A study of the maturity of career attitudes of senior high school students in the Humber-St. Barbe and Port au Port Roman Catholic School Districts

Abstract

The study was designed for the purpose of determining and ascertaining the career attitude maturity of senior high school students. Also, an attempt was made to determine if relationships exist between career attitude maturity and the variables of sex, socio-economic status, grade level, community of residence, and school size. Furthermore, information was gathered concerning the provisions made for career guidance for the participants in the study. -- The data required for the study were obtained from the responses to the CMI Attitude Scale and the Student Questionnaire of participants in June of 1978. The Blishen (1971) Socio-Economic Index for Occupations was used to determine the socio-economic status of the participants in the study. The proportional stratified sample included 334 senior high school students randomly selected from eleven high schools in the Humber-St. Barbe and Port au Port Roman Catholic School Districts. Statistical procedures included analysis of variance and the Scheffé test. -- The level of career attitude maturity of the students was found to be significantly lower than that of students of similar age and grade for whom the standardized norms had been computed. Furthermore, their level of career attitude maturity was comparable to the level of other students of similar age and grade but who were from different economic, ethnic and racial groups. These groups include the disadvantaged American Indians, Mexican Americans, and inner-city Blacks. No significant relationship was found between career attitude maturity and the subject's sex. However, significant relationships existed between career attitude maturity and the variables of grade level, socico-economic status and community of residence. Furthermore, a significant relationship was found between career attitude maturity and certain classifications of school size. Students attending schools with a range in school size of 151 to 600 students had a significantly higher level of career, attitude maturity than students attending schools with ranges in school size of either 51 to 150 or 601 to 650 students. -- It was proposed that the study sample's general lack of career guidance and their depressed performance on the CMI Attitude Scale indicated that senior high school students in the two school districts had a great need for career guidance programmes. Furthermore, it was suggested that the significant relationship which existed between career attitude maturity and variables of socio-economic status, community of residence, and certain classifications of school size might provide educational administrators with some direction as to what high school populations and what type of high schools in the Province have the greatest need for career guidance programmes. Finally, it was proposed that the study sample's depressed performance on the CMI Attitude Scale, may imply that changes in the way the educational system is organized in this Province may be required.