The purpose of this study is to develop and implement a group counselling program to improve career self-efficacy among middle school students from low-income families and identify what kind of effects this program has on career self-efficacy. To sati...
The purpose of this study is to develop and implement a group counselling program to improve career self-efficacy among middle school students from low-income families and identify what kind of effects this program has on career self-efficacy. To satisfy this research objective, the following research items have been identified. The first item is the organization of this kind of group counselling program to improve career self-efficacy. The second item is the identification of the effects that this program would have on middle school students from low-income families.
The research target was composed of third year middle school students in Bu-cheon, Gyeonggi-do who are from low-income families such as
those eligible for welfare, meal supports and students whose parents’
income is substantially low.
This program is based on Consultation Program Development Model by Park In-u(1995). In addition, several resources were referred to be used in the research according to the research objectives: Career Exploration Group Counselling Program (Pil-ja Park, 2006; Jong-ha Son, 2006), Career Exploration Group Guidance for Impoverished Students (Eun-hee Kim, 2001), Career Decision-Making Training for Middle School Students (Mee-hyang Jeon, 2004), Program to Improve Career Self-Efficacy for High School Students (Myeong-shim Park, 2007), Guide to Career Education by Incheon Education and Science Research Institute (2001), Career Information Activity Program by Hang-sun Kim (2007), Development and Effects of Group Counselling Program for Career Exploration Based on Multiple Intelligence for Middle School Girl Students from Broken Homes (Dae-jeon Yang, 2007), Research on the Development of Group Counselling Program for Children from a Single-Parent Families (Hye-sun Lee, 2004), and Effects of Youth Career Exploration Program at Local Community Welfare Centers on Career Maturity Rate (Jong-yeol Cho, 2004). Various video files from e-knowledge channels, career interest tests on worknet.go.kr, and/or aptitude, interest and values tests on careernet.re.kr were used for the management of the program.
The test tool was “Career Self-Efficacy Test”by Myeong-shim Park (2007) was amended and supplemented. For data processing, ‘Mixed ANOVA’ from SPSS/Window 12 was used to analyze statistical results, and the analysis of experience reports by session and counselor observation contents was also indicated to supplement the limitations in the reliability of quantitative results.
The results obtained from this research are as follows: Compared to the control group, the experimental group utilizing group counselling program to improve career self-efficacy has shown a significant statistical difference in the improvement of career self-efficacy. The result of content analysis also indicated that those participants’response to the effect of the program was positive and accordingly it validated its positive effect on the enhancement of career self-efficacy.
In short, this research has proved its effect from four different points of view. First, it suggests that by reflecting the program on social, economic environments and psychological aspect of these students - with the consideration of individual differences - the program is effective on the students’career self-efficacy. Second, it is meaningful in that the program prevents possible social mistakes that the students can make in choosing their careers thus continuing the vicious cycle of poverty. Third, applying a group counselling program to improve career self-efficacy is more effective in boosting the students’ego and formulating positive value sets regarding career path than a typical career group program by psychologically overcoming social and economic environments of the students. Fourth, it is meaningful in that the scope of the research target has been expanded to include middle school students for this career self-efficacy research, which is usually done at a high school level.
For the follow-up study in the future, the following recommendations are suggested based on the research results described. First, It is necessary that the program be designed to be activity-based in order to draw a sense of achievement from students in 'career research', 'career decision', and 'career performance'. Second, to improve career self-efficacy through better relationship with the parents, it is important to seek out an expansion of group counselling program to connect the parents to the students. Furthermore, the effects of the program will be maximized if all related local and social agencies are connected so that a continuous career research, career experiment and planning can be made and maintained.