhances student acceptance of career investigation and contains extensive lesson plans for each day of the school year, plus one copy of each handout to be duplicated. The classroom is run as a business where students work for the instructor and are paid by check at the end of each week. Money is deposited on account and used to purchase course grades. The more money the student earns, the higher grade he can purchase. The findings show that students learn more about careers. Students became aware that the higher paying career fields required more schooling and/or training, resulting in changed attitudes about school. They were able to see how the relationship of the learning process could determine their future.

The purpose of the study was to explore the lived experiences of exemplary female elementary principals. The qualitative phenomenological study investigated the career paths, job responsibilities, barriers/challenges, and affirmations of exemplary female principals practicing in elementary schools in the United States. The participants were required to have at least 5 years of experience in education and at least 3 years as an elementary school principal. Interviews were conducted by the researcher to acquire explanations about the participants’ perceptions, perspectives, and feelings based on their experiences as exemplary elementary principals. The investigation focused on the females’ career paths, job responsibilities, barriers/challenges, and affirmations as exemplary leaders. Further, the females provided advice and guidance for aspiring female leaders in education. In general, the exemplary female principals started their careers as teachers, married, had children, and obtained advanced degrees and training in educational leadership as they moved to positions as elementary principals. The job responsibilities of the female principals included supervising instruction to improve instructional practices as the instructional leader, monitoring data, implementing policies and procedures, hiring as well as placing personnel, preparing budgets, maintaining a safe environment for students and staff, managing facilities, and purchasing equipment/resources for the organization. The major barriers/challenges faced by the female principals were lacking resources, managing time, prioritizing tasks, and managing tasks for work and home. Advice and guidance for aspiring female administrators centered around the personal, professional, and public service responsibilities that contributed to their success and recognition as exemplary principal.

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<p>Despite recruitment and retention efforts, women remain underrepresented in the engineering profession. More than two-thirds of women leave engineering within 15 years of graduation, double the rate of men. Women leave or feel psychologically pushed out of the engineering profession because of harassment, discrimination, work-life balance, an initial mismatch between their personal and workplace characteristics, or other reasons. </p> <p><br></p> <p>While previous studies have identified the reasons why women leave engineering careers, a limited number of studies have described how they leave engineering - the processes and pathways that they follow. Furthermore, few empirical studies have examined women's career decisions over their lives. While researchers have investigated how and why women pursue and persist in engineering academic programs, fewer studies have examined women's engineering career decisions after entering the workplace. In this study, I develop a greater understanding of women's engineering career journeys, including their departure from the profession, by addressing: <em>What are the career stories of women who have left engineering after having worked in industry? </em></p> <p><br></p> <p>I explored women's engineering career decisions using narrative inquiry and a novel, boundary-spanning framework encompassing aspects of the Unfolding Model of Turnover and Career Construction Theory. My participants were three women who had practiced engineering in industry for five to seven years before they left the profession. I conducted three ninety-minute interviews with each participant and used a background questionnaire, a workplace artifact, and a life experience timeline to further elicit their narratives. Incorporating a timeline activity increased the quality of participants' narratives. I used a two-part approach to handling and making meaning of my data. First, the participants and I collaborated to construct first-person narratives, which showed the complexity and nuances of women's engineering career pathways. Then, I created interpreted narratives, which described participants' stories of leaving engineering through the shocks (jarring events), scripts (plans of action), and image violations (violations of goals and values) of the Unfolding Model of Turnover. </p> <p><br></p> <p>All participants left engineering according to a newly identified pathway, whereby a shock, in the presence of image violations, caused them to leave the profession to pursue previously identified scripts. The participants experienced similar shocks and enacted similar scripts. For example, all participants enacted a script to stay home with their children, and two participants experienced the same shock, trouble conceiving children. Another key finding is that participants didn't realize they were leaving the profession when they resigned from their last engineering job: two participants sought ongoing part-time engineering work but were unsuccessful. </p> <p><br></p> <p>Knowledge gained in this study expands our understanding of women's engineering career decisions, informs women's engineering career planning, facilitates the program planning of career service providers, and contributes toward broadening the participation of women in engineering. In addition, findings suggest that if employers provide flexible work options and create pathways for returning engineers, then more women will remain in or return to the engineering profession, thereby improving the representation of women in the engineering workplace. </p>