Career decision-making and mentorship: The anatomy of a high school program
Abstract
The current study explored the effectiveness of the Fort Lee High School's Mentorship Program in the career decision-making process of youngsters who were involved from the 1983 school year until the conclusion of the 1988 school year. The results were analyzed within the framework of the career decision making occupational scale of Harren. The results of the Occupational Scale indicated that students who were involved in the mentorship program were unlikely to change their minds about their career plans and that the Fort Lee High School Mentorship Program did assist them in making a career choice. There has been much research on theories of career development which are centered in the study of personality factors as determinants of occupational choice. This approach led to the identification and description of stages and patterns of career development. These patterns were further incorporated into various models of decision-making. The next phase of theory development was based on the evidence that aspiration levels and opportunities for the realization of occupational goals were affected by social and economic factors. This resulted in an attempt to integrate developmental and environmental approaches. The most recent phase of career development theory has stressed the importance of studying the interaction between developmental and environmental variables. The impact of primary and secondary sources as facilitators of occupational choice has gained increased importance in view of the significant changes. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a high school mentorship program as it relates to career decision-making choices of youngsters. Both cognitive and affective assessments were made in order to view the program from several perspectives. A formative and summative evaluation took place.
Subject Area
Vocational education
Recommended Citation
Richardson, John C, "Career decision-making and mentorship: The anatomy of a high school program" (1991). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI9136331.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI9136331
