Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-g8jcs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T07:39:09.919Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Online Career Guidance: Does Knowledge Equate to Power for High School Students?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 July 2017

Natal'ya Galliott*
Affiliation:
Department of Education, Faculty of Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
*
address for correspondence: Natal'ya Galliott (nee Shcherbak), Department of Education, Macquarie University, Room 807, Building C3A, Macquarie UniversityNSW 2109, Australia. Email: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The provision of online career information and guidance is becoming more popular among career counselling practitioners and policy makers targeting the postschool transitions of youth. Internet-based career exploration and guidance systems provide convenience and economy to both individuals confronted with career decision making as well as those assisting them in the process. However, the usefulness of these systems in improving the career uncertainty of young people is under-researched. This article presents the results of a cross-sectional survey conducted with high school students in Years 9–12 (N = 706) from 12 schools in New South Wales, Australia. Analyses reveal that: the majority of students are unaware of the online career guidance services targeted towards them; the personal characteristics, school type, and sector of participants differed between websites recalled; and that there are no significant relations between listed web resources and students’ career certainty. The article concludes with implications for career counselling practitioners and policy makers.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2015). Schools, Australia, 2014. Canberra, Australia: Author.Google Scholar
Archer, L., & Moote, J. (2016). ASPIRES 2 Project Spotlight: Year 11 Students’ Views of Careers Education and Work Experience. London: King's College London.Google Scholar
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2012). My School: Guide to understanding ICSEA. Sydney, Australia: Author. Retrieved from http://www.acara.edu.au/verve/_resources/Guide_to_understanding_ICSEA.pdf.Google Scholar
Barak, A., & Cohen, L. (2002). Empirical examination of an online version of the self-directed search. Journal of Career Assessment, 10, 387400.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barham, L., & Dent, G. (2004). Balancing policy with client need: Is there a dilemma? Paper presented at the International Perspectives of Career Development Symposium, San Francisco.Google Scholar
Betz, N.E., & Turner, B.M. (2011) Using item response theory and adaptive testing in online career assessment. Journal of Career Assessment, 19, 274286.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Biavaschi, C., Eichhorst, W., Giulietti, C., Kendzia, M.J., Muravyev, A., Pieters, J., . . . Zimmermann, K.F. (2012). Youth unemployment and vocational training. IZA Discussion Paper.Google Scholar
Blythe, J. (2013). Consumer behaviour (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Bright, J. (2007). Complexity, change and chance: The chaos theory of careers (CTC). Paper presented at the the Joint Meeting of the International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance, Society for Vocational Psychology, and National Career Development Association, Padua, Italy.Google Scholar
Career Industry Council of Australia. (2015). Lack of funding deprives young Australians of necessary career support. Retrieved March 25, 2015, from https://cica.org.au/lack-of-funding-deprives-young-australians-of-necessary-career-support/ Google Scholar
Creswell, J.W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed method approaches (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
De Raaf, S., Shek-wai Hui, T., & Vincent, C. (2012). Career motion: How webbased technologies can improve the career choices of young people. Ottawa, Canada: Social Research and Demonstration Corporation.Google Scholar
Dozier, V.C., Sampson, J.P., Lenz, J.G., Peterson, G.W., & Reardon, R.C. (2014). The impact of the self-directed search form internet version on counselor-free career exploration. Journal of Career Assessment, 1, 112.Google Scholar
Gale, T. (2015). Widening and expanding participation in Australian higher education: In the absence of sociological imagination. The Australian Educational Researcher, 42, 257271. doi:10.1007/s13384-014-0167-7 Google Scholar
Galliott, N., & Graham, L.J. (2014a). A question of agency: Applying Sen's theory of human capability to the concept of secondary school student career ‘choice’. International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 37, 270284.Google Scholar
Galliott, N., & Graham, L.J. (2014b, November–December). Measuring agency freedom in the career decision-making of students: Informing survey through exploratory focus groups in a mixed methods design. Paper presented at the Joint Australian Association for Research in Education and New Zealand Association for Research in Education 2014 Conference, Brisbane, Australia.Google Scholar
Galliott, N., & Graham, L.J. (2015). School based experiences as contributors to career decision-making: Findings from a cross-sectional survey of high school students. The Australian Educational Researcher, 42, 179199. doi:10.1007/s13384-015-0175-2 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Galliott, N., Graham, L.J., & Sweller, N. (2015). Who struggles most in making a career choice and why? Findings from a cross-sectional survey of Australian high school students. Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools, 25, 133151. doi:10.1017/jgc.2015.7 Google Scholar
Gati, I., & Asulin-Peretz, L. (2011). Internet-based self-help career assessments and interventions: Challenges and implications for evidence-based career counseling. Journal of Career Assessment, 19, 259273. doi:10.1177/1069072710395533 Google Scholar
Gati, I., Kleiman, T., Saka, N., & Zakai, A. (2003). Perceived benefits of using an Internet-based interactive career planning system. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 62, 272286. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0001-8791(02)00049-0 Google Scholar
Gati, I., & Saka, N. (2001). Internet-based versus paper-and-pencil assessment: Measuring career decision-making difficulties. Journal of Career Assessment, 9, 397416. doi:10.1177/106907270100900406 Google Scholar
Gati, I., Saka, N., & Krausz, M. (2001). ‘Should I use a computer-assisted career guidance system?’ It depends on where your career decision-making difficulties lie. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 29, 301321. doi:10.1080/03069880120073021 Google Scholar
Harris-Bowlsbey, J. (2013). Computer-assisted career guidance systems: A part of NCDA history. Career Development Quarterly, 61, 181185.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harris-Bowlsbey, J., & Sampson, J.P. (2005). Use of technology in delivering career services worldwide. Career Development Quarterly, 54, 4856.Google Scholar
Harris-Bowlsbey, J., & Sampson, J.P. (2001). Computer-based career planning systems: Dreams and realities. The Career Development Quarterly, 49, 250260. doi:10.1002/j.2161-0045.2001.tb00569.x Google Scholar
Hochberg, Y. (1988). A sharper Bonferroni procedure for multiple tests of significance. Biometrika, 75, 800802.Google Scholar
Hooley, T., Shepherd, C., & Dodd, V. (2015). Get yourself connected: Conceptualising the role of digital technologies in Norwegian career guidance. Derby, UK: International Centre for Guidance Studies, University of Derby.Google Scholar
Howieson, C., & Semple, S. (2013). The impact of career websites: What's the evidence? British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 41, 287301. doi:10.1080/03069885.2013.773960 Google Scholar
Jacks, T. (2015, October 18). Spike in youth unemployment feared as schools dump work experience. The Age. Retrieved from http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/spike-in-youth-unemployment-feared-as-schools-dump-work-experience-20151018-gkbw96.html#ixzz3oxe4UfmG Google Scholar
Kettunen, J., Vuorinen, R., & Ruusuvirta, O. (2016). European lifelong guidance policy network representatives’ conceptions of the role of information and communication technologies related to national guidance policies. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 16, 327342.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kleiman, T., & Gati, I. (2004). Challenges of internet-based assessment: Measuring career decision-making difficulties. Measurement & Evaluation in Counseling & Development, 37, 4155.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Langley, E., Hooley, T., & Bertuchi, D. (2014). A career postcode lottery? Local authority provision of youth and career support following the 2011 Education Act. Derby, UK: University of Derby.Google Scholar
Lumsden, J.A., Sampson, J.P., Reardon, R.C., Lenz, J.G., & Peterson, G.W. (2004). A comparison study of the paper-and-pencil, personal computer, and internet versions of Holland's Self-Directed Search. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 37, 8594.Google Scholar
McLaren, M.R. (2013). Moderators of efficacy for a computer assisted career guidance system (CAGS) (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Fort Collins, CO: Colorado State University.Google Scholar
Fildes, J., Robbins, A., Cave, L., Perrens, B., & Wearring, A. (2014). Mission Australia's 2014 Youth Survey report. Sydney, Australia: Mission Australia.Google Scholar
Montoya-Weiss, M., Voss, G., & Grewal, D. (2003). Determinants of online channel use and overall satisfaction with a relational, multichannel service provider. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 31, 448458.Google Scholar
Osborn, D.S., Peterson, G.W., Sampson, J.P. Jr., & Reardon, R.C. (2003). Client anticipations about computer-assisted career guidance system outcomes. Career Development Quarterly, 51, 356.Google Scholar
Patton, W. (2005). Coming of age? Overview of career guidance policy and practice in Australia. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 5, 217227. doi:10.1007/s10775-005-8801-6 Google Scholar
Pavlov, I.P. (2003). Conditioned reflexes. Mineola, NY: Dover.Google Scholar
Perry, J.C., Dauwalder, J.P., & Bonnett, H.R. (2009). Verifying the efficacy of vocational guidance programs: Procedures, problems, and potential directions. The Career Development Quarterly, 57, 348357. doi:10.1002/j.2161-0045.2009.tb00121.x Google Scholar
Qualtrics. (2015). Qualtrics is the world's leading insight technology provider. Retrieved from http://www.qualtrics.com/about/ Google Scholar
Sampson, J.P., & Bloom, J.W. (2001). The potential for success and failure of computer applications in counseling and guidance. In Locke, D.C., Meyers, J., & Herr, E.L. (Eds.), The handbook of counseling (pp. 613627). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.Google Scholar
Sampson, J.P., & Lumsden, J.A. (2000). Ethical issues in the design and use of internet-based career assessment. Journal of Career Assessment, 8, 2135. doi:10.1177/106907270000800103 Google Scholar
Schmidt, S., & Eisend, M. (2015). Advertising repetition: A meta-analysis on effective frequency in advertising. Journal of Advertising, 44, 415428. doi:10.1080/00913367.2015.1018460 Google Scholar
Sellar, S. (2013). Equity, markets and the politics of aspiration in Australian higher education. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 34, 245258. doi:10.1080/01596306.2013.770250 Google Scholar
Tracey, T.J.G. (2010). Interest assessment using new technology. Journal of Career Assessment, 18, 336344.Google Scholar
Walsh, W.B., & Savickas, M.L. (2005). Handbook of vocational psychology: Theory, research and practice (3rd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Watts, A.G. (2005). Career guidance policy: An international review. The Career Development Quarterly, 54, 6676. doi:10.1002/j.2161-0045.2005.tb00142.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar