A study of the effect of a short intensive high school career education program on internal-external locus of control orientation, career maturity, and career exploration

• Main Author: Bradbury, Robert Barry
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Memorial University of Newfoundland 1988
• Subjects: Newfoundland
• Online Access: https://research.library.mun.ca/5057/; https://research.library.mun.ca/5057/1/Bradbury_RobertBarry.pdf; https://research.library.mun.ca/5057/3/Bradbury_RobertBarry.pdf

This study examined the relationship between a locus of control change orientation and a career education program, run at the high school level. After a review of the factors effecting career planning behavior, locus of control orientation was identified as being an important mediating variable in the development of career planning skills, and an appropriate on to focus on in the Newfoundland context. With reference to the research on locus of control orientation change, cognitive developmental career counselling, and action-based counselling, a career education program was developed, and run with a group of fifteen high school students. The effects fo the program on career planning attitudes and behavior were compared with a control group, and a group receiving a traditional intervention (The Self-Directed Search). After examining the differences between the three groups with regard to measures of career maturity, career, exploration, locus of control orientation, and observational data, it was concluded that internal-external locus of control orientation and career maturity were not affected significantly by the program, although there is evidence of suggested trends. Career exploration beliefs and behaviors are examples of those variables indicating such trends.