Magister Commercii (Industrial Psychology) - MCom(IPS) / Tertiary education is becoming increasingly costly for many students. According to Pieterse (2005), young people can barely afford to make mistakes in their career decisions, as this could cost them too much in time and money. According to Coertse and Schepers (2004), one of the most important decisions adolescents will ever face is choosing what career to pursue. Coertse and Schepers (2004) propose that an adolescent’s career has significant consequences on their identity, values and aspirations. The most efficient way to develop young persons’ abilities, and assist them in realising their true potential, is through the educational and vocational training offered in schools (Lens, Herrera & Lacante, 2004). Many students do not receive proper career guidance at secondary schooling and they find themselves in their final year graduating, and unsure in terms of the career they are going to pursue. Hence, there exists a great need in the South African context for career guidance and for additional research in the levels of career maturity amongst final year undergraduate students. Career maturity has important implications for career development and decision-making practices (Schreuder & Coetzee, 2014). The term career maturity represents a readiness to engage in and the ability to master certain career developmental tasks appropriate to the age and level of an individual (Langley, Du Toit & Herbst, 1996). In previously disadvantaged communities in South Africa, career and educational planning was characterised by under- development, marginalisation, and under-resourcing (Pieterse, 2005). This could negatively impact students’ motivation towards, and perspectives of, their future careers. The present study aimed to assess the career maturity levels among final year students at a tertiary institution. Specifically, how students’ age, gender, stated certainty of career and type of secondary school influenced their career maturity levels. The sample group (N=149) consisted of final year undergraduate students, who were conveniently drawn to voluntarily partake in the research. Participants completed a biographical questionnaire as well as the Career Development Questionnaire (CDQ). Anonymity was ensured and the students were informed that all the information would be treated with strict confidentiality and used only for the stated research purposes. Statistical analyses involved descriptive and inferential statistics (Pearson correlation, T-test and Analysis of variance). The results indicated no significant relationship between the age, stated certainty of career, type of secondary school students attended and their career maturity. However, a significant relationship was found between gender and career maturity.

Magister Commercii (Industrial Psychology) - MCom(IPS) / Career maturity is an essential requirement in human existence. Super (1979) identified five stages which highlight the level of maturity an individual should have achieved at a certain age. However, increasingly, it is being recognised that individuals are not at the level of career maturity where they ought to be. In order to address the matter relating to career maturity, the current research investigated the nature thereof amongst first year university students. The prevalence of specific aspects of career maturity (namely, self-information, decision-making, career information, integration of self-information and career information, and career planning) were investigated. In addition, the correlations between the aspects of career maturity and certain biographical variables such as age, gender and race were examined.

There is an extensive amount of research on career development, but most of the constructs studied have focused on content-oriented variables rather than process-oriented variables. While some of the studies have examined samples from ethnic minority populations, the majority of studies use ethnic minority populations as comparison groups, studying between-group differences as opposed to within-group differences. The literature is especially deficient in the are of Latino career development. The current study will examine how family and culture influence the career development of Latino emerging adults. This study will explore the influence of socioeconomic status and acculturation on the career salience and career maturity of Latino emerging adults. The quality of the parent-emerging adult relationship will also be explored for its influence on career development outcomes in this population. One hundred fifty Latino undergraduate students ages 18-24 will be recruited for participation in this study. The participants will complete questionnaires regarding demographic information, acculturation, the quality of the parent-emerging adult relationship, career salience, and career maturity.

The single most common decision that people between the ages of 16 years and 22 years need to make is that of their career choice. Research in the field of career guidance has shown that the world of work is changing. It is generally accepted that an individual will be presented with many opportunities in the world of work and these give rise to the notion of multiple careers. To predict accurately what these opportunities might be is impractical and naive, if not impossible. Career guidance counsellors are now expected to understand the interrelationships between occupations and occupational groups; an understanding that is vital when providing a comprehensive and realistic career guidance service. The career guidance processes or programs that counsellors use, need to allow for the identification of base or entry level careers that will provide opportunity for both horizontal and vertical career movement. While the schooling system has traditionally been the primary role player in preparing learners for the world of work, recent budgetary cuts have forced schools to focus on academic subjects, and, as a result, career guidance as a subject has become ancillary to the school syllabus. This situation is unlikely to be remedied unless career guidance becomes an examinable subject as are mathematics, physical science, biology and so on. A literature study surrounding career guidance practices in South Africa and career choice and development theories from around the world, suggest that existing career guidance programs in South Africa need to be restructured to allow for a more comprehensive solution for learners, that need to make a career choice. The "PACE" career guidance program was designed to enhance the career knowledge of learners, increase their self awareness in relation to careers, and ultimately to accelerate the career maturity process. Learners from schools in East London were exposed to the program, with the intention of determining the effect of the program on their career maturity levels. Whilst certain elements which constitute career maturity were not influenced by the program, results obtained from the research indicated a significant increase in the overall career maturity level of these learners. Resulting from this dissertation, recommendations have been made relating to the length of a career guidance program, the point of departure and the point of exit, the importance of balancing realism with circumstances, and the necessity for career guidance practitioners to possess a thorough understanding of careers and the various paths that careers may follow. Suggestions regarding further research in the area of career guidance are also provided. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2003

Although much has been written about the relationship between career maturity and career decision self-efficacy of college students, the literature review provided no studies that investigated the relationship between career maturity, career decision self-efficacy, and self-advocacy; therefore the purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between career maturity, career decision self-efficacy, and self-advocacy of college students with and without disabilities. An increasing number of college students with disabilities are attending postsecondary institutions, and the figures are continuing to increase; however, students with disabilities earn lower grades in college than their peers without disabilities, take longer to complete their degrees, have higher dropout rates, and are more likely to be unemployed after college. This quantitative study responds to recent calls in the postsecondary literature for individuals with disabilities to be better prepared when they transition from college. Participants included 347 postsecondary students, 89 of whom reported having a disability. Primarily focused on students with disabilities, this study gathered information regarding postsecondary students' attitudes toward careers, beliefs in their ability to pursue careers, and their self-advocacy knowledge in order to investigate the relationship among them. This study provides empirical support that there is a relationship between career maturity, career decision self-efficacy, and self-advocacy. The results of the correlation, MANOVA, ANOVA, and hierarchical regression analyses provided four major findings and implications. First, there was a positive correlation between career maturity, career decision self-efficacy, and self-advocacy of college students with and without a disability. Second, the results of the study indicated that students without a disability had higher levels of career maturity and self-advocacy than students with a disability; however, the self-efficacy scores were similar for students with and without a disability. Third, the results of the study focusing specifically on students with disabilities indicated that the career maturity of students who had a high level of self-advocacy was higher than for the students who had a low level of self-advocacy. However, there was no difference in levels of self-advocacy and career decision self-efficacy of college students with disabilities. Fourth, the results of this study focusing specifically on students with disabilities indicated that self-advocacy and career decision self-efficacy were the only variables that positively affected career maturity. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to assess the career aspirations, career maturity and career decision-making self-efficacy among youth in the Texas 4-H Healthy Lifestyles Program. While career development is a life-long process, the adolescent years are a critical time for youth to explore and confirm their career choices, which is seen as a major turning point in one’s life. A random sample of 350 was used to gather information from senior 4-H members who participate in the 4-H healthy lifestyles program. Data were collected with the use of an online survey instrument and resulted in a total of 170 responses (48.6%) with 127 of the responses (36.3%) being complete and usable. A scale developed by the researcher was used to measure the impact involvement in the 4-H healthy lifestyles program had on youths’ career development. Very low, positive relationships were discovered between the healthy lifestyles program impact statements and years in 4-H; however, they were not significant. The Career Maturity Inventory (CMI) was incorporated into the online research instrument. The career maturity of the 4-H members was found to be greater than the high school norms. Significant differences were discovered based upon age. Very low, positive correlations were found for the CMI scores based upon years in 4-H; however, correlations were not significant. No significant differences were found for career maturity based upon gender. The Career Decision Self-Efficacy – Short Form (CDSE-SF) was also used in the data collection process to reveal the confidence in youth to make career decisions. Results indicate the 4-H members have good confidence in making career decisions. Females outscored males on the total mean score and four of the five sub-scales; however, the only significant difference based on gender was for problem solving. Significant differences were also discovered based upon age. When compared to years in 4-H, very low, positive correlations were found for the CDSE-SF mean score and all five sub-scales; however, only some were found to be significant. The results indicate that participation in the 4-H healthy lifestyles program has had an impact on career choice and development. Youth have a readiness to make career decisions, and high levels of confidence in completing tasks necessary to make decisions about careers. However, years in 4-H and the highest level of participation in healthy lifestyles program activities did not have a statistically significant impact on youths’ career development. Feedback provided by youth on what the 4-H program can do to promote youth career interests and choice, guided some of the recommendations provided by the researcher.

The single most common decision that people between the ages of 16 years and 22 years need to make is that of their career choice. Research in the field of career guidance has shown that the world of work is changing. It is generally accepted that an individual will be presented with many opportunities in the world of work and these give rise to the notion of multiple careers. To predict accurately what these opportunities might be is impractical and naive, if not impossible. Career guidance counsellors are now expected to understand the interrelationships between occupations and occupational groups; an understanding that is vital when providing a comprehensive and realistic career guidance service. The career guidance processes or programs that counsellors use, need to allow for the identification of base or entry level careers that will provide opportunity for both horizontal and vertical career movement. While the schooling system has traditionally been the primary role player in preparing learners for the world of work, recent budgetary cuts have forced schools to focus on academic subjects, and, as a result, career guidance as a subject has become ancillary to the school syllabus. This situation is unlikely to be remedied unless career guidance becomes an examinable subject as are mathematics, physical science, biology and so on. A literature study surrounding career guidance practices in South Africa and career choice and development theories from around the world, suggest that existing career guidance programs in South Africa need to be restructured to allow for a more comprehensive solution for learners, that need to make a career choice. The "PACE" career guidance program was designed to enhance the career knowledge of learners, increase their self awareness in relation to careers, and ultimately to accelerate the career maturity process. Learners from schools in East London were exposed to the program, with the intention of determining the effect of the program on their career maturity levels. Whilst certain elements which constitute career maturity were not influenced by the program, results obtained from the research indicated a significant increase in the overall career maturity level of these learners. Resulting from this dissertation, recommendations have been made relating to the length of a career guidance program, the point of departure and the point of exit, the importance of balancing realism with circumstances, and the necessity for career guidance practitioners to possess a thorough understanding of careers and the various paths that careers may follow. Suggestions regarding further research in the area of career guidance are also provided. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2003

Είναι αναμφισβήτητη και ερευνητικά εδραιωμένη άποψη ότι η βιβλιογραφία σε θέματα που αφορούν στον αντίκτυπο του φύλου στην επαγγελματική ανάπτυξη και ωριμότητα του ατόμου είναι περίπλοκη. Ένα σημαντικό ζήτημα, που αποτελεί το κεντρικό ερώτημα της παρούσας έρευνας, είναι η διαπίστωση της συσχέτισης ή μη του φύλου, ως παράγοντα, με την εξελικτική πορεία του ατόμου, όσον αφορά στον ενσυνείδητο προσανατολισμό του στο χώρο εργασίας. Οι περισσότερες έρευνες υποδεικνύουν ότι οι γυναίκες παρουσιάζονται ως «επαγγελματικά» ωριμότερες από τους άνδρες, ενώ άλλες υποστηρίζουν ότι δεν υπάρχουν διαφοροποιήσεις. Τα ευρήματα της βιβλιογραφικής επισκόπησης υπογραμμίζουν την ανάγκη εστίασης της προσοχής στην περαιτέρω διερεύνηση του υπό παρουσίαση θέματος. Η παρούσα εμπειρική έρευνα αποσκοπεί στη διερεύνηση της σχέσης ανάμεσα στις διάφορες διαστάσεις της επαγγελματικής ωριμότητας (συγκινησιακές διαστάσεις: σχεδιασμός και διερεύνηση σταδιοδρομίας & γνωστικές διαστάσεις: λήψη ορθολογικών αποφάσεων και γνώση του κόσμου της εργασίας) και του φύλου μαθητών Γ΄ Λυκείου επτά Λυκείων του νομού Αχαΐας. Τα αποτελέσματα της έρευνας υπέδειξαν σημαντικές διαφορές μεταξύ κοριτσιών και αγοριών στις συγκινησιακές και γνωστικές κλίμακες της επαγγελματικής ωριμότητας, όπου διαπιστώθηκε μια τάση υπεροχής των πρώτων έναντι των δεύτερων. / It is undeniable, based on research outcomes, that findings regarding the impact of gender on career development and maturity are complicated. Finding a relation between gender - as a factor – and the evolutionary course of individuals referred to their conscious orientation in their workplace is an important issue, which this work focuses on. Most studies have found that females have higher scores on career maturity measures than males. However, in other studies, no significant gender difference was found. Literature’s review underlines the need for further investigation. The present empirical study aims at investigating the relationship between the level of career maturity dimensions (the affective dimensions such as career planning, career exploration & the cognitive ones such as decision making and knowledge of world of work) and the gender of students of the third class of High school from the prefecture of Achaia. The results show statistically significant differences among females and males in both affective and cognitive dimensions of career maturity, where there was a trend of superiority of females over males.

Este estudo objetivou revisar a versão brasileira da Escala de Adaptabilidade de Carreira (EAC) e obter evidências de validade e fidedignidade. A EAC é composta por quatro dimensões: preocupação, controle, curiosidade e confiança. Participaram 990 universitários (64,2% mulheres), com média de idade de 25,8 anos (DP=7,45). A coleta foi realizada de duas formas, online e presencial, não tendo sido encontradas diferenças significativas nos escores obtidos. Os instrumentos utilizados foram uma Ficha Sociodemográfica, a EAC, a Escala de Percepção de Oportunidades Profissionais, a Bateria Fatorial de Personalidade e as Escalas de Desenvolvimento de Carreira para Universitários. Conforme esperado, os resultados de análises fatoriais confirmatórias indicaram um ajuste satisfatório para o modelo de quatro fatores hierárquico. Os índices de fidedignidade obtidos para as subescalas e escala total foram adequados. Os fatores da personalidade realização e extroversão foram os mais relacionados à adaptabilidade. Decisão de carreira, autoeficácia profissional e exploração ampliada foram as variáveis mais fortemente associadas às dimensões da adaptabilidade. Discutem-se as limitações do estudo e sugerem-se possibilidades para estudos futuros. / This study aimed at reviewing the Brazilian version of the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale, and obtaining validity and reliability evidences. The scale is composed of four dimensions: concern, control, curiosity and confidence. Nine hundred and ninety college students participated (64.2% women), with an age mean of 25.8 (Standard Deviation (SD)=7.45). The data was collected both online and on a face-to-face basis. No significative differences were found in the scores. The instruments used were a Sociodemographic Questionnaire, the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale, the Perception of Professional Opportunities Scale, the Factorial Battery of Personality and the Career Development Scales for University Students. As expected, confirmatory factorial analysis results showed a satisfactory adjustment for the model of four hierarchic factors. Reliability indices for the subscales and the total scale were also appropriate. The personality factors of conscientiousness and extraversion showed the highest correlations with adaptability. Career decision, professional self-efficacy, and amplified exploration were the variables more strongly related to the adaptability dimensions. Limitations of the study are discussed and possibilities for future investigations are suggested.

Cette thèse traite des problématiques liées à la formation et à l’orientation de la personne durant son parcours de vie à travers la notion de la maturité et une recherche psychologique associant à ce parcours un effort scientifique. La vie de chacun étant, en effet, « une histoire jalonnée » de plusieurs transitions qui marquent l’évolution individuelle, la thèse s’est appesantie sur deux concepts clés et indispensables dans la formation, la prise de décision et l’orientation des individus : la maturité et la transition ; la maturité en tant qu’état préparatoire à la prise de décision en matière de formation et d’emploi et la transition en tant qu’événement et processus développemental qui transforme la vie, les rôles, les relations, les habitudes, les représentations de la personne. L’imbrication de ces deux concepts à chaque stade de développement permet aux individus de s’ouvrir au monde des significations suivant les différentes pratiques d’aides et stratégies facilitant l’appropriation et la constitution d’un répertoire des ressources en prévision des éventuelles orientations à court, moyen et long terme. La notion de la maturité m’a permis de mener une enquête grâce à un questionnaire qui décrit trois types d’informations (connaissance du monde professionnel, connaissance des formations et connaissance de professions), à l’aide de trois processus (exploration, décision et planification). Le but de cette étude est de rechercher des créneaux, des stratégies permettant aux jeunes gabonais de trouver des solutions les aidant à s’ouvrir et à s’intéresser à l’information grâce à l’application des nouvelles pratiques d’aides à l’orientation dans le cadre du développement de la notion de la maturité vocationnelle. En conclusion, dans cette thèse de doctorat, deux notions m’ont marqué : celle de la maturité et celle de la transition qui combinent leurs influences pour permettre la construction et le développement du soi et des identités des adolescents et des adultes tout au long de leur existence. A la fin de cette étude, l’actualité et la centralité de ces deux concepts me paraissent évidentes. / This thesis addresses issues related to training and orientation of a person during their life through the notion of maturity and psychological research involving this term scientific effort. Everyone’s life, is indeed, “a story marked” by several transition that mark the individual evolution, the theory has fallen heavily on two key and essential in training, decision making and directory of individuals: maturity and transition; maturity as prior preparation for decision making regarding training and employment and transition as an event and development process that transforms the lives, roles, relationship, habits, representation of person. The interweaving of these two concepts at each stage of development enables people to embrace the world of meaning accord according to different aid practices and strategies to facilitate the ownership and creation of a directory of resources forecasts of possible orientation shot, medium and long term. Notion of maturity allowed me to conduct a survey using a questionnaire shat describes three types of information (knowledge of the business word, knowledge of occupations) using three processes (exploration, decision making and planning). The purpose of this study is to find niches, strategies to enable you Gabonese to find solutions helping to open up and look at information through the of vocational maturity. In addition to this, into this doctoral thesis I have marked two notions: that of the maturity and the transition that combines to allow the construction and development of self identity of adolescents and adults throughout their existence. At the end of the current study of centrality ot these two concepts seem obvious.