The purpose of this study is to investigate the awareness of parents’ career education and the attitude toward career, of mothers whose children are elementary, middle, or high school students. For the purpose, the following research questions were ...
The purpose of this study is to investigate the awareness of parents’ career education and the attitude toward career, of mothers whose children are elementary, middle, or high school students. For the purpose, the following research questions were set:
1. What is mothers’ awareness of parents’ career education like?
2. What attitude do mothers have toward career?
3. What attitude do mothers have toward career and sex roles?
4. What attitude do mothers have toward work values?
5. What attitude do mother have toward the dignity of occupation?
Procedure and Method: The samples consisting of one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school were randomly selected from in Seoul metropolitan area, and the survey was conducted for 326 mothers in total with elementary school 4thgrade and middle and high school 2nd grade students. The teachers of classes and only selected at respective school level, were asked for distributing and collecting of questionnaire, with some explanation on the intent of survey. The collected data was analyzed by using frequency analysis ,analysis of variance, and t-test. As research tools, there are 10 questions developed by the researcher of this study to examine mothers’ awareness of parents’ career education, and 30 questions about parents’ career awareness excerpted from the questionnaire which was developed by Kwak Byung-Sun and other 2 researchers to investigate mothers’ attitude toward career.
The findings are summarized as follows:
In the mothers’ awareness of parents’ career education, firstly, to the question if they are aware of parents’ career education, the 55.2%, or 180 of 326 respondents answered that they were aware of it. Secondly, to the question about the attitude toward parents’ career education, the 51.6%, or 93 of 180 who were aware of parents’ career education answered that they had participated in career education program. It was shown that the 74.2% of 93 participants attended special lecture once or twice; 34 participants or 36.6% once and 35 participants or 37.6% twice. It indicated that most of mothers want to take parents’ career education, regardless of their experience in it.
Thirdly, to the multiple choice question on the help of parents’ career education, the most number of respondents chose in the first place the answer ‘it helped the understanding of children’s characteristics’. It showed that mothers’ interest is focused on personal information such as ‘understanding of children’s characteristics. Fourthly, to the question on expectations of parents’ career education, 57.2% of respondents selected ‘understanding of children’s characteristics’ and 24.4% selected ‘understanding of world of work’. It indicated that mothers have much interest in personal and vocational information. Fifthly, to the question why you don’t want to take parents’ career education, 44.4% or 16 respondents expressed that because they don’t have time. In the mothers’ attitude toward career, the respondents showed ‘achieved’ orientation, and there was not a statistically significant difference in all sub-factors. Secondly, mothers’ attitude toward career and sex roles showed open-minded orientation, and there was not a statistically significant difference in all sub-factors. Thirdly, mothers’ attitude toward value of work was result-oriented. And there is a significant difference in the sub-factor of educational level. Fourthly, mothers' attitude toward dignity of vocation was form-oriented. And there was a significant difference in the sub-factor of number of parent’s participation in career education program.
The Significance of Study:
The many existing studies on parents’ attitudes toward career were carried out in order to get basic research data for the purpose of development of students’ career education program. The significance of this study is that it aimed at suggesting the development direction of parents’ career education program to contribute to parents’ healthy attitude toward career. As mothers have greater influence on their children’s career currently in Korea, it is also significant that research was conducted for mothers only whose children are elementary, middle, or high school students, whereas existing studies were conducted for both fathers and mothers. Another significant thing is that this study could indirectly examine the effect of existing career education, by setting factors such as the experience of career education program and the number of participation, whereas existing studies have not covered such factors.
In conclusion, at this time of perceiving the importance of mothers’ role for solving current problems in education in Korea, this study would be the basic research for the development direction of parents’ career education which will help to form mothers’ healthy attitude toward career.