Career Guidance Theory

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Career Guidance Theory

• Manchester Solutions
• Day 1
• iCeGS
• University of Derby
• Siobhan Neary/Nicki Moore

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Aims and Objectives

• Aim 
• The overall aim of the programme is to support
  practitioners in developing their professional
  practice through demonstrating the requirements
  to meet Units 2 and 3 in the Level 6 Diploma in
  Career Guidance and Career Development.
•  Objectives
• The main objectives are to provide an opportunity
  for participants to 
• develop a critical understanding of theories to
  support career choice and career management
• achieve evidence requirements to meet the
  learning outcomes required for Unit 3 Reflection
  and Implementation of Professional Practice 
• engage in structured professional development
  and apply this within their practice

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Unit 3 - Career Guidance Theory

• 1. Understand career guidance theories
• 2. Understand theories of motivation
• 3. Understand concepts and models to support
  clients in career planning and development
• 4. Understand the role and purpose of research
• 5. Understand theories of career management and
  career guidance
• 6. Understand application of theories concepts
  and models to support own practice

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Day 1

• What do we mean by Career
• Process to support Career
• Theories to support career
• Career theories
• Career choice theories
• Career helping theories
• Traditional theories
• Contemporary theory

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Activity 1

• DDraDradDDDR

Draw an image of what career means to you
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• How does your role support Career and who are
  the beneficiaries and how ?

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Support for Career

• Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG)
• Career Learning
• Career Management
• Career Development

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Defining theory many associated nouns and
adjectives

• Testibility
• Hypothesis
• Thesis
• Axioms
• Explanatory power
• Understanding
• Rational logic
• Reason
• Evidence based
• Reality/model of reality

• Abstract
• Analytical
• Parameters
• Ideas
• Observation
• Empirical
• Predictability
• Supposition
• Certainty
• Proof
• Definitive

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Defining theory

• Theory offers descriptors of what happens
  explanations, suggesting why they happen in the
  way they do and predictions, anticipating was
  can happen in what conditions
• Law (1996)

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Impact of theory on practice

• Theories provide us with an explanation of the
  complexity of real life
• Theories challenge us to work out what questions
  to ask the client
• Theories enable us to illustrate and explain
  occupational choice to clients
• Theories enrich our practice and keep us
  professional and responsive to current themes
• Adapted from J.Perrett Whats the point of career
  theory? AGCAS 2011

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Activity

• Describe your theory about how people makes
  decisions about their careers
• Take 5 minutes to write up your theory on
  flipchart.
• Think about what has informed your theory?
• What evidence do you have to support it?

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Different types of theory
Career helping theories
Career theories
What is a career?
How to help people Make choices
Career choice theories
How we choose and factors that influence choice
With thanks to David Winter for his comments on
http//adventuresincareerdevelopment.posterous.com
/career-theory
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Theory Vs Model?
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Traditional Career Theories
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Differentialism McKenzie,Rodger,Earle,Oakley
and Macrae,Kline

• Key points
• Individuals differ
• Differences can be measured
• Jobs can be measured
• So in terms of IAG interventions
• Talent matching
• Assessment, appraisal and testing
• Placing and information
• Short term

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Developmentalism Ginzberg, Super, Hayes and
Hough, Dawes,

• Key points
• Different stages of development fantasy,
  tentative, realistic (differing ages dependent on
  theorist)
• Compromise is essential between interests,
  capacities, values and opportunities
• Regard for personal change abilities/interests
  etc
• Regard for holistic decision making, (many
  factors other than aptitude testing!)
• Can be taught as a method of self exploration and
  realization (SA/OA/DM/TA)

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Opportunity Structure Theory Caplow,
Speakerman, Roberts,

• Key Points
• Choice is constrained by the jobs available
• Social class and education as key factors in
  available choice as is race/gender discrimination
• Self concept affected by social class
• Particularly prevalent in high unemployment
• Careers education and guidance futile for some?
• Ambition is determined by the opportunities
  available
• Pupils living down to expectations

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Changing World
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LIFE CHANGES RAPIDLY
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Social-economic context for career guidance

• It is difficult to understand either individual
  behaviour or career guidance in isolation from
  the social context in which they function
• Individual behavior nor career guidance occurs in
  a vacuum removed from continuous transactions but
  are constantly immersed in Social norms, mass
  media, behavioural expectations policies and
  regulations, cultural traditions, definitions of
  acceptable roles, beliefs, values.
• Herr (2008)

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Social Context of Guidance Killeen (1996)
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Social context (2)

• Social context influences
• Choice
• Reinforces and rejects career behaviour
• Conceptions of family roles
• Types of achievement and aspirations
• Types of knowledge are filtered to
  sub-populations through cultural, racial and
  socio-economic lenses
• Career dilemmas must be understood in
  relationship with their context
• At a macro-level career guidance is a
  socio-political process influenced by
  governmental policies, legislation, economics,
  political and historical events
• Herr 2008

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CONTEMPORARY AND LEARNING THEORIES
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Task What is learning?
interpreting and understanding reality in a
different way, comprehending the world by
reinterpreting knowledge
quantitative acquisition of information or
knowing a lot
Learning is?
making sense or abstracting meaning, relating
parts of knowledge to each other
memorising, storing information that can be
reproduced
acquisition of facts, skills, methods that can be
retained and used as required
Smith, M. K. (1999)
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What is learning?
PROCESS?
Learning is?
PRODUCT?
Learning a process by which behaviour changes as
a result of experience (Maples Webster, 1980
cited in Smith, 1999)
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Social Learning Theory
Bandura (1977)
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Theories
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Social Learning Theory for Career Decision Making
( Krumboltz et al)

• The first acknowledges the role of innate
  abilities and talents which may be hereditary.
  Learning experiences interact with these
  abilities to obstruct or promote them.
• The second factor is environmental conditions,
  often beyond the control of the individual e.g.
  educational systems, social policies etc.
• The third and pivotal factor is learning
  experiences.
• The fourth factor is referred to as 'task
  approach skills' the skills that individuals
  bring to a task such as expectations of
  performance, habits, cognitive processes and
  emotional responses. 

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I am influenced by
My abilities and my talents
My Environment
My Developed Skills
My learning experiences
Social Learning Theory for Career Decision Making
Krumboltz et al 1976
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DOTS

• Decision Making
• Opportunity Awareness
• Transitional Awareness
• Self Awareness
• Law and Watts (1977)
• Readiness to take action
• Motivation

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Planned Happenstance

• Planned Happenstance is a four-step
  processClarify IdeasFollow your curiosity and
  identify your interests.Remove The
  BlocksWonder how I can rather than I cant
  because...Expect The UnexpectedBe prepared
  for chance opportunities, such as unexpected
  phone calls, chance encounters, impromptu
  conversations and new experiences.Take
  ActionLearn, develop skills, remain open and
  follow-up on chance events.Planned having
  arranged the partsHappen to occur by
  chanceStance a view or attitude
• http//Planned Happenstance.com

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Community Interaction theory

• Career decisions are influenced by our
  community family, friends, neighbours,
  teachers, role models, ethnic and religious
  group, the media
• J. Perrett Whats the point of career theory?
  AGCAS 2011

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Being with other peopleCommunity
Interaction/Environment

• Bill Law in late 1970s-early 1980s
• Emphasises importance of experience and role
  models
• Interaction of individual and his community
• Stresses the educational aspect of career choice
• J. Perrett Whats the point of career theory?
  AGCAS 2011

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Cognitive Process

• How do we learn about careers?
• What is your head saying?
• J. Perrett Whats the point of career theory?
  AGCAS 2011

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Living and LearningCareer Learning/Cognitive
Process

• Bill Law in 1990s
• Emphasises how people learn about careers
• Links directly with careers education in the
  curriculum
• Reflects growing interest in lifelong learning
  and reflective practice
• Resonated with direction of Connexions Service
• J. Perrett Whats the point of career theory?
  AGCAS 2011

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Cognitive Process

• Aim
• Examine the applicability of previous learning
  experiences and resulting beliefs and attitudes
• Increase individuals effectiveness in tasks
• Activities
• Exploring and adjusting individuals
  interpretation of experiences
• Teaching and coaching for skill development and
  behavioural change
• J. Perrett Whats the point of career theory?
  AGCAS 2011

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Careers Adviser Roles

• Differentialist theories lead to an expert
  measuring, diagnosing and directing role
• Developmental theories lead to a non-directive,
  client-centred role
• Opportunity structure theories lead to either
• Directing people toward the expected role
  encouraging social conformity
• Encouraging people to break out of their expected
  roles trying to change the opportunity
  structure
• Community Interaction theories lead to a role
  co-ordinating resources, providing new
  experiences
• Career Learning/ Cognitive Process theories lead
  to a teaching and motivating role

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Resources to support today can be found at

• Materials on iCeGS website
• http//www.derby.ac.uk/ask-icegs-information-servi
  ces/manchester-solutions-training-material

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Activity

• Before next session you are to
• Investigate a theory you have heard about
  career, career choice, career helping, learning
  theory and produce 1 side of A4 summarizing the
  theory and how it supports practice
• Or
• Design a tool you could use with a client based
  on a theory which could help them with their
  career planning.

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Questions?

• s.neary_at_derby.ac.ukTel 01332 591580
• n.moore_at_derby.ac.uk
• Tel [phone]