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Fostering Career Awareness in Elementary Schools: Evaluation of an Intervention Proposal

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 May 2018

Renato Gomes Carvalho ,
Margarida Pocinho  and
Débora Fernandes
Renato Gomes Carvalho*
Affiliation:
Secretaria Regional de Edução da Madeira (Portugal)
Margarida Pocinho
Affiliation:
Universidade da Madeira (Portugal)
Débora Fernandes
Affiliation:
Universidade da Madeira (Portugal)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Renato Gomes Carvalho. EB23 Cónego João J.G. Andrade, Estrada da Lapa, 9350-079 Campanário . (Portugal). E-mail: renatoggc@gmail.com
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Abstract

Research literature has been increasingly focusing on children’s career development, especially when school contexts are considered. In the present study, we evaluate the efficacy of a short-term intervention program designed to foster career awareness in elementary school. The sample consisted of 155 Portuguese fifth- and sixth-grade students, aged nine to fifteen years old (M = 11, SD = 1). With a quasi-experimental design, the sample was divided into two groups, namely, the participants in the program and the controls. We used the Career Awareness Scale for Children and a sociodemographic survey. Analyses of covariance indicated a moderate effect of the participation in the program in students’ career awareness (ηp2 = .06, p = .003). The results are discussed considering the school as a key context for career education aiming at promoting students’ adaptability and involvement in the construction of their life pathways.

Keywords

career awarenesscareer developmentcareer educationelementary schoolschool contexts
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 21 , 2018 , E16
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2018 

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Footnotes

How to cite this article:

Carvalho, R. G., Pocinho, M., & Fernandes, D. (2018). Fostering career awareness in elementary schools: Evaluation of an intervention proposal. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 21. e16. Doi:10.1017/sjp.2018.16

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