The effects of a career development course on career maturity levels and on career maturity as impacted by decision-making styles

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a ten week career education course on the concept of career maturity and the impact of decision-making style on outcomes. A pre-post-test design was used with career maturity being assessed by Super's Career Development Inventory (CDI), and decision-making style being determined by Harren's Assessment of Career Decision-Making - Styles (ACDM-S). A treatment and control group were used, and due to disproportionate sex and age characteristics across groups these two variables were used as covariates in concert with the pre-test in the ANCOVA analysis of the experimental effects.

Discriminant analysis, reliability estimates (KR-20) and factor analysis provided validation evidence for the ACDM-S as a classification instrument. Significant (p ≤ 0.05) increases in career maturity as measured by the CDI were found in only Scale B (Resources for Exploration), however Scale A increases approached the assumed significance (p ≤ 0.05) level of probability. Significant (p ≤ 0.05) interaction effects between groups and styles were found on Scale A. Rational decision-makers in the treatment group increased, while for other styles control group means remained higher or equal to the treatment group means. Both Scale A and B are attitudinal in nature, while C, D, and E are cognitive. An informal post-experimental interview of one third (n=20) of the treatment group suggest generally positive reactions to the career education class, but substantive negative reactions to the CDI instrument.