Project CHOICE: Validity of Interest and Ability Measures for Student Choice of Vocational Program

The influence of vocational interest, self-efficacy beliefs, and academic achievement on choice of educational pathway is described for a cohort of Australian students. Participants were 189 students aged 14—15 years, who were considering either academic or applied learning pathways and subject choices for the final 3 years of secondary school. Using Holland’s interest model within a social cognitive career theory (SCCT) framework, logistic regression analyses indicated that all three constructs were significant predictors of pathway and subject selection and enrolment. The best predictive model for students with strong Realistic interests was an interaction of self-efficacy and interest. For Investigative students, both self-efficacy and achievement were best predictors and for Artistic, Social, and Conventional, achievement was the best predictor of future course enrolment. The results of this research offer partial support for the theory of Lent, Brown, and Hackett in that a variable pattern of associations between vocational interest, self-efficacy, and achievement emerged across the Holland interest themes.

mentioning

confidence: 98%

The Relationship Between Vocational Interests, Self-Efficacy, and Achievement in the Prediction of Educational Pathways

Patrick

Care

Ainley

2010

“…IWRA's six scores are then translated to three-letter codes and World-of-Work Map regions via the procedure described in Guideline 4. Validity evidence supporting IWRA's use in career counseling has been provided by Prediger (1990), Prediger and Brandt (1991), Prediger and Swaney (1992), and Swaney (1987). Job Values (Occupational Attribute Preferences).…”

Section: Linking Uniact Scores To Occupational Optionsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Using UNIACT in a Comprehensive Approach to Assessment for Career Planning

Prediger

Swaney

1995

Self Cite

The Unisex Edition of the ACT Interest Inventory (UNIACT; Swaney, 1995) is the chief component of a comprehensive, integrated approach to assessment for career planning and replanning. The World-of-Work Map (Prediger, 1976), an extension of Holland's hexagon (Holland, Whitney, Cole, & Richards, 1969), provides the basis for linking UNIACT results and results from 12 other, widely used interest inventories to occupational options and to results from assessments of work-relevant experiences, work-relevant abilities, and job values. A case study illustrates the interpretation of Holland-type interests in the context of experiences, abilities, job values, and current occupational choice. Guidelines followed in the development of UNIACT's interpretation procedure are explained, and issues related to interest inventory response style and sex fairness are addressed. UNIACT's validity data, which include three-letter (Holland) codes for 648 career groups and results from studies supporting the hexagon's Data/Ideas and Things/People Work Task Dimensions, are summarized.UNIACT is intended for persons in the early stages of career planning or replanning. The primary purpose of UNIACT is to help counselees identify personally relevant career (educational and occupational) options, as illustrated in this article's case study. UNIACT was designed for counselees who have not made a solid connection between the work world and the things they like to do-every day. It is intended to help counselees make that connection by (a) determining their preferences for everyday activities involving data, ideas, people, and things, and (b) identifying job families that have related work tasks. In effect, UNIACT says, &dquo;Because you have those kinds of everyday interests, you might want to look into these kinds of jobs.&dquo; The recently updated UNIACT Technical Manual (Swaney, 1995) presents specifics regarding UNIACT's development and psychometric characteristics, including validity data for 648 career groups (79,040 persons). A brief overview of UNIACT's psychometric characteristics is provided near the end of this article. We acknowledge, with appreciation, the helpful suggestions provided by Chet Robie and Jane Staples regarding a draft of this article. Description of UNIACT Program ApplicationsUNIACT is a component of eight ACT programs spanning a range of formats and populations. Across these programs, UNIACT's annual usage has reached 4.2 million persons. Comparison of this figure with recent figures for widely used career assessment instruments (Walsh, 1990) suggests that UNIACT is by far the most used interest inventory in the world.Four of the programs in which UNIACT is a component (EXPLORE, PLAN, ACT Assessment, and ASSET) feature assessments of academic development (Grade 8-adults), while supporting career exploration and planning. The programs focusing exclusively on career exploration and planning are listed below. Since 1983, each program has provided a comprehensive approach to career assessment that integrates UNIACT ...

“…As a result of this process, most people should end up in congruent environments-that is, environments that reward their special competencies, allow or reward expression of their values, and provide the opportunities that they seek. People do tend to have interests congruent with their educational or occupational destinations, as evidence clearly shows (Lau & Abrahams, 1972;Prediger & Brandt, 1990;Vansickle & Prediger, 1990). Other evidence implies that a congruence process also occurs in other contexts, such as mate selection (Botwin, Buss, & Shackleford, 1997;Wiggins & Weslander, 1982).…”

Section: Implications Of Holland's Theory For Satisfaction and Well-beingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using a Theory of Vocational Personalities and Work Environments to Explore Subjective Well-Being

Gottfredson

Duffy

2008

Most people have positive views of their general happiness or subjective well-being (SWB). Furthermore, SWB tends to be stable and rebound to prior levels following events or circumstances that might be expected to change its level. The authors speculate about ways a theory of person-environment transactions-Holland's theory of vocational personalities and work environments-may help individuals understand some of the observed features of SWB. Testable hypotheses are offered as suggestions for advancing research on both the theory and SWB.