A career decision-making program for lycée students

Abstract

A career decision-making program! based on Jackson-Egner's (1978) career decision making model, was adapted to provide a counseling intervention in facilitating students' career maturity development. The Career Maturity Inventory originated by Crites (1978) was also translated and adapted to be used as a supplementary source in facilitating the program. The program was administered to 46 ninth grade students in a ,private lycee. There were 24 male, 22 female students all around the age of fifteen years old. Students ' informal evaluations were derived through a questionnaire and oral reports. Feedback obtained from the questionnaire and oral reports indicated that the students generally found the Career Decision Making Program quite beneficial. They indicated that they were interested in and made use of the occupational information given. Exploring their interest areas as well as alternative solutions offered in case of a problem like failing at university enterance exams were found very useful and encouraging. Impressionistic evidence accumulated in this project raised the question about the feasibility of Super's Developmental Self Concept Theory of Vocational Behavior for students in Turkey. Values, expactations and opportunities this theory assumes are different from those that exist in Turkey. Limitations based on such theoretical assumptions and practical applications in career choice in Turkey, and recommendations to develop a more applicable Career Decision Making Program for Turkish students than the one attempted here were discussed.