Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

Publication Date

Summer 7-1-1970

Abstract

The major purpose of this study was to determine whether there was significant change in selected vocational attitudes after a period of vocational training and whether participation in group counseling affected those attitudes.

The subjects were 135 adult women enrolled in post high school vocational training. One group was engaged in remedial academic work preparatory to entering a training major; the other was beginning a training major. From each of these groups, a random sample was selected for participation in group counseling.

Pretests were administered at the beginning of the four month training period and posttests at he end. Evaluation instruments were the Chicago Q-sort, the Attitude Scale of the Vocational Development Inventory, and the Minnesota Importance Questionnaire.

An analysis of covariance was applied to the data to elicit statistically significant differences among the four groups. Although all four groups showed growth in congruence of self-concept to chosen ­vocation-concept as measured by the Chicago Q-sort, there was no significant difference among them.

Neither was there significant difference among them in growth in vocational maturity as measured by the Attitude Scale of the Vocational Development Inventory.

The groups differed at the .05 level of confidence on five scales of the Minnesota Importance Questionnaire. The group taking only voca­tional training reflected no significant changes in preferences for working conditions which they anticipated would make the job satisfying. The group participating in vocational training and group counseling indicated lower interest in the Social Service aspects of the job. The third group, taking only remedial preparatory work, showed greater desire for Creativity and Responsibility in the job and lower interest in Com­pensation and Social Service. The group taking remedial work plus participating in group counseling showed greater interest in Compensation and less in Variety.

Neither vocational training nor group counseling caused clearly significant change in the selected vocational attitudes within the beginning training period, although all groups grew in self-to-vocation congruence. It was recommended that counselors become more aware of work expectances in pre-training counseling and that greater effort be expended in developing realistic vocational attitudes before the post high school training period. Group counseling appeared to be most useful as a supportive, encouraging factor in adjusting to immediate training requirements and in continuing toward vocational preparation.

Document Type

Dissertation

Level of Degree

Doctoral

First Committee Member (Chair)

George Leonard Keppers

Second Committee Member

Howard Vivian Finston

Third Committee Member

William Barton Runge

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