Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Vocational guidance. Adolescence'

A figura paterna e suas configurações atuais revelam que o homem, cada vez mais, vem conquistando o seu papel de cuidador dos (as) filhos (as) dentro da família. No entanto, poucos são os estudos sobre pais separados e com guarda dos filhos. Buscando preencher essa lacuna e ampliar a compreensão sobre vínculos pai/filho, o objetivo deste estudo consistiu em analisar como o pai percebe e acompanha o processo de escolha profissional do (a) filho(a) adolescente e como este, por sua vez, percebe a participação paterna nesta etapa da sua vida. A pesquisa utilizou o método de abordagem qualitativa, de característica exploratória. Os participantes foram escolhidos de forma intencional e do tipo amostragem por bola-de-neve. Foram quatro pais separados e não recasados, com a guarda de filhos (as) em fase de escolha profissional e cinco adolescentes, de ambos os sexos, cursando o Ensino Médio ou iniciando um curso de graduação, que moram com o pai. O instrumento utilizado foi constituído por duas entrevistas semiestruturadas conduzidas de forma semidirigida, uma com questões próprias para o pai e outra para o adolescente. Elas foram transcritas e analisadas com base na técnica de Análise de Tema: trabalhou-se com o recorte do texto em unidades de registro. A coleta de informações foi numa instituição de Ensino Médio e particular da cidade do Recife. Os resultados mostraram pais com expectativas em relação ao futuro profissional do filho. Dentre elas: desejo que perpetue ou repita a sua carreira profissional; respeito à escolha que o filho fizer o apoiando no que ele decidir; desejo que o (a) filho (a) tenha sucesso e realização; orientação nas dúvidas sobre a escolha e sobre as profissões; acompanhamento e orientação sobre a realidade das profissões, mercado de trabalho, salário e carreira profissional. Além disso, os pais pesquisados demonstraram influência, disponibilidade para compartilhar, orientar, apoiar e acompanhar tudo que se relacionar com a escolha profissional e projeto de vida futuro dos filhos. Da mesma forma, o (a) filho(a) teve a percepção de que o pai tanto se preocupa e cuida, quanto influencia na decisão dele. Como conclusão, pode-se dizer que o relacionamento entre pai separado e com a guarda dos filhos e seus filhos (as) é permeado por afeto, tranquilidade, compreensão, diálogo e carinho. De uma maneira geral, a figura paterna se preocupa e cuida do filho (a) na sua vida como um todo, incluindo sua vida profissional futura<br>The father character and its actual configuration reveals that men are, more and more, conquering the role of the childrens keepers in the family. However, there are very few studies about divorced fathers responsible for bringing up their children alone. Looking for filling this gap and maximizing the comprehension on the links between fathers and their sons/daughters, the object of this study consisted on analyzing how fathers perceive and follow their sons and daughters professional choice process and how this father , himself, sees his participation in this process.The research used the method of qualitative exploratory study. The participants were chosen intentionally. There were four divorced fathers that opted for not getting married again, with children who were choosing their professions and five adolescents, both genres, in secondary schools or starting a graduation course. All of them live with their fathers. The tool used in this research were two semi-structured interviews carried out in a semi-directed way. One of the interviews was directed to the father and the other to his son(s)/daughter(s). The questions were transcribed and analyzed based on the theme analysis technique. The collection of information was done in a Private Secondary School located in Recife. The results revealed fathers with great expectations regarding their son/ daughters professional future. Among them, the desire that their son and daughters repeat their professions; the respect to their choices, the desire that their sons and daughters are successful; the guidance regarding the doubts they may have about the choice and professions; the readiness in advising about the reality regarding the professions, jobs market, salaries and professional career. In addition, the researched fathers demonstrated that they may influence, they are disposed to share, advise, support e be close to their sons in relation to their professional choices and future life projects. In the same way, the sons and daughters had the perception that their fathers are worried, take care and influence them on their decisions. To conclude, we can say that the relationship between divorced fathers and their sons and daughters is full of affection, comprehension, dialogue and love. Generally speaking, the fathers are worried but mainly they take care of their children as a whole, including their future career plan

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the career development process was the same for hearing-impaired and normally-hearing adolescents. Subjects included 71 deaf and 318 nonhandicapped adolescents and their parents. A literature-based causal model of career maturity (Model 1) was developed that was designed to explain career maturity in terms of background variables, family characteristics, and individual characteristics. The inclusion of these variables was based on family systems theory, social learning theory, and the empirical literature on the career maturity of nonhandicapped adolescents. The regression of career maturity on the eight predictor variables in Model 1 explained about 20% of the variance in career maturity for the hearing group, and 28% for the deaf. Family cohesion was the strongest predictor of career maturity for both groups. Despite several similar patterns of influence among the variables, a number of relationships among the variables differed for the two groups. Furthermore, differences were noted between the groups in terms of the total effects for some of the eight predictor variables such as age and achievement. A second model was developed to describe the career development of the deaf. Model 2 included all of the variables in Model 1 as well as five additional variables specific to the experiences of the deaf. Model 2 explained 31% of the variance in the career maturity of the deaf subjects. The increase in variance explained was not great enough to be considered significant. The degree of the subject's hearing loss and the degree of mother-child communication were influential in describing the career development process for the deaf in Model 2. The results suggest that there are similarities and differences in the development of career maturity for deaf and hearing adolescents. The process is more reliant upon background characteristics, such as age, for the hearing. For the deaf, family variables intervene to influence career maturity to a greater extent than for the hearing. For both groups, higher family cohesion scores were associated with greater career maturity. The inclusion of deaf-specific variables contributed to the explanatory power of the basic model, although not to a significant degree.<br>Ph. D.

Career psychology in South Africa has traditionally been constituted by the vocabularies, assessment methods, counselling practices and research objectives of the modernist-positivist paradigm. This paradigm has produced a rich but disparate and fragmented range of career theories, research perspectives and career education practices that have been limited in their consideration and integration of the broad range of contextual factors that influence the career development of South African adolescents in unique ways. This limitation has had, and still has, the potential of promoting prescriptive and disqualifying constructions of career development for South African youth. A search for alternatives to traditional modernist-positivist understandings of career has led, however, to a further fragmentation of the career field into what can broadly be termed qualitative and quantitative approaches. This twofold fragmentation, as well as the dynamic complexity of the world of work in the twenty-first century, has inspired this study’s investigation of an integrating framework that employs a wide range of career theoretical perspectives in the service of constructing experience-near accounts of the complex and fluid interrelationship between individual career makers and their specific social, environmental and societal contexts. The present study has therefore employed the Systems Theory Framework (STF) in investigating and co-constructing representations of the career development of a group of South African adolescents in a way that acknowledges their unique systems of career influence and discursive contexts. The research adopted an exploratory-descriptive design in collaborating with the participants in this investigation. In the first phase of the study a sample of 70 grade 11 male and female adolescents from middle socioeconomic status environments were invited to complete the My Systems of Career Influences (MSCI) workbook in re-presenting systemic constructions of their career development. Tesch’s model of qualitative content analysis and frequency counts has been used to re-present that process to you in this text. In the second phase of the study the researcher collaborated with one participant in a systemic narrative career counselling process. During this process an account of the participant’s career narrative was co-constructed in conversations guided by a poststructural narrative approach to career counselling and the MSCI’s structuring of the participant’s complex systems of influence. The co-constructed account was critically examined according to Parker’s approach to discourse analysis. The second phase investigated how the counselling and research processes had positioned the participant in relation to her influential systems and their privileged discourses of career development. The study is particularly pertinent to a growing need for the development of respectful, critical and non-discriminatory career assessment, career research and career counselling collaborations between professionals and career makers navigating the unique and diverse South African context.

O processo de escolha profissional pode apresentar maior ou menor complexidade, dependendo dos conflitos vivenciados, dos recursos para seu adequado enfrentamento e resolução, e do grau de maturidade para essa decisão ocupacional. A literatura científica relaciona maturidade para a escolha profissional ao desenvolvimento de certas atitudes (determinação, independência e responsabilidade) e à aquisição de conhecimentos específicos (autoconhecimento e conhecimento sobre a realidade das profissões). Dentro desse contexto, a presente investigação objetivou examinar as possibilidades informativas do BBT-Br (Teste de Fotos de Profissões) quanto a indicadores de maturidade para a escolha profissional, bem como validar e fundamentar empiricamente algumas das hipóteses interpretativas desta técnica projetiva, otimizando seus recursos para os processos de Orientação Profissional/Vocacional. Foram avaliados, individualmente, por meio do BBT-Br, 93 estudantes do terceiro ano do ensino médio público diurno de Ribeirão Preto (SP), de ambos os sexos, divididos em dois grupos com características contrastantes em relação à maturidade para a escolha profissional (GA = 55 com alta maturidade e GB = 38 com baixa maturidade), selecionados previamente pelo resultado na Escala de Maturidade para Escolha Profissional (EMEP), coletivamente aplicada. Foram realizadas análises estatísticas inferenciais dos resultados (Teste Mann-Whitney, p <= 0,05), comparando-se GA e GB e seus respectivos subgrupos (em função do sexo) nas seguintes variáveis: 1) EMEP: resultados obtidos em cada subescala (determinação, responsabilidade, independência, autoconhecimento e conhecimento da realidade profissional) e na maturidade total; 2) BBT-Br: número de escolhas positivas, negativas e neutras; freqüência de escolhas positivas, negativas e neutras de cada um dos oito fatores primários e oito fatores secundários. Também foram analisadas as estruturas de inclinação positivas e negativas, primárias e secundárias, e as fotos mais escolhidas e mais rejeitadas. Os resultados demonstraram a existência de especificidades na produção dos adolescentes em função de seu nível de maturidade para a escolha profissional e também em função do sexo. Em relação à variável sexo, alguns fatores do BBT-Br foram escolhidos com maior freqüência pelas moças (primários: W, Z, O; secundários: w e m) e mais rejeitados pelos rapazes (primários: W, Z, M; secundários: w), principalmente aqueles relacionados a atividades atribuídas ao feminino no contexto sociocultural brasileiro. Estes resultados confirmam, empiricamente, evidências da influência sociocultural na determinação dos interesses profissionais. Em relação à variável foco deste estudo, a maturidade para a escolha profissional, os adolescentes de GA sinalizaram maior abertura para as possibilidades profissionais (maior número de escolhas positivas e menor número de rejeições) comparativamente ao grupo de baixa maturidade que, por sua vez, acabou por restringir suas escolhas positivas e apresentou número alto de escolhas negativas no BBT-Br. Isso se confirmou na análise da distribuição de freqüência das escolhas positivas, negativas e neutras dos fatores primários e secundários do BBT-Br. Nesta direção pode-se notar que GA escolheu significativamente mais e rejeitou menos fotos dos fatores primários S (senso social e dinamismo), V (precisão, objetividade) e G (criatividade, pesquisa), e de cinco fatores secundários (k, s, v, g, o). Por sua vez, o GB fez o oposto disso, escolhendo menos e rejeitando mais os fatores primários mencionados e seis fatores secundários (s, g, o, z, v, m). De maneira geral, os jovens com maiores índices de maturidade para a escolha profissional consideraram um número maior de opções profissionais do BBT-Br, a serem exploradas e, conseqüentemente, integradas em suas decisões ocupacionais, enquanto que os adolescentes com menor maturidade acabaram, com suas rejeições, por restringir suas possibilidades de conhecimento e de consideração desses fatores em suas escolhas profissionais. Pode-se concluir, portanto, que o nível de maturidade para a escolha profissional (resultados da EMEP) sinalizou influenciar diretamente os índices de produtividade no BBT-Br, confirmando suas hipóteses interpretativas e, portanto, fortalecendo indicadores de validade para esta técnica projetiva no contexto sócio-cultural contemporâneo.<br>Career choice is a process which can present different levels of complexity, depending on the conflicts one goes through, the resources for adequately dealing with and solve it, and the maturity degree for this occupational decision. Scientific literature relates maturity for career choice to developing certain attitudes (determination, independence and responsibility) and acquiring specific knowledge (about oneself and careers\' realities). Within this context, the present investigation aimed to examine the informative possibilities of the BBT-Br (Photos of Professions Test), regarding its indicators of maturity for career choice, as well as validate and ground some of the interpretative hypotheses for this projective technique, optimizing its resources for Vocational Guidance processes. The participants were 93 high-school students in the last year of a day-shift public school in Ribeirão Preto (State of São Paulo, Brazil), from both genders. The participants were divided in two groups of contrasting characteristics regarding their maturity for career choice (GA = 55, highly mature, GB = 38, lowly mature), previously selected for their results on the Maturity for Career Choice Scale (Escala de Maturidade para Escolha Profissional - EMEP), which had been applied collectively. All participants were then assessed individually using the BBT-Br. Inferential statistical analyses were performed for the results (Mann-Whitney Test, p <= 0,05), comparing GA and GB, as well as their respective subgroups (as a function of gender), for the following variables: 1) EMEP results on each subscale (determination, responsibility, independence, self-knowledge and knowledge about career reality) and for total maturity; 2) BBT-Br: number of positive, negative and neutral choices; choice frequency (positive, negative and neutral) for primary and secondary factors (eight of each one). Also, inclination structures were analyzed (positive and negative, primary and secondary ones), as well as the most chosen and most rejected photos. The results show the existence of adolescents\' production specificities, regarding their level of career choice maturity and gender. For the latter variable, some BBT-Br factors, were chosen more frequently by females (primary factors: W, Z, O; secondary ones: w and m) and more rejected by males (primary factors: W, Z, M; secondary ones: w), mainly those related to activities attributed to femininity in the brazilian sociocultural context. These results empirically confirm evidences of the sociocultural influence in determining career-related interests. In relation to the focus variable for the present study, that is, career choice maturity, GA adolescents showed wider attitudes for professional possibilities (higher number of positive choices and lower number of rejections), comparatively to the low maturity group, which in their turn restricted their positive choices and presented a high number of negative choices in the BBT-Br. Such data is confirmed in the analysis of frequency distribution for positive, negative and neutral choices of both primary and secondary BBT-Br factors. In the same direction, it can be noted that GA chose significantly more and rejected less photos from factors S (social sense and dynamism), V (precision, objectivity) and G (creativity, research) and five secondary factors (k, s, v, g, o). As for GB, the opposite was observed, or, less positive choices and more rejections to the primary factors mentioned before and six secondary factors (s, g, o, z, v, m). In general, adolescents with higher maturity indexes for career choice considered a higher number of BBT-Br\'s professional options, which can be explored and, consequently, integrated in their occupational decisions. On the other hand, lower mature adolescents end up, with their rejections, to restrict their possibilities to know and consider these factors for their professional choices. Thus, it can be concluded that maturity level for career choice (EMEP results) is related to a direct influence in productivity indexes of the BBT-Br, confirming their interpretative hypothesis and, so, increasing validity indicators for this projective technique in the contemporary sociocultural context.

Career counselling in South Africa is yet fully support the transformation process taking place nationally. More specifically, the discipline of career psychology requires the emergence of a career development theory commensurate with its diverse population. historically, extensive use was made of western career theories which were not applicable to the majority of South Africa's culturally and ethically diverse population groups consisting predominantly of black individuals of low socioeconomic status. In addition, since 1994 a black middle class has emerged in South Africa that has become increasingly prominent. Familial and parental influence on the career development of adolescents is acknowledge as pivotal; however, little South Afriucan research exists on this topic. The aim of the present study is to investigate the systematic influence on adolescent career development from the perspectives of black South African middle class grade 11 females and their parents.

Da alcuni anni a questa parte, la scuola italiana è chiamata sempre più ad affrontare l’accoglienza e la formazione di studenti stranieri. Per chi si occupa di orientamento la sfida è duplice. Da un lato si nota la tendenza a scegliere percorsi di studio più semplici e meno proiettati verso il prosieguo degli studi: il 40,4% degli studenti stranieri prediligere gli Istituti Professionali, contro il 19% degli italiani, e il 38,0% gli Istituti Tecnici, contro il 33,2% degli italiani. Nonstante ciò, vi è carenza di ricerche cross-culturali in merito all'orientamento con le minoranze culturali presenti in Italia. Questo studio ha l'obiettivo di fornire una migliore comprensione riguardo agli aspetti psiclogici che influenzano le scelte scolastiche tra gli studenti immigrati. In particolare, mira a comprendere come la cultura, ed una sua parte fondamentale quale è il significato attribuito alla realtà, moduli le scelte in materia di orientamento. Inoltre, sono state indagate le barriere percepite, gli interessi, la motivazione scolastica e gli atteggiamenti verso lo studio, oltre al ruolo svolto da specifiche sindromi culturali.<br>The Italian school system has been facing with the reception and the training of foreign studens for several years now. For those involved in vocational guidance, the challenge is twofold. On the one hand there is a tendency to choose courses of simplier study and less projected towards the continuation of their studies: 40.4% of students prefer the Professional Institutes, compared to 19% of Italians, and 38.0 % Technical Institutes, compared to 33.2% of Italians.In spite of this, there is a paucity of cross-cultural research on vocational guidance for cultural minorities in Italy. This study aims to provide a better understanging about which psychological aspects influence vocational choices in foreign students. In particular, how culture, and a foundamental part of that such as meaning, affects scholastic choices. Moreover, perceived barriers, interests, motivations, attitudes toward school and cultural syndroms were explored.

A satisfação com o exercício profissional é reconhecidamente associada ao processo de sua escolha, dependendo de fatores da dinâmica interna do indivíduo. Estudos científicos têm encontrado relação entre traços de personalidade e interesses profissionais, aspectos ainda pouco investigados no contexto sócio-cultural brasileiro. Neste contexto, o presente trabalho objetivou examinar possível associação entre interesses, inclinações profissionais e características de personalidade de adolescentes em momento de escolha profissional, a partir das indicações técnicas de dois instrumentos de avaliação psicológica: Teste de Fotos de Profissões (BBT-Br) e Escalas de Personalidade Comrey (CPS). Almejou-se, portanto e a partir da análise de correlação entre variáveis destes dois instrumentos de avaliação psicológica, evidenciar a validade de indicadores do BBT-Br a partir das evidências empíricas obtidas pela CPS. Após consentimento formal, foram avaliados 107 estudantes do terceiro ano do ensino médio público diurno de Ribeirão Preto (SP), 50 do sexo masculino e 57 do sexo feminino, com idade entre 16 e 18 anos, todos com sinais de desenvolvimento típico. Como instrumentos foram utilizados: um questionário de história de vida (para seleção dos participantes), o BBT-Br (forma masculina e feminina) e a CPS. Inicialmente foi realizada a aplicação coletiva da CPS, em sala de aula, e posterior aplicação individual do BBT-Br, em local apropriado para avaliação psicológica. A aplicação e avaliação desses instrumentos seguiram os padrões e os referenciais normativos específicos dos respectivos manuais. Os resultados foram inicialmente apresentados de modo descritivo, na tentativa de caracterizar o desempenho global médio dos adolescentes no BBT-Br e na CPS, sendo depois realizadas análises estatísticas inferenciais sobre estes dados. A análise comparativa dos atuais resultados da CPS com as normas originais brasileiras (para adultos), por meio do Teste t de Student (p 0,05), evidenciou diferenças significativas entre ambas, confirmando a necessidade de normas específicas da CPS para adolescentes. Quanto ao BBT-Br, a caracterização da estrutura primária de interesses dos adolescentes mostrou especificidades técnicas em função do sexo. O grupo feminino sinalizou um perfil de interesses dirigido a atividades relacionadas ao cuidado e ao envolvimento nas relações interpessoais, enquanto o grupo masculino sinalizou preferência por atividades dinâmicas e de movimentação física, atividades de reconhecimento pessoal, além de tarefas envolvendo raciocínio abstrato, comunicação e precisão. Tanto o grupo masculino quanto o feminino rejeitaram atividades implicando em força física e em agressividade, assim como a concretude no trabalho e ambientes repetitivos e monótonos para atividades profissionais. O grupo masculino sinalizou ainda rejeição por tarefas envolvendo sensibilidade e subjetividade. Comparando-se, por meio dos Testes t de Student e Qui-Quadrado (p 0,05), os resultados atuais do BBT-Br a seus respectivos padrões normativos, pode-se notar semelhança no desempenho dos adolescentes, confirmando evidências de estruturas motivacionais estáveis entre adolescentes do contexto sócio-cultural avaliado. A investigação específica da relação entre interesses e inclinações profissionais (dados do BBT-Br) e características de personalidade (dados da CPS), realizada por correlações de Pearson, p 0,05, apontou para índices significativos entre algumas variáveis destas técnicas de avaliação psicológica, porém de baixa magnitude. Estes índices apontaram, portanto, a existência de aspectos em comum entre as variáveis examinadas pelo BBT-Br e pela CPS, com alguma convergência entre seus resultados, porém sugerindo interferência importante de outras variáveis psicológicas na dinâmica individual inerente às escolhas profissionais e às características de personalidade.<br>Satisfaction with professional exercise is widely associated to the latters choice process, which depends on factors related to the individuals internal dynamics. Scientific studies have been finding a relationship between personality traits and professional interests; such aspects are not very investigated in the brazilian sociocultural context, though. This way, the present study aimed to examine the possible association among interests, professional inclinations and personality characteristics of adolescents, during the moment they are choosing their careers. In order to do so, the technical indicators of two psychological assessment tools were used: The BBT-Br (Profession Photos Test - Teste de Fotos de Profissões) and the Comrey Personality Scales (CPS). The intention was, so, based on a correlation analysis of both tools indicators, to evidence the validity of the BBT-Brs indicators from empiric evidence obtained through CPS. After formal consent, 107 last-year high school students were assessed. The students were from day-shift public school in Ribeirão Preto (São Paulo Brazil); 50 of them were male and 57 female, with ages varying from 16-18 years old and typical developmental indicators. The following tools were used: a life-history questionnaire for participants selection, both male and female forms of the BBT-Br and the CPS. First, the CPS had been applied in a collective session in class. The BBT-Br was then applied individually, in an appropriate room for psychological assessment. Both applying and correction of the tests followed the standards and norms form their respective manuals. The results were initially presented descriptively, in order to characterize the adolescents global performance on both BBT-Br and the CPS. Later, inferential statistical analyses were performed over the data. The comparative analysis of the present CPS results with the original brazilian norms (for adults), using Students T Test (p 0,05), showed significant differences between them, which confirms the need for specific CPS norms for adolescents. As for the BBT-Br, the characterization of adolescents primary interests structure showed technical specifications related to gender. The female group showed an interest profile focused in care-related activities and involvement in interpersonal relationships, while the male group showed preference for activities which were dynamic and related to physical movement and promoted personal acknowledgement, besides activities involving abstract thinking, communication and precision. Both male and female groups rejected activities related to physical strength and aggressiveness, as well as concreteness at work and repetitive and monotonous work environments for professional activities. The male group also showed rejection for activities involving sensitiveness and subjectivity. Comparing the results obtained on the BBT-Br with its normative patterns, using Students T and Chi-Square Tests (p 0,05), it is possible to note similarities in the adolescents performances, which confirms the evidences of stable motivational structures in adolescents of the sociocultural context assessed. The specific investigation regarding the relationship between interests and professional inclinations (BBT-Br data) and personality characteristics (CPS data), which was performed using Pearson correlation coefficient (p 0,05), showed significant indexes between some variables from these psychological assessment tools, although these indexes magnitude was low. These data shows, thus, common aspects between BBT-Brs and CPS variables, with some convergence between their results. However, data also suggest an important interference of aspects related to individual psychological variables which are inherent to professional choices and personality characteristics.

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of a career workshop on the career self-efficacy of a group of African American adolescent females (AAAF). The study assessed the preand post-test differences of treatment and level of parental education for change in career self-efficacy after an intervention. A total of 21 AAAF completed the pre- and post-test of the Career Attitude Survey. The data was analyzed by carrying out four t-tests on each of the two independent groups. The results of the study suggest that the career workshop was more effective for change in career self-efficacy for traditionally female careers. The change was more significant for the treatment group and AAAF with at least one parent with some college education. Implications for research and practice were presented.<br>Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

The adolescent stage of development entails many overt and covert challenges and influences that have bearing on spheres of later life, including career development. With South African counsellors being largely dependent on Western career theories, the influence of contextual factors such as cultural beliefs and historical background on the career development of South African adolescents has been largely ignored. The recent acknowledgement of the unique and complex interrelationship between individuals and their specific social, environmental and societal context has motivated the development of an overarching theoretical framework of career development, the Systems Theory Framework (STF). The present study has therefore employed the STF and a qualitative career assessment measure, the My System of Career Influences (MSCI), to facilitate in exploring and describing the unique systems of career influence on the career development of a group of South African adolescents. A non-probability, purposive sampling technique was employed to obtain the sample from a co-educational, Xhosa-speaking secondary school situated in a low socioeconomic area. The research approach was exploratory and descriptive in nature, and the MSCI assisted in the collection of qualitative and quantitative data from a sample of 64 Grade 9, 10 and 11 female and male black adolescents from low socioeconomic status environments. The qualitative data was subjected to content analysis to identify themes, while frequency counts/percentages were used for the quantitative data. The results of the study indicate that all influences within the three interrelated career systems have an influence on the career development of black adolescents. Furthermore, the MSCI workbook was shown to assist participants in identifying and evaluating significant systemic influences that have contributed to their career development to date. Participants from both genders and all grade levels were able to successfully complete the MSCI workbook and provide reflective comments on their MSCI personalised diagrams. The applicability of both the STF and the MSCI are acknowledged. Limitations and recommendations for future research based on the present findings are suggested.

A escolha profissional envolve um processo de integração de um conjunto de variáveis sociais, econômicas e culturais, bem como de características pessoais, como por exemplo, os interesses vocacionais. Assim, estudos voltados à caracterização da clientela de serviços de Orientação Vocacional/Profissional têm sido considerados relevantes objetivando a ampliação da compreensão dos interesses e motivações da população atendida e o planejamento de intervenções eficazes. A presente pesquisa objetivou investigar a estrutura de interesses profissionais de jovens que procuraram auxílio especializado em um serviço de Orientação Profissional, por meio do Teste de Fotos de Profissões BBT-Br. Especificamente, este estudo realizou: (a) delineamento do perfil sociodemográfico dos clientes; (b) comparação dos resultados do BBT-Br de uma amostra clínica com os resultados do estudo de padronização para adolescentes brasileiros; e (c) um estudo complementar, comparando os resultados do BBT-Br de uma amostra clínica composta por jovens da 3ª série do Ensino Médio com os resultados de uma amostra não clínica de mesma escolaridade. Os dados foram levantados a partir dos registros dos atendimentos realizados pelo serviço-escola de uma universidade pública no estado de São Paulo, Brasil, em um período de seis anos. Foram analisados os protocolos de 532 jovens entre 14 a 21 anos de idade, do sexo masculino e feminino, provenientes de escolas públicas e particulares, que foram atendidos no período de 2003 a 2008, e que realizaram, durante o processo de Orientação Vocacional/Profissional, o BBT-Br. No estudo complementar foram analisados 615 protocolos do BBT-Br, comparando-se um grupo clínico (n=118) a um não clínico (n=497). A análise dos dados foi realizada por meio de procedimentos estatísticos: análises descritivas, testes t de Student, análise de variância (ANOVA) em duas vias e contrastes, com nível de significância menor ou igual a 0,05. A caracterização sociodemográfica da amostra evidenciou a predominância do sexo feminino (70,1%), de alunos da 3ª série do Ensino Médio (58,8%), provenientes de escolas privadas (74,1%). Observou-se que 90,2% dos clientes concluíram o atendimento e 87,6% participaram do atendimento em grupo. Nos resultados do BBT-Br, observou-se que as estruturas de interesses dos grupos clínicos assemelham-se aos dados normativos. Entre o sexo feminino, predominam os fatores S(h), G e O, indicando preferência por atividades relacionadas à ajuda, estudos e comunicação. No sexo masculino, predominam S(e), G e V, evidenciando interesses relacionados a dinamismo, estudos e racionalidade. Esses perfis podem ilustrar diferenças de gênero no comportamento de escolha, relacionadas à expectativa de papeis socialmente construídos e ao contexto histórico e cultural. A análise comparativa dos índices de produtividade demonstrou que os os grupos clínicos (excetuando-se os adolescentes do sexo masculino de escolas particulares) efetuam significativamente menos escolhas positivas do que os grupos não clínicos, realizando mais escolhas negativas ou neutras. Esses resultados podem indicar que os grupos clínicos apresentam menor maturidade para a escolha da carreira, acabando por restringir suas possibilidades de exploração ocupacional. Considera-se que o estudo realizado fornece indicativos para a utilização do BBT-Br na prática clínica, contribuindo para a produção do conhecimento sobre este método projetivo e sua utilização na intervenção vocacional.<br>Career choice involves a process of integrating a set of social, economic and cultural variables and also personal characteristics such as vocational interests. Hence, studies addressing the characterization of the clientele of Vocational/Professional Guidance Services have been considered relevant aiming to broaden understanding of interests and motivations of the population assisted, and planning of effective interventions. This study investigates the structure of professional interests of young individuals who seek specialized help in a Vocational Guidance Service through the Brazilian adapted version of the Test of Photos of Professions (Berufsbilder Test BBT-Br). This study specifically included: (a) the socio-demographic profile of clients; (b) comparison of the BBT-Br results from a clinical sample with the results of a standardization study of Brazilian adolescents; and (c) a complementary study comparing the BBT-Br results from a clinical sample composed of individuals attending the 12th grade with the results of a non-clinical sample with the same educational level. Data were collected from consultations records provided by the service-school of a public university in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, in a period of six years. The protocols of 532 individuals aged between 14 and 21 years old, both male and female, from public and private schools, who were assisted from 2003 to 2008 and performed the BBT-Br during the Vocational Guidance process were analyzed. A total of 615 BBT-Br protocols were analyzed in the complementary study, comparing the results of the clinical group (n=118) with the non-clinical (n=497). Data analysis was carried out through statistical procedures: descriptive analysis, Student t test, two-way analysis of variance and contrast analysis (ANOVA), with level of significance below or equal to 0,05. The socio-demographic characterization of the sample evidenced the predominance of women (70,1%), students from the 12th grade (58,8%), from private schools (74,1%). A total of 90,2% of the clients concluded the process and 87,6% participated in group consultation. The BBT-Br results indicated that the structures of interests of clinical groups are similar to normative data. The factors S(h), G and O predominated among women, which indicate preference for activities related to help, studies and communication. The factors S(e), G and V predominated among men, evidencing interests related to dynamism, studies and rationality. These profiles can illustrate differences between genders in choice behavior related to the expectation of roles socially constructed and to the historical and cultural contexts. The comparative analysis of productivity indexes demonstrated that clinical groups (with exception of male students from private schools) made significant less positive choices than non-clinical groups, deciding for more negative or neutral choices. These results might indicate that clinical groups are less mature to choose a career, which restricts their possibilities of occupational exploration. This study supports the use of the BBT-Br in clinical practice, contributing to the production of knowledge on this projective method and its use in vocational intervention.

O Teste de Fotos de Profissões (BBT-Br) constitui-se como método projetivo de avaliação psicológica de inclinações motivacionais e interesses. De origem suíça, este instrumento foi adaptado ao Brasil e estudado nas últimas três décadas, buscando seu aperfeiçoamento no contexto brasileiro. Em consonância com esta meta, o presente trabalho objetivou elaborar novos referenciais normativos para as duas versões (feminina e masculina) do instrumento, examinando-se possível efeito da origem e série escolar sobre a produção de adolescentes do Ensino Médio brasileiro, potenciais solicitantes de Orientação Vocacional/Profissional, onde este instrumento tem apresentado positivos e relevantes resultados. Além disso, este estudo buscou identificar evidências empíricas de validade fatorial e precisão para a forma masculina e a feminina do BBT-Br. Foram examinados 1582 protocolos do BBT-Br (em suas duas versões), sendo 862 estudantes do sexo feminino e 720 do sexo masculino, com idades entre 14 e 19 anos, da 1ª, 2ª e 3ª séries do ensino médio de escolas públicas e particulares de cidade do interior paulista. Estes casos foram retirados de Banco de Dados colecionado no Centro de Pesquisas em Psicodiagnóstico da Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto. Os resultados foram elaborados em função da versão do BBT-Br (feminina ou masculina), descrevendo-os de modo a compor novos padrões normativos para este método projetivo, focalizando índices de produtividade e estruturas de inclinação motivacional (positivas e negativas) dos adolescentes, realizando-se comparações inferenciais (ANOVA One way) em função do sexo, da procedência escolar (particular ou pública) e da série escolar. A precisão das duas versões do BBT-Br foi estimada por sua consistência interna (Alfa de Cronbach) e foram realizadas análises fatoriais exploratórias (por meio da Principal Axis Factoring - PAF, com rotação Varimax) dos resultados, determinando-se extrações de quatro, cinco, seis, sete e oito fatores para testar o melhor modelo ao conjunto dos dados. Uma vez selecionada a extração mais representativa, foi verificada a consistência interna dos fatores encontrados. Os resultados apontaram diferenças significativas no modo dos adolescentes selecionarem fotos representativas de interesses e rejeições de atividades profissionais, indicando especificidades no modo de responder ao BBT-Br em função do sexo, origem e série escolar. A precisão variou entre 0,57 e 0,82, indicando bons índices de fidedignidade para as duas formas do BBT-Br. Os resultados das PAFs realizadas apontaram para a extração de seis fatores como mais representativa dos dados do BBT-Br, formas feminina e masculina, com precisão variando entre 0,72 e 0,90, indicando bons índices de fidedignidade para esta extração fatorial. As atuais evidências empíricas, de modo geral, indicaram adequados índices psicométricos para este instrumento projetivo, agregando valor científico e qualificando o uso do BBT-Br no contexto sócio-cultural brasileiro, reforçando suas possibilidades informativas sobre inclinações motivacionais e interesses em estudantes do ensino médio.<br>The Berufsbilder Test, BBT-Br, is a projective method of psychological assessment for motivational inclinations and interests. This Swiss instrument was adapted for use in Brazil and has been studied for the last three decades, in the pursuit of its improvement for the Brazilian background. In line with this goal, the present work sought to formulate new normative references for both instrument versions (female and male), evaluating the possible effect of school grade and origin on the teenagers production. The sample was composed by Brazilian high school teenagers, potential applicants for Vocational / Professional Guidance, where this instrument has presented positive relevant results. Furthermore, this study aimed to identify empirical evidences of factorial validity and accuracy for both male and female BBT-Br forms. Were examined 1582 protocols from both versions of BBT-Br, from which 862 were female students and 720 were male students, ages from 14 to 19 years old, from 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades. They studied in both public and private schools from the interior of the state of São Paulo (Brazil). These cases were from a databank collected in the Research Center in Psychodiagnostic from the Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters from Ribeirão Preto. The results were prepared according to the BBT-Br versions, describing them in the way to compose new normative standards for this projective method, focusing productivity indexes and motivational inclination structure (positive and negative) from the teenagers, performing inferential comparisons (One way ANOVA) on gender, academic origination (public or private) and school grade. The accuracy of both BBT-Br versions was estimated by its inner consistency (Cronbachs Alfa) and exploratory factorial analysis (Principal Axis Factoring PAF, with Varimax rotation) from the results were performed, determining extractions of four, five, six, seven and eight factors to test the best model to the data series. Once the most representative extraction was selected, the inner consistency of the found factors was verified. The results pointed to significant differences in the way teenagers select representative pictures of interests and rejections of professional activities, indicating specificities in the way of answering to the BBT-Br on gender, origin and school grade. The accuracy varied from 0,57 to 0,82, indicating good reliability indexes for both BBT-Br forms. The PAFs results pointed to a six factors extraction as the most representative of the data with accuracy from 0,72 to 0,90, indicating good reliability indexes for this factorial extraction. Current empirical evidences, altogether, indicated appropriate psychometric indexes to this projective instrument, adding scientific value and qualifying the use of BBT-Br in Brazilian socio-cultural context, reinforcing its informative possibilities about motivation inclinations and interests in high school students.

A Orientação Profissional e de Carreira tem sido objeto de estudo desde o início do século passado, constituindo um domínio do conhecimento teórico e prático de relevante interesse por parte de pesquisadores e profissionais do campo da Psicologia Vocacional em diferentes cenários e contextos. No entanto, no que se refere ao contexto moçambicano, poucos estudos mostraram interesse em promover serviçossistematizados que visemajudar os adolescentes a refletir sobre a complexidade do processo da escolha e sua natureza multideterminada. Constatada esta lacuna, este estudo objetivou delinear, implementar e avaliar uma intervenção em Orientação Profissional e de Carreira para adolescentes, alunos do ensino secundário público moçambicano. Para concretizar os objetivos almejados foi delineado um estudo do tipo pesquisa-ação. Apoiando-se numa abordagem prevalentemente qualitativa, primeiro buscou-se indagar as condições pessoais, familiares e contextuais que influenciam no processo da escolha e em seguida avaliar a intervenção a partir da ótica dos participantes. A intervenção iniciou com um grupo de adolescentes (N=30), estudantes do ensino secundário (1º e 2º ciclos) público moçambicano, na cidade de Nampula, matriculados entre a 8ª e 12ª classe, com idades compreendidas entre 14-18 anos, de ambos sexos. Entre eles desistiram de participar da intervenção sete (7), sendo que a amostra final foi de 23 participantes, e participaram da avaliação pós-intervenção 18 estudantes. A coleta de dados decorreu ao longo de doze sessões e última avaliação seis meses após a intervenção. A coleta de dados baseou-se emtécnicas de cunho qualitativo (narrativas), a saber: \"Carta aos pais\", Redação sobre a escolha profissional e de carreira, \"Carta ao Presidente da República\", \"Carta ao Orientador Hipotético\" e uma atividade baseada em um Roteiro de questões abertas que foram respondidas em quatro momentos diferentes ao longo da intervenção. A análise e discussão dos dados se apoiou na abordagem qualitativa e se subsidiou da análise temática de conteúdo, proposta por Minayo e nos aportes da perspectiva desenvolvimentista e construtivista de teorias de carreira. Os resultados corroboraram na complexidade dos fatores que multideterminam a escolha profissional e de carreira, sendo que família, particularmente marcada com o exercício de autoridade vinculada ao modelo cultural, no qual é reservado aos pais uma posição particular de \"decisão\", exerce ainda uma contínua e incontornável influência nas aspirações e escolhas profissionais dos adolescentes. O diálogo, o apoio moral, e instrumental atuam como mediadores desta influência.A avaliação da intervenção, de um lado, contribuiu para preencher a lacuna da insipiência de intervenções sistematizadas que se propõem a avaliar serviços ou programas no âmbito da intervenção em orientação profissional e de carreira, incluindo a perspectiva dos usurários. Sobre a avaliação levada adiante neste estudo há que destacar primeiro que os relatos dos participantes concluintes convergem na apreciação positiva tanto dos procedimentos quanto dos resultados do processo. Os participantes que avaliaram o processoconfirmaram a hipótese da urgência, necessidade e pertinência de serviços nesta área, tendo sugerido a continuidade, expansão e manutenção do serviço, em particular para o contexto escolar moçambicano. As opiniões emitidas pelos \"avaliadores\" (estudantes) da intervenção convergem na ideia de que futuras intervenções devem focalizar a abordagem de Educação para a Carreira a ser desenvolvida ao longo da vida escolar. Outro resultado significado do estudo aponta para uma temática muito debatida na área, trata-se da importância da formação dos orientadores profissionais, com foco nas competências teórico-práticase relacionais. O foco na abordagem qualitativa ajudou a explicitar a natureza subjetiva da carreira, a interrelação entre os fatores pessoais e contextuais, reforçando a importância de ajudar as novas gerações a desenvolver atitudes mais ativas no processo de construção das suas identidades pessoais e ocupacionais de modo a se adaptar mais adequadamente às atuais e contínuas mudanças que ocorrem em diferentes âmbitos da vida humana, em particular no mundo do trabalho. As considerações conclusivas apontam asimplicações para a prática e algumas linhas que podem servir de ponto de partida para refletir sobre possibilidades de intervenção com particular atenção ao domínio da realidade moçambicana. Limitações do estudo são assumidas com vista a aprimorar futuras intervenções.<br>The vocational guidance and career has been studied since the beginning of last century, constituting a domain of theoretical and practical knowledge of relevant interest by researchers and Vocational Psychology field professionals in different settings and contexts. However, with regard to the Mozambican context, few studies have shown an interest in promoting systematic services aimed at helping teens to reflect on the complexity of the process of choice and its multifactorial nature. Found this gap, this study aimed to design, implement and evaluate an intervention in Career Guidance for mozambican public secondary school students. To achieve the desired goals was outlined a kind of action research study. Relying on a prevalently qualitative approach, first sought to investigate the personal, family and contextual influencing the process of choice, and then evaluate the intervention from the perspective of the participants. The intervention began with a group of 30 adolescents (N = 30), high school students (1st and 2nd cycles) mozambican public in the city of Nampula, enrolled between the 8th and 12th grade, aged 14-18 years, of both sexes. Among them gave up to participate in the intervention seven (7), and the final sample consisted of 23 participants, and participated in the post-intervention assessment 18 students. Data collection took place over twelve sessions and final evaluation six months after the intervention. Data collection was based on qualitative approach techniques (narratives), namely: \"Letter to Parents\" Writing about the career choice and career, \"Letter to the President\", \"Letter to the Hypothetical Guinding\" and an activity based on a open questions roadmap which were answered at four different times during the intervention. Analysis and discussion of the data was based on a qualitative approach and subsidized the thematic content analysis proposed by Minayo and contributions from the developmental perspective and constructivist theories of career. The results confirm the complexity of the factors that multidetermin career choice and career, and that family, particularly marked with the exercise of authority linked to the cultural model, in which it is reserved for parents a particular position of \"decision\", still exerts a continuous and inescapable influence on the aspirations and career choices of adolescents. The dialogue, moral support, and instrumental act as mediators of this influence. The evaluation of the intervention on the one hand, contributed to fill the gap of the foolishness of systematic interventions that purport to assess services or programs of intervention in vocational guidance and career, including the prospect of usurers. On the evaluation carried on in this study must be first noted that the reports of the graduating participants converge on the positive assessment of both the procedures and the outcomes of the process. Participants reviewed the confirmed case of urgency, necessity and relevance of services in this area and suggested the continuity, expansion and maintenance of the service, in particular for the mozambican school context. Opinions expressed by \"evaluators\" (students) intervention converge on the idea that future interventions should focus on Career Education being developed throughout school life. Another significance of the study results point to a much debated topic in the area, it is the importance of training professionals guiding, focusing on theoretical and practical and relational skills.The focus on qualitative approach helped explain the subjective nature of the career, the interrelationship between personal and contextual factors, reinforcing the importance of helping new generations to develop more active attitude sin the construction of their personal and occupational identities in order to adapt better to the current and continuous changes that occur in different areas of human life, particularly in the workplace.The conclusive considerations point the implications for practice and some lines that can serve as a starting point to reflect on possibilities of intervention with particular attention to the area of the Mozambican reality. Study limitations are taken in order to improve future interventions.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Major gaps exist in the understanding of career development across diverse population groups and cultures, a lacuna that postmodern career counselling approaches aim to address. Career choices have been historically constrained for many South Africans by the Apartheid system, indicating the prescribing effects that socio-political and economic factors exert on the field of career psychology. Because disadvantaged adolescents are such an under-researched group, research is needed to provide cogent accounts of their experiences. The Systems Theory Framework of career development (STF) was chosen to contextualise the multitude of career influences present in facing a key life transition in Makupula High School learners in the Kayamandi township. The present research examined the complex interplay of contextual influences that impacts this sample of Grade 12 learners in making career decisions, to provide insight into perceived career opportunities, enablers and unique contextual constraints. The research aimed to identify individual, social and environmental-societal level influences present in career decision-making, using the qualitative career measure My Systems of Career Influences (MSCI) as well as individual interviews and a focus group. Respondents‟ accounts of self-awareness, surrounding environmental resources, influences of significant others (parents, teachers and peers), and past, present and future effects were analysed. At an individual level, a scarcity of opportunities for self-reflection and critical thinking was observed, which culminated in limited insight into personal abilities and poor integration of personal information in occupational choices. High self-efficacy beliefs and expectations were noted, with a sense of responsibility assumed for constructing successful career paths. However, high order cognitive processes, such as future planning, were absent, showing the need for career counselling to build career adaptability and resilience. Social level influences were the most prominent influences, indicating the importance attached to family support, although a lack of parental involvement in career planning was voiced due to the low occupational status of parents. The school context provided examples of subject mastery and career information from teachers; in contrast, friends were described as dual entities, being supportive and providing negative influences. A lack of visible local role models and success pathways resulted in career choices being based on media depictions of careers as well as media role models, in the absence of additional accessible career information. The theme of career myths illustrated the need for accurate career information, and the theme of cultural identity emerged. Africentric narratives of overcoming suffering formed resilient mechanisms that were linked to a black racial identity, yet constrained movements away from extended family structures and the township. The reconciliation of “western” career aspirations with rural roots in forming a coherent self-concept may be the greatest challenge in vocational identity development for disadvantaged adolescents. At the environmental-societal level, Kayamandi was discussed as an enabling and disadvantageous environment, and reference was made to the resources and language barriers that were inherent in Stellenbosch town. Lastly, MSCI feedback indicated the necessity of reflection processes, and criticisms were also discussed. Themes that emerged from the learners‟ career stories can assist in providing insight that would aid future career development, counselling processes and the creation of context-specific interventions.<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar bestaan groot leemtes in die verstaan van loopbaan-ontwikkeling by verskillende bevolkingsgroepe en kulture, „n gaping wat postmoderne beroepsberaders poog om aan te spreek. In die verlede is beroepskeuses vir vele Suid-Afrikaners beperk deur die Apartheidstelsel, wat dui op die voorskriftelike impak van sosio-politiese en ekonomiese faktore op die gebied van beroepsielkunde. Gegewe dat daar min navorsing gedoen is aangaande benadeelde adolessente, is navorsing nodig om koherente weergawes van hul ervarings te verskaf. Die Sisteemteorieraamwerk van loopbaan-ontwikkeling (Systems Theory Framework, STF) is gebruik om die menigte van beroeps-invloede te kontekstualiseer wat gepaard gaan met „n belangrike lewensverandering by leerders verbonde aan die Hoërskool Makupula in die Kayamandi-dorpsgebied. Die huidige navorsing het die komplekse wisselwerking van kontekstuele invloede ondersoek wat hierdie steekproef van graad 12-leerders beïnvloed het rakende loopbaankeuses, en poog om die nodige insig te verskaf van waargenome loopbaangeleenthede, ondersteuningsnetwerke (“enablers”) en spesifieke kontekstuele beperkings. Die navorsingsdoelwitte behels die identifisering van individuele-, sosiale- asook omgewings-en-samelewingsvlakke wat loopbaankeuses beïnvloed. Die kwalitatiewe loopbaanmeetinstrument “My Systems of Career Influences” (MSCI), individuele onderhoude en „n fokusgroep is gebruik. Die respondente se weergawes van “self,” beskikbare omgewings-hulpbronne, invloede van betekenisvolle ander (ouers, opvoeders en portuurgroepe) asook die impak van die verlede, hede en die toekoms is ontleed. Die individuele vlak van ontleding het gebreke rakende self-refleksie en kritiese denke aangedui, wat gelei het tot die beperkte insig van persoonlike vermoëns en die gebrekkige integrasie van persoonlike inligting aangaande loopbaankeuses. Die respondente het sterk oortuigings van self-doeltreffendheid getoon, en „n sin van die nodige verantwoordelikheid vir die daarstelling van suksesvolle loopbaanrigtings. Hierteenoor egter het hoë-orde kognitiewe prosesse, soos toekomsbeplanning ontbreek, wat die behoefte aan loopbaanberading getoon het sodat loopbaan aanpasbaarheid en veerkragtigheid ontwikkel kan word. Die sosiale vlak van ontleding het die mees prominente invloede getoon wat die belangrikheid van familie-ondersteuning aandui, alhoewel die gebrekkige betrokkenheid van ouers rakende loopbaanbeplanning geblyk het as gevolg van die die lae beroepstatus van die ouers. Die skoolkonteks het voorbeelde gebied van die vakke wat die respondente bemeester het asook loopbaan-inligting soos verskaf deur die onderwysers; hierteenoor is die vriende beskryf as tweevoudige entiteite wat aan die eenkant ondersteuning bied, maar aan die anderkant ook die negatiewe invloede. „n Gebrek aan sigbare plaaslike rolmodelle en suksesvolle loopbaanrigtings het gelei tot loopbaankeuses wat gebaseer word op die voorstellings van beroepe soos in die media, asook media-rolmodelle in die afwesigheid van aanvullende en toeganklike loopbaan-inligting. The tema van loopbaan-mites het die behoefte aan akkurate loopbaan-inligting ge-illustreer; en die tema rakende kulturele-identiteit het na vore gekom. Afri-sentriese narratiewe van die oorkoming van swaarkry wat gelei het tot veerkragtige hanteringsmeganismes, is gekoppel aan „n swart rasse-identiteit, alhoewel dit ook die bewegings weg van die uitgebreide familie-strukture en die dorpsgebied belemmer. Die versoening van “westerse” loopbaan-verwagtings met die landelike verbondenheit om „n koherente selfkonsep te vorm, kan die grootste uitdaging wees in die ontwikkeling van „n loopbaan-identiteit vir benadeelde adolessente. Op die omgewings-samelewingsvlak van ontleding is die volgende bespreek: Kayamandi as „n bemagtigende én „n nadelige omgewing; die hulpbronne; en probleme aangaande taalkwessies wat deel is van die Stellenbosse gemeenskap. Ten slotte, die MSCI terugvoering het die behoefte aan refleksie-prosesse aangedui en kritiekpunte is ook bespreek. Temas wat geïdentifiseer is in die leerders se loopbaan-stories kan bydra tot die verkryging van insig vir toekomstige loopbaan-ontwikkeling, beradingsprosesse, en vir die ontwikkeling van konteks-spesifieke intervensies.

Thesis (MEdPsych) Stellenbosch University, 2012.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Completing formal education with a specific learning disability presents many challenges to the individuals concerned. For learners in special education, negative perceptions of learning disabilities and/or inaccurate and unrealistic perceptions, could result in poor outcomes in adult life, as well as feelings of frustration, helplessness and hopelessness during their transition from school to post-school environments. Such individuals need to form accurate perceptions of their own learning disabilities to ensure that they can and will advocate for themselves and will be willing and able to seek out the appropriate support needed to experience success in all spheres of life. The aim of this study was to conduct an in-depth exploration of the subjective perceptions of adolescents in special education regarding their own learning disabilities since accessing this knowledge is an important first step toward developing and providing positive and empowering interventions and support for learners in special education. The researcher aligned herself with the constructivist/interpretive paradigm and the research methodology used can be described as a basic qualitative research design. Seven participants from one special school were selected through purposive sampling. The researcher used individual semi-structured interviews and focus group interviews as well as personal documents in the form of learners' personal files to obtain data. The process of analysis employed can be described as thematic content analysis. The findings of this study suggest that adolescents are aware of the individual challenges posed by completing school with a learning disability, although this was experienced in a less debilitating sense as a result of the supportive special school context. They were aware of some of the coping strategies that needed to be implemented in order to cope with their current academic workload, but were not always aware that these would need to be extended to life after school. Generally, they were also not aware that they would need to advocate for themselves and seek out support in post-school settings. The perceptions formed of their learning disabilities were influenced by early experiences of their first awareness of their struggles with learning, their experiences of assessment and placement in a special school, the perceptions others had of their learning disabilities, as well as their experiences as learners in a special school. The most important recommendation based on the findings of this study is that learners in the special school environment need to be provided with more explicit counselling regarding the specific nature of their learning disabilities. They need to be made aware of support strategies and resources that they would be able to use in post-school environments, as well as the process of obtaining access to such resources.<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Voltooiing van formele onderwys met 'n spesifieke leergestremdheid bied baie uitdagings aan die betrokke individue. Negatiewe persepsies van leergestremdhede en/of onakkurate en onrealisties persepsies kan vir leerders met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes swak uitkomste in die volwasse lewe tot gevolg hê, asook gevoelens van frustrasie, hulpeloosheid en hopeloosheid tydens hul oorgang van skool na naskoolse kontekste. Sulke individue moet 'n akkurate persepsie van hul eie leergestremdhede vorm om te verseker dat hulle gewillig self voorspraak sal maak (self-advocate) en in staat sal wees om toepaslike ondersteuning wat nodig is om sukses in alle sfere van die lewe te ervaar, uit te soek. Die doel van hierdie studie was om 'n in-diepte ondersoek van die subjektiewe persepsies van adolessente in spesiale onderwys met betrekking tot hul eie leergestremdhede te voer, aangesien toegang tot hierdie kennis 'n belangrike eerste stap in die rigting van die ontwikkeling en voorsiening van positiewe en bemagtigende ingrypings en ondersteuning vir leerders in spesiale onderwys is. Die navorser het haarself belyn met die konstruktivistiese/interpretatiewe paradigma en die navorsingsmetodologie wat gebruik is kan beskryf word as 'n basiese kwalitatiewe navorsingsontwerp. Sewe deelnemers van 'n spesiale skool is gekies deur middel van doelgerigte steekproeftrekking. Die navorser het individuele semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude en fokusgroep onderhoude gebruik, sowel as persoonlike dokumente (in die vorm van die leerders se persoonlike lêers) om data te verkry. Die proses van analise wat toegepas word kan beskryf word as tematiese inhoud-analise. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie dui daarop dat adolessente bewus is van die individuele uitdagings wat aan hul gestel word deur die voltooiing van skool met 'n leergestremdheid. Tog was dit in 'n minder aftakelende sin ervaar as gevolg van die ondersteunende spesiale skool konteks waarin hul hulself bevind. Oor die algemeen was hulle nie bewus daarvan dat hulle self voorspraak (self-advocacy) sal moet maak vir ondersteuning in naskoolse kontekste nie. Die persepsies wat van hul leergestremdhede gevorm word is beïnvloed deur vroeë ervarings van hul eerste bewustheid van hul stryd om te leer, hul ervarings van die asseseringsproses en plasing in 'n spesiale skool, die persepsies wat ander van hul leergestremdhede het, sowel as hul ervarings as leerders in 'n spesiale skool. Die belangrikste aanbeveling gebaseer op die bevindinge van hierdie studie is dat die leerders in die omgewing van die spesiale skool voorsien moet word van meer eksplisiete voorligting ten opsigte van die spesifieke aard van hul leergestremdhede. Hulle moet bewus gemaak word van strategieë en hulpbronne wat hul moontlik kan gebruik in die naskoolse omgewings, asook die proses van die verkryging van toegang tot sodanige hulpbronne.

Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study is to develop a vocational training programme for the adolescent learner with an intellectual disability. There is a need for these learners to be trained for work in the open labour market. From the literature it is apparent that American legislation is in place for these learners to gain access to schools, colleges and universities. The literature also makes it clear that parent involvement and community involvement are essential for the planning and implementation of a vocational training programme. To answer the research question, a qualitative participatory action research study was conducted from an interpretive research paradigm. The researcher implemented multiple sources to generate data, namely semistructured interviews, a literature review, personal documents and field notes. In the course of the study a number of steps were taken to ensure the credibility of the data and to pay attention to the ethical aspects that emerged during the research. The literature review extends over two chapters: Firstly the American legislation on vocational training programmes for the adolescent with intellectual disabilities was studied, as well as the South African Educational legislation after 1994. Secondly the three national curriculum programmes are described, namely Outcomes-based Education, Curriculum 2005 and the National Curriculum Statement. The vocational training programme was developed in accordance with the principles of the National Curriculum Statement, learning area Life orientation, Learning outcome 5: the world of work. The development of the learning programmes,work schedules and the lesson plans were adapted to suit the needs of the learners with intellectual disabilities. The findings concluded that schools can train learners to prepare them for entering the open labour market. The teachers cannot do the vocational training in school alone; they need the support of the parents and the community.<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die studie is om 'n beroepsgerigte opleidingsprogram vir die adolessente leerder met intellektuele gestremdheid te ontwikkel. Daar is 'n behoefte vir hierdie leerders om opgelei te word om toegang tot die ope arbeidsmark te verkry. Uit die literatuur is dit duidelik dat Amerikaanse wetgewing vir beroepsgerigte opleiding in plek is vir die genoemde leerders om tot skole, kolleges en universiteite toegang te verkry. Ouer- en gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid is belangrik in die beplanning en implementering van 'n beroepsgerigte opleidingsprogram. In antwoord op die navorsingsvraag is 'n kwalitatiewe deelnemendeaksie-navorsingstudie vanuit 'n interpretatiewe paradigma onderneem. Die navorser het van verskeie bronne gebruik gemaak om data te genereer, naamlik semigestruktureerde onderhoude, 'n literatuurondersoek, persoonlike dokumente en veldnotas. Tydens die studie is verskillende maatreëls toegepas om die geloofwaardigheid van die data te verseker. Die etiese aspekte het ook aandag geniet. Die literatuurstudie strek oor twee hoofstukke. Die eerste behels die Amerikaanse wetgewing op beroepsgerigte opleidingsprogramme, sowel as die Suid-Afrikaanse wetgewing ná 1994 op spesiale onderwys. Tweedens is die drie kurrikulumbenaderings ondersoek, naamlik Uitkomsgebaseerde Onderwys, Kurrikulum 2005 en die Nasionale Kurrikulumverklaring. Die beroepsgerigte opleidingsprogram is ontwikkel volgens die beginsels van die Nasionale Kurrikulumverklaring in die leerarea Lewensoriëntering, Leeruitkomste 5: Die wêreld van werk. Die ontwikkeling van die leerprogramme, werkskedules en lesplanne is aangepas volgens die behoeftes van leerders met intellektuele gestremdhede. Die bevindings het gelei tot die gevolgtrekking dat leerders op skool opgelei kan word om die ope arbeidsmark te betree. Die opvoeders kan nie die beroepsopleiding op skool alleen vermag nie; hulle benodig die ondersteuning van die ouers en die gemeenskap.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T20:58:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Alessandra dos Santos Oliveira.pdf: 1172217 bytes, checksum: 726f6744b371aef36cc14fc3952a2468 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-12-09<br>Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico<br>This study aimed to investigate the meanings that the young low-income have on the choice of profession. The results help to qualify the work of professional counselors who work with this social stratum. In this study, we used the theoretical framework of socio-historical psychology and we rely on authors who follow this theoretical perspective. We assume that all professional choice is multifactorial, and crossed by objective and subjective aspects. The question that arises is to identify, through analysis of their statements, the meanings they hold for career choice and all the factors that are related to this activity. To accomplish this work, we interviewed two people who had participated in a program of vocational guidance. A questionnaire prior to the interview and objective knowledge of the socioeconomic conditions of participants. For The interview technique was used Project Future , understanding it as an important resource for access to the senses of young people about the choice of profession. The results show that young people do not know the existence of factors that determine the choice of profession. However, their understanding of a dichotomy, therefore, tend to consider separately those aspects and the subjective process of choice<br>O presente estudo teve como objetivo investigar os sentidos que os jovens de baixa renda possuem sobre a escolha da profissão. Os resultados ajudam a qualificar o trabalho de orientadores profissionais que trabalham com esta camada social. Nessa pesquisa, utilizamos o referencial teórico da psicologia sócio-histórica e nos baseamos em autores que seguem essa perspectiva teórica. Partimos do princípio que toda escolha profissional é multideterminada, e atravessada por aspectos objetivos e subjetivos. A questão que se coloca é identificar, por meio da análise da fala dos entrevistados, os sentidos que possuem sobre a escolha profissional e todos os fatores que estão relacionados a esta atividade. Para realizar esse trabalho, foram entrevistados dois jovens que tinham participado de um programa de orientação profissional. Um questionário precedeu a entrevista e objetivou o conhecimento das condições socioeconômicas dos participantes. Para a entrevista foi utilizada a técnica Projeto de Futuro , entendendo-a como um recurso importante de acesso aos sentidos dos jovens sobre a escolha da profissão. Os resultados apontam que os jovens não desconhecem a existência de fatores que determinam a escolha da profissão. No entanto, a compreensão que possuem é dicotômica, pois, tendem a considerar separadamente os aspectos objetivos e os subjetivos do processo da escolha

Career choice is one of the most daunting decisions one has to make, since it has implications that affect a variety of aspects in one’s life. For adolescents, career decision–making is even more challenging because it is done at a time when adolescents are going through a period of identity formation, and when their core personalities have not yet been fully formed. It is therefore essential to provide systematic career guidance programmes that will assist adolescents in their career development in order to empower them to make realistic career choices. The school, as a place where adolescents spend most of their time, can be used as a vehicle to promote meaningful career development amongst adolescent learners. However, the contribution by adolescents themselves in determining the appropriate content and career guidance services/activities that will best address their needs is vital. Senior secondary school learners, in particular, are in a position to articulate their career planning needs and to identify the deficits in existing career guidance programmes. The situation in Botswana where career guidance forms only a quarter of the public secondary school guidance and counselling programme, which, with all its four components, is allocated only one 40 minute–period per week deserves special attention. Hence, this study set out to determine: * the career planning needs of Senior Public Secondary School Learners in Gaborone, Botswana as articulated by the learners themselves; * the extent to which the current career guidance programme in Senior Public Secondary Schools meets the needs of the learners. A mixed methods design, consisting of the use of a questionnaire to collect the quantitative data and a qualitative method in the form of focus–group interviews, was used to collect the data for the study. The findings of the study highlight several challenges which hamper the provision of a systematic career guidance programme to the learners, which include limited time, lack of trained personnel and less than optimal career service delivery practices. The lack of key career exploration activities in schools, such as the use of internet resource materials and career video/audio tapes, job–shadowing, career field–trips/excursions and, in some cases, career talks, results in learners experiencing unmet career needs. This situation affects the extent to which the curriculum in place addresses the career planning needs of the learners. No significant differences were noted in the needs of the learners according to gender. The study reveals that the Career Guidance Programme provides the relevant theoretical frame–work for providing the necessary assistance to learners to make informed career decisions. However, the actual implementation of the programme in the different schools leaves a lot to be desired, with several learning outcomes for the career guidance programme in both Form 4 and Form 5 not being achieved. The effectiveness of the annual career fair as a major method of disseminating career information to learners also came into question since most learners expressed having gained minimal benefit from it.<br>Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

M.A.<br>In the face of economic hardship, social, political and cultural change, matriculants in South Africa are confronted with increased pressure when exploring and deciding on their career paths. This task in itself is complex and is expected to culminate in a career decision upon leaving school, even when subject to these and other extrinsic limitations over which the individual has no control. For example, the serious lack of career guidance programs in the large majority of our schools (Mathabe & Temane, 1993). Regardless, school pupils in South Africa are expected to make their preliminary choice in Standard 7 when they choose their matric subjects. Three years later they are expected to leave school with a career decision. These same individuals are also struggling to meet the challenges of adolescence and are searching for an identity they can call their own. It is surmised that those pupils who have not yet made a career decision are more likely to experience feelings of depression than those with definite career plans. This study regarding the relationship between depressive symptomatology and career choice, had the following objectives: A comprehensive literature review focusing on depression, depressive symptomatology, the aetiology of depression, theory and research with reference to the adolescent in particular. A further literature review focusing on various theories of career choice and research with particular reference to career indecision. A quantitative and qualitative investigation of career choice and depressive symptomatology in matriculants in South Africa. The initial part of the study focuses on the theoretical review of depressive symptomatology and career choice, to firstly define the concepts as operationalised in this study and secondly to explore the theory and research to date with reference to the factors contributing to and maintaining feelings of depression and career indecision in adolescents. The researcher reviews and discusses phenominological differences and similarities between the adult and adolescent experience of depression, with particular reference to depressive symptomatology, the approach used in this research. Career choice is also defined and discussed with reference to the developmental stage of adolescence. Various theoretical approaches with regard to depression and career choice are reviewed and discussed. Identity development, and the related concepts of self esteem and self efficacy are discussed, as well as the role of cultural factors, with reference to both depressive symptomatology and career indecision Matriculants from four different regions in Gauteng took part in the study. The sample comprised pupils from both genders and various population groups. Each pupil filled in a questionnaire developed by the researcher, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Career Decision Scale (CDS). The data collected from the self developed questionnaire provided insight into various factors of career choice such as realistic goals and dream goals, perceived restrictions and elements of self esteem. This data was described and interpreted in a qualitative analysis and from such the researcher inferred predominant themes and concepts with suggested avenues for further research. The quantitative data collected from the results of the BDI and CDS were statistically described and analyzed. From this data the statistically significant findings were presented and discussed with reference to theory and research. The researcher found that depressive symptomatology and career indecision are significantly related with the incidence of feelings of depression being related to career indecision and career indecision possibly giving rise to symptoms of depression. The study can be criticized for not including a measure of self esteem, a factor closely related to depressive symptomatology and career choice. A further criticism is that the most highly represented cultural groups were the English and Zulu speaking pupils, future studies should include pupils from all cultural groups. The qualitative analysis is subject to an interpretative bias, which may be subjective and influenced by the researcher's own views. The recommendations that were made as a result of this study are as follows: More research is needed into career choice and the incidence of depressive symptomatology with coenizance of levels of self esteem, a more representative sample and perceptions as regards career choice and limitations to certain vocations. The implied direction of the relation between career indecision and depressive symptomatology requires in depth research to further investigate the findings of this research. If career indecision does indeed give rise to feelings of depression, then programs that are being developed and those that are already in place should take cognizance of these results and include preventative measures in any future programs. The implied higher incidence of depressive symptomatology and career indecision in the black population requires further investigation and if the findings in this study are further supported, preventative action is desperately needed. Fifty percent of the pupils show signs of moderate to severe depression. Further research is needed to reaffirm these results and, if substantiated, urgent preventative measures should be taken.

This research aims to attain insight into the role a person's processing style (process) have on decision-making from a career developmental and gestalt perspective because it appears as if the adolescent's proses with regard to career choice is not being acknowledged. Semi-structured interviews were used to generate data from which coded themes were identified. These coded themes served as the core research of this study. The subjective experience of respondents' career development are presented, supported by a literature control. From this research it is clear that the adolescent's process is dynamic with regard to field and phenomenology and that structures such as family and school plays an important career developmental role as environmental influences. Intra psychic constructs such as introjects, assimilation and process play an important role in decision-making.<br>Sociology<br>M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

Submitted in Fulfilment or Partial Fulfilment Of the requirements for the DEGREE OF MASTER OF EDUCATION in the Department of Educational Psychology at the UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND, 1986.<br>The object of this study was to determine the extent to which a Black female adolescent in KwaZulu and Natal is orientated with respect to the vocational world. The study was approached from a psychopedagogic perspective. Existing literature was studied. When the problem was stated it became apparent that several factors interact to bring about a situation in which the Black female adolescent school leaver with no experience as a worker and no particular skills to sell in the labour market faces problems. Exploratory media were used on individual basis to determine the adolescent's present pedagogic situation which has a direct bearing on her vocational orientation. Exploratory media were also used to determine the adolescent's actualized potentials and also to determine her present orientation. After the insertion of exploratory media the reports of the vocational orientation investigations were written. Twenty case studies were conducted with standard ten pupils from eight schools. One case study is written in detail. Three other reports appear in a summarized form. The other remaining reports are given in a tabular form. Vocational orientation of the Black female adolescents in KwaZulu and Natal was found to be affected by socio-economic, political and cultural factors. Recommendations for the establishment of properly organized vocational guidances services in Black schools, introduction of career education at all levels and informing the general public about career education were made.<br>Human Sciences Research Council

Text in Afrikaans<br>It has been said that pupils are not adequately trained to think independently in the current educational system of South Africa. Therefore this research has been undertaken from a psycho-educational perspective to assess the contribution which a programme in cognitive empowerment can make towards the cognitive development and especially the general psychological development of teaching students in their final study year as potential career entrants. From this viewpoint recommendations can be made re the use of this programme in the broader educational context. In this study research has been done from a psycho-educational perspective concerning the cognitive, affective, normative and conative development of the late adolescent and the early career entrant and his/her personality in terms of this career. A group of final year teaching students, who were potential career entrants completed the Programme in Cognitive Empowerment. Before and after the presentation of this programme different media of evaluation were put into use. Based on this research, deductions have been made concerning the contribution which training in the programme has made to the development of the novice teachers. Finally, recommendations have been made concerning the implementing of such a programme.<br>Daar word beweer dat die onderwysstelsel in Suid-Afrika leerlinge nie toereikend tot selfstandige denke begelei nie. Gevolglik is in hierdie navorsing vanuit sielkundig-opvoedkundige perspektief ondersoek ingestel na die bydrae wat 'n program in kognitiewe versterking maak tot die kognitiewe, en veral die algemene psigiese wording van die finalejaar onderwysstudente - wat potensiele beroepstoetreders is. Hieruit kan dan aanbevelings gemaak word betreffende die gebruik van die program binne bree onderwysverband. In hierdie navorsing is vanuit sielkundig-opvoedkundige perspektief ondersoek ingestel na die kognitiewe, affektiewe, normatiewe en konatiewe wording van die laatadolessente en vroegvolwasse beroepstoetreders en hul persoonlikheid in terme van die beroepswereld. 'n Groep finalejaarstudente, wat potensiele onderwysberoepstoetreders was, het die Program vir Kognitiewe Versterking deurloop. Voor en na die aanbieding van hierdie program is verskillende evalueringsmedia ingeskakel. Uit hierdie ondersoek is gevolgtrekkings gemaak betreffende die bydrae van die program tot die wording van die onderwysberoepstoetreders. Enkele aanbevelings rakende die implementering van so 'n program is ten slotte gemaak.<br>Psychology of Education<br>D. Ed. (Sielkundige Opvoedkunde)

The purpose of this study was to investigate a program model in which parents and adolescents examine personal values, career decisions and plans. The subjects were visually impaired students enrolled in regular secondary school and their parents. Twenty volunteer adolescents with visual impairments and their parents from 18 school districts in the province of British Columbia participated in the study. The program consisted of four Partner’s Program (Cochran, 1985) booklets: a parent guideline manual, activity self-exploration exercises, career decisions framework, and a planning workbook designed to facilitate parent involvement in career development activities. Two special career reference publications which described a variety of occupations and necessary adaptations and technical devices designed for individuals with visual impairment were also included. These materials were presented in audio tape, large print and braille. Adolescent subjects and their parents were randomly assigned to two experimental groups. Each group received materials and were given five weeks to complete the program. The Career Decision Scale (Osipow, 1976), Parent Adolescent Communication Scale (Barnes & Olson, 1982), and Career Salience Scale (Greenhaus, 1971, 1977) were employed. All participants were interviewed following the program. A multivariate analysis of variance was computed, and the combined five dependent variables were significantly affected between groups upon completion of the program by the first group. The combined dependent variables were significantly affected again with the second group upon completion of the program. Examination of effect sizes for each dependent variable attributed the differences to gains in measures of career planning and career salience and a decline in career indecision. The effects on the measures of communication were inconclusive. The results indicated that students in both experimental groups confirmed their career choices and became more aware of personal career values. The subjects felt they were encouraged to plan and prepare for a career, explore options, and consider their visual disabilities. Career planning was deemed important by all participants. The importance of work and career were confirmed for participants. Students’ attitudes improved with confirmation of plans and career alternatives. The effects of the program in career development of adolescents with visual impairments and the importance of parent-student communication were positive. The comments of the parents suggested that they had acquired understanding of their child’s career choices.

As unemployment is on the rise in developing economies as the result of a decline in the global economy during the past decade, increased attention is paid to entrepreneurship as generator of global economic growth. It has been noted that sustainable economic development cannot be achieved without entrepreneurship, nor can a country increase its gross domestic product and stock of wealth, or improve its citizens’ quality of life, if entrepreneurship is not increased. In order to increase the prospect of entrepreneurship in a country, it is necessary to introduce secondary school learners to entrepreneurship from the early grades, specifically the Grades 8 and 9 General Education and Training phase years. To stimulate learners’ interest in the subject, it is important to provide them with appropriate resources and textbooks, competent teachers and a well-structured curriculum. The knowledge and skills gained from studying entrepreneurship could influence learners’ future career choices. The unemployment rate in South Africa is high and 70 per cent of unemployed South Africans are youths. This percentage grows annually as learners exit the Further Education and Training (FET) phase. There is a dearth of literature on the attitudes of South African Business Studies learners in the FET phase towards entrepreneurship as a future career. Additionally, the role that entrepreneurship education plays in the potential career choices of Business Studies learners in the FET phase has not been explored extensively. Consequently this study attempted to explore the role of entrepreneurship education in influencing Business Studies learners in the FET phase in choosing entrepreneurship as a career. A qualitative case study research method was used to conduct the study. Three schools were identified and data were collected from them. The data-gathering methods employed were face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with Business Studies teachers; and focus group interviews with Business Studies learners in the three schools. The objective of the interviews was to determine the respondents’ views on the role that entrepreneurship education plays in learners’ career choices. The findings of the study indicate that teachers and learners strongly agree that entrepreneurship education plays a significant role in learners’ choice of entrepreneurship as a career. However, the respondents (both teachers and learners) highlighted challenges that could prevent learners from choosing entrepreneurship as a career.<br>Namate ʼn insinking in die wêreldekonomie die afgelope dekadewerkloosheid in ontwikkelende lande laat toeneem het, geniet entrepreneurskap as stimulus vir globale ekonomiese groei groter aandag. Dit is alombekend dat entrepreneurs noodsaaklik is vir volhoubare ekonomiese ontwikkeling. Sonder entrepreneurs kan geen ekonomie groei nie, kan geen land sy bruto binnelandse produk en rykdomreserwe vermeerdernie, en bly sy burgers se lewenstandaard onveranderd. Ten einde entrepreneurs te kweek, moet hoërskoolleerders reeds in Graad 8 en 9, in die jare van Algemene Onderwys en Opleiding (oftewel die AOO-fase), met entrepreneurskap kennis maak. Om hulle belangstelling te prikkel, isgeskikte hulpmiddels en handboeke, bevoegde onderwysers en ʼn behoorlik gestruktureerde kurrikulum noodsaaklik. Die kennis en vaardighede wat leerders in die studie van entrepreneurskap opdoen, kan hulle loopbaankeuse bepaal. Suid-Afrika het ʼn hoë werkloosheidsyfer en 70 persent van die land se werkloses is jongmense. Hierdie persentasie styg jaar na jaar namate leerders die fase vir Verdere Onderwys en Opleiding (VOO) voltooi. Daar is ʼn skaarste aan literatuur oor die vraagof Besigheidstudiein die VOO-fase Suid- Afrikaanse leerders se ingesteldheid jeens entrepreneurskapas loopbaan beïnvloed. Ook is die rol wat onderrig in entrepreneurskap in leerders se keuse van ʼn loopbaan speel, nog nie volledig ondersoek nie. Gevolglik poog hierdie studie om te bepaal of onderrig in entrepreneurskap Besigheidstudieleerders in die VOO-fase entrepreneurs van beroep laat word. ʼn Kwalitatiewe gevallestudie is as navorsingsmetode gebruik. Data is by drie skole ingesamel. By hierdie skole is deels gestruktureerde onderhoude van aangesig tot aangesig gevoer met Besigheidstudieonderwysers en fokusgroeponderhoude met Besigheidstudieleerders. Die doel van die onderhoude was om vas te stel of leerders van mening is dat onderrig in entrepreneurskap hulle loopbaankeuse bepaal. Volgens die bevindings van hierdie studie is onderwysers en leerders dit volkome eens dat onderrig ʼn bepalende rol in leerders se keuse van entrepreneurskap as loopbaan speel. Desnietemin het sowel onderwysers as leerders op uitdagings gewys wat verhoed dat leerders hierdie loopbaan volg.<br>Psychology of Education<br>M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

South African learners transitioning into the world of work are currently lacking adequate career education in schools. It is well documented that preparedness for the world of work sets learners in a locus of control. The main aim of this case study was to interpret learners’ reflections of selfconstructing a career with the psychosocial construct of career adaptability as an instructional scaffold. The study leaned on the life design for career construction theory, a combination of the career construction theory of Savickas, and the selfconstruction theory of Guichard. I utilised interpretivism as a research paradigm and a single case study design. Following purposeful convenience sampling, sixteen Grade 11 learners in a South African public school participated in Phase 1: a workshop comprising five sessions. Phase 2 consisted of a focus group interview with eight learners selected from the original group on their level of contribution and commitment. Data collection included group reflection, reflective writing, observation, researcher reflective field notes, and a focus group interview. Six themes emerged from the thematic analysis of the data. Learners successfully initiated career planning activities by reflecting on the career adaptability construct. The research results suggest a need for an alternative approach in the manner career education is presented in schools. This study hopes to provide insight into career selfconstruction initiatives learners employ when using the career adaptability construct as an instructional scaffold.<br>Psychology of Education<br>M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Teenage pregnancies are currently a social problem in South Africa and in the rest of the world. Social workers are involved with teenage girls by providing guidance during their pregnancies and face many challenges by accepting this role. The objective of this qualitative study was to identify and describe the needs of social workers when guiding pregnant teenage girls. A conceptual framework with the Gestalt approach as the theoretical framework for the study was stated after which an empirical study took place. In-depth interviews took place with nine social workers. Results were then verified in a focus group discussion. From the empirical data themes and sub themes were identified and verified with relevant literature. These themes and sub themes were then interpreted through the Gestalt approach. Conclusions and recommendations were made to social workers and interdisciplinary teams, which form part of the network that are involved with pregnant teenage girls.<br>Thesis (M.Diac. (Spelterapie)

The formulation of the perceptions of the adult role among adolescent Greek girls in Johannesburg, is a complex matter. The girls are influenced by their Greek cultural upbringing, while also experiencing the effects of inherent gender inequalities in the education system. This study investigated the perceptions of the adult role among adolescent Greek schoolgirls in Johannesburg and the implications for educational provision. A literature survey investigated the formation of gender identity among adolescent girls. Existing research on the issues of gender in education was reviewed. A qualitative study of the life-world of eight adolescent Greek schoolgirls was conducted. Data elicited from semi-structured interviews were analysed, discussed and synthesised. The major findings emanated. The girls were influenced in their adult role perceptions by their cultural backgrounds, but all expressed a desire to strive for new levels of independence. Guidelines for relevant educational provision were proposed.<br>Educational Studies<br>M. Ed. (Comparative Education)

The purpose of this study is to describe trauma in the lives of social work students studying at Unisa South Africa. It explores how they describe trauma, what traumatic experiences they have gone through, the effect these experiences had on them, what they did to cope and how these experiences impacted their work as aspiring social workers. A case study was conducted with fourth-level students at Unisa South Africa. The theoretical framework adopted for the research was the person-centred approach. The research involved both focus group interviews and a survey. Both quantitative and qualitative data were generated. Descriptive statistics were used to create a profile of the participants. Qualitative data were analysed using a hermeneutic method. The perceptions of the participants were re-told by the researcher in the form of specific themes that emerged from the data. These themes were discussed and compared with the literature. Implications for the students’ work as social workers were discussed. The study accessed unique aspects of trauma that are grounded in the South African context. The description of trauma that emerged from the research created a new definition of the meaning of trauma. The research discusses the effects of trauma on the emerging professional self of the social work student. Recommendations are made that could be valuable to social work educators wishing to further the personal and professional growth of social work students. The research is also of value to those working with traumatised people.<br>Social Work<br>D .Litt. et Phil. (Social Work)