The purpose of this study was to investigate improvements in career awareness by developing and applying career education programs appropriate for the higher grades in elementary school. The main focus of this study is as follows :
First, was this ca...
The purpose of this study was to investigate improvements in career awareness by developing and applying career education programs appropriate for the higher grades in elementary school. The main focus of this study is as follows :
First, was this career education program appropriate for these students, and, if so, was it based on sound theory?
Second, did the degree of these students' career awareness improve as a result of this field-study based career education program?
Third, was the students' degree of self-perception raised as a result of this field-study based career education program?
This study utilized 31 fifth-graders at an elementary school in Buyeo-gun as subjects. This site has been my place of employment, and for the 19 weeks from March to July 16 of 2003, a weekly contact with these subjects was made. The content of the program was reconstructed by the addition of career field observations to a prior career education program by the researcher. The survey results were collected through a questionnaire composed by the researcher with the help of a supervising professor and the professionalist.
Descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage were used to analyze the responses to each item.
The survey revealed the following results:
First, the participants of the survey took an active part in the field study based career education program with their interests, and their degrees of career recognition and self-perceptions were changed positively. Therefore, the program, as applied in the survey, was appropriate for these more advanced elementary school students.
Second, this field-study based career education program was an effective device for improving the career awareness of these advanced elementary school students.
In other words, by dint of the psychological features of the period having interests in their own careers, their career awareness has matured through a positive understanding of different carrier choices, having the view of occupation and observational activities.
Third, ttus field-study based career education program has a positive effect on changing elementary school students' self- perception.
In the course of the program, participants came to have an opportunity to look inside themselves.
To close, a student who has a positive self-concept and image can wisely select an appropriate career. This career awareness and maintenance of a positive self-perception through this program will have far-reaching effects on the self-actualization which will result from this course.