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Are the effects of careers guidance worth having? Changes in practice and outcomes
Author(s) -
Kidd Jennifer M.,
Killeen John
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
journal of occupational and organizational psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.257
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 2044-8325
pISSN - 0963-1798
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8325.1992.tb00500.x
Subject(s) - psychological intervention , psychology , intervention (counseling) , career development , process (computing) , applied psychology , line management , phase (matter) , work (physics) , outcome (game theory) , medical education , social psychology , public relations , medicine , chemistry , mathematics , organic chemistry , mathematical economics , psychiatry , computer science , operating system , mechanical engineering , political science , engineering
The evaluation of careers guidance for young people prior to their entry to the world of work has progressed through two phases. Each phase is associated with changes in guidance practice and changes in the nature of the underlying theories of occupational choice and career development. When the aim of guidance was to make recommendations to young people, evaluators used career outcomes as criteria by which to assess effectiveness. In the evaluation of developmental guidance interventions, however, learning outcomes are more appropriate. Most reviewers judge the effectiveness of these interventions to be only modest, but we suggest that when the realism of goals for the intervention, the appropriateness of criterion measures and client/treatment interactions are taken into account, the magnitude of effects may be greater than this. It is argued that evaluation needs to enter a third phase, in line with changes in labour market institutions, career patterns and consequent changes in the aims of guidance and a shift towards more dynamic, interactionist explanations of career development. The range of learning outcomes should, therefore, be elaborated to include the ‘process' skills necessary for effective career management.