The purpose of this study is to establish an efficient model of career education in primary schools by surveying the career consciousnesses of students, parents' attitudes on the matter, and the present situation of career guidances being practiced by...
The purpose of this study is to establish an efficient model of career education in primary schools by surveying the career consciousnesses of students, parents' attitudes on the matter, and the present situation of career guidances being practiced by teachers.
Each relevant survey items were analyzed by the means of review questionaries given onto the 492 primary school students, 401 parents and 419 teachers. The major analyzing points were the possible differences in self-esteems, attitudes toward jobs and decision-making abilities of students in urban and rural areas. Parents' understanding degree toward career educations were also surveyed in those two areas. For the last, the actual conditions of teachers' efforts for career guidance, that is, curriculum running, material usage, counseling-providing to the parents, were surveyed.
The major findings of the study were as follows.
1. The primary school students in urban areas showed higher self-esteems, more positive attitudes toward jobs and stronger decision making abilities than those in rural areas.
2. The urban area parents attached greater importance to the second generation education than those in rural areas. As for the job choosing criteria, while rural parents regard as of great importance the attainability and future prospects of the job under the consideration, the urban parents gave more consideration to the aptitudes and interests of their children.
3. Both urban and rural area teachers were found to feel similar dissatisfaction on the present situation of career guidances in primary school. Furthermore, most of the teachers turned out not to have received any training related to this field and showed relatively low understanding to the career guidance activities.
The author, basing on this survey, proposes an ideal model of career guidance in primary school as follows.
First, the authority needs to develop and popularize the various career guidance programs and information materials for the students and parents. They should train and employ the teachers charged full time with career guidance for the systematic and institutional guiding.
Second, to make possible for the primary school student to choose proper career plan and to bring about happy life and self-realization, it is necessary to develop and apply a whole school year guiding programs which are arranged in accordance with their cognitive development stages.
Third, to have teachers be involved more actively in career guidances, it is urgently required to give them necessary training in both teachers college and in-service teachers workshops. Especially, in the case of rural areas.
Fourth, since career guidances are accomplished through the connected efforts of schools, families and society, family and society also should do their parts to improve the present situation of career guiding.