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Early adolescents' career explorations: Examination of family, school, and peer influences

Ingrid Selleck-Harwell, Johnson & Wales University

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine familial, school, and peer influences of early adolescents and their career exploration process. In this study, Super's (1957, 1963, 1980) Fantasy, Interest, and Capacity developmental sub-stages are examined together with the early adolescent's roles as child, student, and leisurite. Interview questions are developed from the literature and Super's Developmental Model, which are then aligned with the study's research questions, forming the interview protocol for the purposive sample (N = 40) of students. Interview data is collected and transcribed to examine familial, school, and peer influences of early adolescents (14 years old) and their career exploration process. The results of these interviews were compared to Super's (1957, 1963, 1980) Developmental Model. The principal finding is that the familial influence is the most significant influence in the career exploration process of the early adolescents. Results also present an emergent Career Exploration Model from the collected and analyzed interview data. Overall, limited career information was reported by the early adolescents, which connected their educational interests to the career exploration process. The majority of students sampled depended upon resources and information available provided by parents, peers, and television. From these results, career education recommendations are offered to educators, parents, and the community leaders. The new Career Exploration Model for Adolescents is offered linking familial, school, and peer influences of adolescents with the career exploration process.

Subject Area

Academic guidance counseling|Families & family life|Personal relationships|Sociology

Recommended Citation

Selleck-Harwell, Ingrid, "Early adolescents' career explorations: Examination of family, school, and peer influences" (2004). Dissertation & Theses Collection. AAI3177201.
https://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/dissertations/AAI3177201

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