1. A Longitudinal Study of the Level of Occupational Aspirations of Youth over the High School Years.
- Author
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Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park. Dept. of Vocational Education., Brown, Richard H., and Kapes, Jerome T.
- Abstract
This document reports one of the studies conducted as part of the longitudinal Vocational Development Study (VDS) project started in Altoona, Pennsylvania, in 1968. The main goals of the project are to conduct studies involving the evaluation of vocational programs, the validation guidance instruments, and the investigation of vocational development theories as they apply to today's youth. This particular study is concerned with the stability of occupational aspirations during the high school years. Occupational aspirations were divided into idealistic and realistic, so that changes in level of aspiration over time as well as difference in level could be compared. Findings showed no change in level of idealistic occupational aspiration over time, a significant downward change in the mean level of realistic occupational aspiration, a significant and increasingly large difference between the idealistic and realistic levels, and a steady divergence between idealistic and realistic levels. The implications of these findings for high school curriculum planning, occupational guidance, training, and counseling are discussed. (SA)
- Published
- 1973