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PhD in Psychology Lamash I. V., master in
Psychology Korzhova I. V.
Kharkiv national university of
internal affairs, Ukraine
The specificity of career orientations of senior pupils
depending on the type of representation of their parents’ life success
Every
year senior pupils from all around the world leave school and face with the
choice of future life path after graduation. This choice is a complex set of
factors, among which important one is the parents influence, not only on the
choice of profession by school graduates, but also on the formation of
attitudes towards a future career. Problem of professional identity and career
planning by young people has peculiarities in different cultures and different
social conditions, which is reflected in a number of scientific studies. J. W.
Kotrlik and B. C. Harrison concluded that American students perceive that their
parents influence their career choice more than any other person, and the
mother is more influential than the father [1]. Most students also perceived
that their parents, teachers, and counselors were all encouraging college
attendance after graduation from high school. Interest in the work, working
conditions, salary wages, and personal satisfaction were the leading factors
considered by seniors when selecting a career. P. Tolich investigated in New
Zealand the attitudes of Year 11 and Year 13 secondary students towards
technology education and their career choices. The author wrote that the parent’s
attitudes and social standing may have affected how particular subjects were
seen, whether they were useful to the child in their future employment or
higher education decisions. The parent’s job may also have affected how
subjects were seen or which subjects were selected by the students. Whether
parent was in a trade or professional occupation may have affected the child’s
decisions for future career options. Career orientation may have been a
deciding factor for subject choice, particularly in the final two years of
secondary school, as students often begin to make decisions about their career
pathway after Year 10 [5].
A
family's background as major factor in career selection and career choice among
youths from Nigeria, that’s also affected by socio-economic status of their
parents, is also considered in the study by S.S. Sara [4]. The question of whether or not family
background or social status affects their career decisions was investigated in
the study by N. Ozdemir and O. Hacifazlioglu [2]. The sample consisted of 2,459
students in their final year at high school from 17 different provinces and 182
high schools all around Turkey. Results show that parents and environment had a
great influence on students' occupational preferences.
With
regard to the professional aspirations of senior pupils in Ukraine, it should
be noted that the difficulties in occupational choice and future career
planning by school graduates is associated with the instability of the
socio-economic situation in the country. Protracted transformational processes
affect both society and the development of the individual in particular,
because of what modern high school students have a vague life plans and feel
insecure in the future. However, exactly this age is associated with the choice
of future employment prospects and potential for professional development. Part
of high school graduates is not psychologically ready for an independent
choice. Most youth did not face real social and economic relations and they are
in the status of person who is dependent on parents, and this gives them
illusory view of the future and creates a specific subjectivity in
self-determination. On the example of profession of psychologist N. A. Mosol
shows that stage of pre-professional training for future specialists is
characterized by a lack of clear understanding of the profession, mainly
external motivation of professional choice, inadequate self-appraisal of
professionally significant qualities, low reflexivity, uncertainty and
undifferentiation of future, unrealistic professional plans, the disagreement
between life and professional goals. The researcher notes that the majority of
senior pupil, oriented on career of psychologist, demonstrates low level of
personal readiness for career choice [8]. A. S. Golovchenko and A. V. Litvin in
their studies of professional self-determination of senior pupils in the system
of pre-professional training have
received data that 28,8% of school graduates do not have specific occupational
plans. This third part of senior pupils who did not make their professional
choice and did not take care of alternative profession may become unemployed
and remain without any specialty. This situation does not change over several
years, and this problem should be the object of attention of workers of
vocational guidance and workers in educational sphere. The reasons that a third
of graduates fail to make their career choices can be both social and economic
processes, and lack of work in vocational guidance with youth [7]. In our opinion,
received data could be explained by the peculiarities of conceptions of parents
about professional future of their children and life success in general in the
case of the situation of social uncertainty.
Thus,
studying of conceptions of Ukrainian school graduates about their future
professional career is a topical question. Investigation of attitudes of
graduates regarding possibilities of professional career, depending on the
features of the representation of life success by their parents, could serve
the basis for development of relevant pedagogical programs for work not only
with students, but also with parents.
The
hypothesis of this study is as follow: career orientations of senior pupils
have their own specificity, depending on the type of representation of their
parents’ life success. In order to examine the hypotheses, statistical methods
such as Independent Samples T-Test was used. In this purpose, as the subjects
were senior pupils of secondary schools of Kharkiv, Ukraine. Projective drawing
"My symbol of life success" (M. Varban) was proposed to both parents
of the senior pupils. Respondents have
to imagine themselves in the future and draw in an arbitrary shape of own
symbol of life success. To do this, they use a sheet of white paper (A-4), pen,
pencil (can be color pencils), rubber. Time for the drawing is not limited. If
there are difficulties in drawing, respondents are asked to give a short verbal
description of the symbol. Based on the works of T. Homentauskas, E. Romanova,
O. Potemkin, the authors developed a special scheme of analysis and
interpretation of data, which includes various indicators and criteria for
evaluation of drawings. Parameters:
1) formal characteristics of picture – the size, location on the sheet,
pressure, shading, presence or absence of details, lines character, the use of
space, proportions, the accuracy of the image, image dynamic; 2) symbols, their
content, psychological sense; 3) selection of types of professional life
representation for the personality and the quantification of their fullness: 1)
“I am a professional” as a source of knowledge about themselves”. For such
people it’s typical to draw abstract symbols; 2) “An idealized life success”.
People of this type draw a set of complex images, which create an atmosphere of
the direct feelings expression; 3) “Infantile conception of themselves as
professionals”. People of this type usually draw “self-portrait”, often clearly
embellished with details [6].
School
children, both parents, who by the test results had similar ideas about life
success, were divided into 3 groups. The first group “I am a professional”
included 46 students, a second group “An idealized life success” consisted of
67 students, 64 students entered in the third “Infantile conception of themselves
as professionals” group. All participants completed Career Anchors Test by
Edgar Schein, who developed the idea of career anchors – what people most want
out of a career. He came up with 8 career anchors: 1) Autonomy/independence –
wanting to be self reliant – useful with today's contracting out; 2)
Security/stability – wanting to remain with one employer for life – not so
likely any more; 3) Technical/functional competence – to identify with a
professional discipline; 4) General management - having a broad, overview,
facilitating role, not a specialist; 5) Entrepreneurial creativity – a premium
wherever innovation drives competitiveness; 6) Service – dedication to
worthwhile causes ranging from the environment to poverty; 7) Pure challenge –
just solving difficult problems – no pattern necessary; 8) Life style – disinclination to sacrifice
life style solely for career advancement. Person may combine a few of these
career anchors, but there should be one at the top of the list.
The
results indicate that “Technical/functional competence” total scores in the group
“An idealized life success” were
significantly higher than the scores of the
group “I am a professional”.
Statistical
analysis showed that the “An idealized life success” subjects scoring significantly higher on
“Autonomy/independence”, “Life
style”, “General management” than the "I am a
professional" group.
The
results indicate that “Security/stability” total scores in the group “I am a
professional” were significantly higher than the scores of “An idealized life
success” group.
Significant
differences were not found in “Entrepreneurial”, “Service”, “Pure challenge”,
“Life style”, “Technical/functional competence” components among two groups.
The
data reveal that “Autonomy/independence” and “Security/stability” total scores
in the “Infantile conception of themselves as professionals” group were
significantly higher than the scores of “An idealized life success” group. Significant increase of
“Technical/functional competence” scores was found in “An idealized life
success” group comparatively with “Infantile conception of themselves as
professionals” subjects.
Statistical
analysis did not show significant differences in “General management”, “Life
style”, “Pure challenge”, “Entrepreneurial” scores among two groups.
Hence,
comparatively with the “I am a
professional” group the pupils whose parents provided infantile
representation of life success are tended to significant increase in
“General management”, “Life style”, “Autonomy/independence”,
“Security/stability” scales reflecting
detailed, self-oriented and conflicting each other components of Career Anchors. Comparatively with
“An idealized life success” group participants with infantile conception have
significantly higher scores in “Autonomy/independence”, “Security/stability”.
“An
idealized life success” subjects have
significantly higher total scores in “Technical/functional competence” compared
to “I am a professional” and “Infantile conception of themselves as
professionals” groups. These data suggest that pupils whose parents idealize
the idea of success in life, are laconic in their career claims and do not
consider the practical inclusion of themselves in a real professional life.
Much
of the research on career choice of senior pupils and students has focused on
the variables which influence career [3]. An examination of the literature
revealed little current research on the relationship between psychological
components of parental influence and career aspirations and expectations of
pupils.
Overall,
results from the current study indicate connection between pupils’ professional
orientations and type of representation of their parents’ life success:
Subjects
whose parents belong to “An idealized life success” type more oriented on
technical/functional competence without connection with other components of
career attitudes.
Pupils
with “Infantile conception of themselves as professionals” of parents most of
all orient on their autonomy and stability of life, an integration of private
life with career without deep orientation on professional development in
comparison with others.
Pupils
whose parents belong to “I am a professional” type don’t show significant
preferences in the evaluation of different career anchors.
More
work is needed to examine the relationship between the representations of
contemporary Ukrainian senior pupils about their course of life, of the concept
of career and attitudes of their parents about career in general and the
content of this concept nowadays.
In
conclusion, the current findings support the hypothesis of our study about an
influence of the type of representation of parents’ life success (in
particular, unconscious component of the
representation) on career orientations of senior pupils. Additional research is
needed to elaborate the meaning and importance of opportunities for developing
effective teaching programs focused on the interaction of teachers and parents,
and formation of adequate family attitudes about professional and career
prospects for senior pupils, as well as training of individual career planning
for graduates.
References
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patterns of high school seniors in Louisiana. Journal of Vocational Education Research, 14(2), pp.47-65.
2. Ozdemir, Nesrin; Hacifazlioglu, Ozge. Influence of family and
environment on students’ occupational choices and expectations of their
prospective universities. Social
Behavior and Personality: an international journal, Volume
36, Number 4, 2008 , pp. 433-446.
3. Paloşa, Ramona; Drobot Loredana. The
impact of family influence on the career choice of adolescents. – Procedia
- Social and Behavioral Sciences.
Volume 2, Issue 2, 2010, pp. 3407-3411.
4. Sara, Safyanu Shuaibu. Effects of learning styles on career preferences of
senior secondary school students in Jigawa state, Nigeria. Edo Journal of Counselling Vol. 3, No. 1, 2010, pp. 132-143.
5. Tolich, Pamela. Senior secondary school students’ views towards choosing technology
education as a subject and a career //ACE
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Ìîñîë Í. Î. Ôîðìóâàííÿ
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äèñ. íà çäîáóòòÿ íàóê. ñòóïåíÿ êàíä.
ïñèõîë. íàóê: ñïåö. 19.00.07 „Ïåäàãîã³÷íà
òà â³êîâà ïñèõîëîã³ÿ”, Ê., 2009.