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Peterson, MarlaApplication of Vocational Development Theory toCareer Education. Information Series No. 80.Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center for Vocational andTechnical Education.National Inst. of Education (DHEW), Washington, D.C.Jul 7337p.

EDRS PRICE MF-$0.75 HC-$1.85 PLUS POSTAGEDESCRIPTORS *Career Education; Child Development; Concept

Formation; *Curriculum Development; Decision Making;*Educational Theories; Individual Needs; *Models;Occupational Aspiration; Socioeconomic Influences;*Vocational Development

IDENTIFIERS Multi Component Career Education Curriculum Model

ABSTRACTVocational development theories categorized as

trait-and-factor approaches, decision-model approaches, sociologicalapproaches, psychological approaches, and developmental approachesare presented to show how they might be applied in elementary,middle, and high school career education programs. The paperdescribes The Multi-Component Career Education Curriculum Model,developed at Eastern Illinois University, as an example of thecurrent use of N,ocational development theory, learning theor, childgrowth and development theory, and curriculum development theory informulating curricular materials and procedures for career educationprograms. It is emphasized that in building such programs, theinteraction of the various theories is needed, not just theapplication of vocational development theories alone. Careerdevelopment takes place over a number of years; occupational choiceis not "a point in time event;" and an individual chooses occupationswhich will allow him to function in a role consistent with hisself-concept. In developing career education materials theoccupational, economic, social, family, moral, and leisure being mustbe considered in order to help students learn how to become thepersons they want to be and are capable of becoming. (VT)

re\O0

APPLICATION OF VOCATIONALDEVELOPMENT THEORYTO CAREER EDUCATION

ERICPAN 31. HE Al 111

D fll N W I.

INA 1 IONA. 1,,11 Till I Of-

LUJCA I C)

CLEARINGHOUSE ON VOCATIONAL

AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The profession is indebted to Marla Peterson for herscholarship in the preparation of thi3 report. Recognition

also due Lenore Harmon, University of Wisconsin; and HarryN. Drier, Jr., The Center for Vocational and Technical Edu-cation; for their critical review of the manusciipt prior tofinal revision and publication. Development of the publica-tion was coordinated by Paul E. Schroeder, and Alice J. Brownprovided the technical editing.

Robert E. TaylorDirectorERIC Clearinghouse on Vocational

and Technical Education

The material in this publication was prepared pursuantto a contract with the National Institute of Education, U.S.Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Contractorsundertaking such projects under government sponsorship areencouraged to express freely their judgment in professionaland technical matters. Points of view or opinions do not,therefore, necessarily represent official National Instituteof Education position or policy.

information Series No. 80

VT 020 368

APPLICATION OF VOCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT THEORY TO

CAREER EDUCATION

Marla PetersonDirector of the Enrichment of Teacher anti Counselor

Competencies in Career Education Project (K-6)Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, i11 :7_nois

ERIC Clearinghouse on Vocational and Technical EciucationThe Center for Vocational and Technical Education

The Ohio State University1960 Kenny Road Columbus, Ohio 43210

1973

CONTENTS

Introduction 1

Trait-and-Factor Approaches 1

Decision Models 3

Sociological Approaches 4

Psychological Approaches 6

Developmental Approaches 10Building Career Education Programs: Inter-

action of Theories 12Summary 27Bibliography 29

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this information analysis paper is todiscuss how vocational development theory can be applied tocareer education programs. Vocional development theorieswhich fall into the categories of: (1) Trait-and-Factor Ap-proaches, (2) Decision Model Approaches, (3) SociologicalApproaches, (4) Psychological Approaches, and (5) Develop-mental Approaches are presented in a manner which shows howthese theories could be applied in elementary, middle, andhigh school career education programs. The main thrust ofeach theory will be highlighted; however, no attempt will bemade to present a complete documentation of each theory. Nosignificance should be attached to the sequence in which thetheories are presented.

This paper presents one model, The Multi-Component Ca-reer Education Curriculum Model, as an example of how voca-tional development theory, as well as learning theory, childgrowth and development theory, and curriculum developmenttheory are currently being used to formulate curricular ma-terials and procedures for career education programs.

TRAIT-AND-FACTOR APPROACHES

Trait-and-factor approaches generally view the indi-vidual as a composite of many traits or factors (e.g., apti-tudes, interests, information known, and achievements) whichcan be identified through objective meansusually psycholo-gical tests or inventories, the test results being profiledto represent the individual's potential. Utilization of thetrait-and-factor theory in discussing vocational developmentprocesses lies in the assumption that "...There is some de-gree of homogeneity or commonality within each occupationalcriterion group; therefore diagnostic tests should be com-posed of items which predominately characterize one occupa-tional criterion group as compared with other occupationalgroups" (Williamson, 1965: 194), and that an individual's

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measured "traits" or "factors" can be compared with the"traits" or "factors' that characterize an occupation.

Elementary school programs built on a trait-and-factorapproach are highly cognitive and informational in nature.Some time is spent on helping an individual discover his ca-pabilities: What things do I like to do best? What thingsam I good at? Time would also be spent on determining whattypes of jobs are available: What do people in the trans-portation industry do? What time du they have to go to work?How much money do they make? Some trait-and-factor theoristsview occupational images as being very important in the se-lection of a career. Therefore, with a trait-and-factor ap-proach, children begin to ecquire accurate information aboutthe world of work as soon as they are able.

Early, forced decision-making relative to occupationa)choice should be avoided. At the K 6 level, assisted self-discovery and self-understanding should be emphasized andways should be devised to assist the individual with the de-velopment of his potential.

Actual testing of interests and aptitudes begins totake place toward the end of the middle school years. Moresophisticated types of occupational information which relatedirectly to "measured" interests and aptitudes are provided.Selection of programs of studies at the high school levelrely heavily on achievement, interest and aptitude testscores. The same types of data are likewise used in helpingthe student select a job or plan for firther schooling beyondhigh school.

A point made by Cooley (1964) regarding trait-and-factor theory needs to be emphasized. Cooley feels that thetrait-andfactor problem today is not simply the task of re-lating a test score (a predictor) to some final occupationbut the consideration of patterns of attributes and theirrelationship to the sequence of decisions a young person mustmake in establishing himself in the world of work. There-fore, the application of trait-and-factor theory to vocation-al development has been tempered by giving the considerationof individual attributes, as they are related to decision-making, more emphasis than the measurement and comparisonsof individual attributes and occupational group attributes.

2

DECISION MODELS

Recent attempts have been made to theorize about occu-pational choice through the use of decision models. Herr andCramer (1972) indicate that, in one sense, these approachesare economic in origin. They say that the assumption, basedupon Keynesian ecomonic theory, is that one chooses a careeror an occupational goal which will maximize his gain and min-imize his loss. The gain or loss can be anything of value tothe particular individual. A given occupational or careerpathway might be considered as a means of achieving certainpossibilities (e.g., greater prestige, security, social mo-bility, or a spouse) when compared to another course of ac-tion. Herr and Cramer go on to say that implicit in such anapproach is the expectation that the individual can be as-sisted to predict the outcomes of each alternative and thepossibility of such outcomes. He will then choose the onewhich promises the most reward for his investment (e.g.,time, tuition, union dues, delayed gratification) with theleast probability of failure.

Formal decision theory conceives decision-making as aprocess having an essentially rational base, involving theselection of a single alternative at a particular point intime (Costello and Zalkind, 1963). However, Hansen (1964-65)takes the position that decis±ons are frequently more psycho-logical than logical.

An elementary school career education program that usesa decision model approach to vocational development mightconstruct activities that teach the decision-making process,while middle school career education programs which use a de-cision model approach provide opportunities for students toexplore a number of occupational areas. Emphasis is placedon assisting the student to compare requirements, rewards,and duties inherent in several different occupational areaswith his interests, values, motives, and personal capacities.Accurate and comprehensive data about occupational areas isa vital component of decision-making.

At the high school level, career education programsstress the evaluation of current occupational preferences interms of new information the student has acquired about him-self and his occupational preferences. Flexibility should

3

be built into curricular offerings so that students can ac-tually move into courses that bettr suit their needs as moreenlightened decisions are made.

A legitimate question which may be asked is: "How dodecision-making theories differ from trait-and-factor theo-ries?" Decision theory as it relates to vocational develop-ment extends beyond the "matching" of measured traits of anindividual with factors of an occupation. The "probable,"the "possible," and the "desirable" are emphasized more heav-ily in a decision theory approach than in a trait-and-factorapproach. Blau, et al. (1956: 533) point out that "A choicebetween various possible courses of action can be conceptu-alized as motivated by two interrelated sets of factors: theindividual's valuation of different alternatives and hischances of being able to realize each of the alternatives."

SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACHES

Sociological theories of vocational development take in-to account that social factors such as social class member-ship, home influences, the school, the community, pressuregroups, and role perception influence vocational development.During the 1960's, many research efforts were directed towarddeterming the relationship of sociological factors and voca-tional development. LoCascio (1967) studied vocational de-velopment among many different populations. From his re-search, it appears that the vocational development of thoselabeled as disadvantaged is more likely to be delayed or im-paired than that of their favored contemporaries. Similarfindings were made by Schmieding and Jensen (1968) when theystudied American Indian students, and by Asbury (1968) whenhe examined the vocational development of rural disadvantagedboys. Gottlieb (1967) found no support for the propositionthat the lower-class culture has a built-in set of valeswhici discourage social mobility. Rather it appears thatlower-class parents, although wanting their children to suc-ceed, lack the abilities to help them move into more advanta-geous social positions.

An assumption is often made that social class factorslimit only the poor. However, often unrealistic demands are

4

made upon middle and upper socioeconomic class youth. The"you must go to college" syndrome often restricts the careerdevelopment of some middle and upper socioeconomic classyouths.

Elementary school career education programs that incor-porate sociologial theorjs of career development might man-ifest some or the Following characteristics: (1) a programof parent i ,nlvement umd parent education would be present,(2) activit. s would be designed which would encourage stu-dents to examine their .ialues in relation to values of otherpressure groups, (3) group activities which enable the stu-dent to identify his role perception (e.g., leader, follower,enabler, or isolate) would be encouraged, (4) activitieswould take full advantage of the experimental background ofthe student (ethnic background, cultural background, etc.),and (5) opportunities in the community would be examined.

Middle school career education programs that reflectsociological approaches would likely differ from one geo-graphic and socioeconomic setting to another. For example,research has revealed t't Appalachian youth who stay in thegeographic area have ,Ignificantly lower aspiration levelthan do those students who are native to an urban area (Ste-vic and Uhlig, 1967). School activities for youth in theAppalachian area might include activities that present arange of career opportunities. Stevic and Uhlig (1967) foundthat a major problem in raising the occupational aspirationsof Applachian students appears to be lack of information andopportunity rather than lack of ability.

All aspects of aspirations, then, are areas which wouldbe examined at the middle school level. Cultural constraintswhich prohibit students from access to their preferredchoices must be dealt with. If the student does not havethe economic resources, knowledge, techniques, and realisticbeliefs by parents of his capabilities to support his aspi-rations, then he cannot cope effectively with his environ-ment in order to reach his aspirations. Similar aspira-tions may exist across various socioeconomic classes, yetthese aspirations are not within reach for some.

Middle school career education programs must help equipstudents with the coping behaviors necessary to operate inan occupational setting that is best for their capabilities,interests, and aspirations. This may mean that the uppermiddle school level programs should be equipping studentswith employability skills that will help them acquire the

5

economic resources necessary to remain in school in additionto preparing them for a future occupation. It means exten-sive development of communications and human relations skills,and it also means that parents need to be involved in helpingunderstand the capabilities, interests, and talents that t eirchild possesses.

High school programs would continue to assist studentsin overcoming the various socioeconomic barriers that mightinhibit their vocational development. Cooperative educationprograms are particularly valuable for providing experiencesthat promote personal and self-development as well as employ-ability skills. Another benefit for students who participatein cooperative programs is that money received for workingcan be used to overcome economic deficiencies.

PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACHES

Bugg (1969) examines the main points of seven theoriesof career choice and extrapolates from each the kinds ofguidance services that would be provided by elementaryschools in which counselors and teachers adhered to thattheory. It should be noted that Bugg uses the terms careerchoice, vocational choice, career development, and vocationaldevelopment interchangeably. Bugg's work includes excellentanalyses of psychological and developmental approaches tovocational development theory.

When Bugg prepared his analysis, he had the elementarycounselor primarily in mind. In the time since the analysisfirst appeared, vocational development or career develo-N...tactivities have moved more and more into the regular curricu-lar offerings of the elementary school and many of the ex-trapolations today have meaning for elementary teachers aswell as counselors.

The first theory Bugg examined was the vocational theoryof Edward S. Bordin and his associates. According to Bordj--.,et al. (963), if an individual is not prevented from doingso by external economic, cultural, and geographic factors,he will choose as an adult an occupation which gratifiesneeds established in infancy and early childhood. Needs have

6

the*r source in instincts. The particular needs importantto the individual and his patterns of satisfying them are de-termined by very early experiences and are established by agesix. Although these are subject to slight modificationthroughout life, the primary work of the school years is tomake students increasingly aware of precisely which occupationsare most likely to gratify their needs (Shertzer and Stone,1966).

As a theoretical basis for elementary senool career ed-ucation programs, Bordin's theory offers two possible direc-tions. One is to omit occupational or career information inthe elementary school on the grounds that the individual willact in accord with his needs, and find his proper occupation-al slot in a concentrated period of time in high school whenhe is more concerned with how to make a living (Bugg, 1969).

An alternative direction based on Bordin's theory is toissume that one of the school's proper functions is to helpvemove restrictions that would prevent the child from enter-ing an occupation that !ill gratify his needs. The more in-tellectual knowledge the individual has of the world of work,the more likely he is to discover an occupation preciselysuited to his needs and the more likely he is to take advan-tage of educational opportunities necessary to enter the oc-cupation (Lyon, 1966). Bugg reasoned that lack of knowledgeis a major cultural restriction, and if the child is not ex-posed early and consistently to accurate career educationactivities, he is no more likely to make up the deficit inlater life than he would be to make up such a deficit inreading or arithmetic.

Also examined in Bugg's analysis is the vocational de-velopment theory of Robert Hoppock. Hoppock does not regardhis work as a full-blown theory for research but rather asa series of speculations that have been useful to one coun-selor in understanding vocational behavior so that he canhelp young people make wise choices.

Needs are the key to occupational choice in Hoppock'stheory. Every person has needs he may intellectually per-ceive or only vaguely feel, and occupations are selected tomeet these needs. The process of career choice begins assoon as the individual recognizes that one or a small numberof occupations meet his needs or provide activities that aresatisfying. The two most significant factors in the actual

7

career choice are knowledge of self- and knowledge of theworld of work (hoppock, 1963) .

Hoppock's theory implies that school programs shouldprovide activities which help children develop self-under-standing and a broad awareness of the world of work. Thefollowing statement argues strongly for career education inthe elementary grades in view of Hoppock's career choicetheory.

...As [an individual! becomes aware of a varietyof occupations or work situations, he graduallycomes to realize that certain of these provideexperiences which are satisfying to him and thatothers offer displeasing and frustrating exper-iences. As he becomes aware of these differ-ences in terms of his own likes And dislikes,he is attracted to certain jobs and away fromothers. At this point, according Happock,occupational choice actually starts. Since ex-periences have an impact upos the individual al-most from birth onward, he his a broad frameworkof personal characteristics or felt needs longbefore he reaches the point maturationAlly whenhe will be seriously concerned with making a vo-cational selection.

This viewpoint emphasizes the developmentalaspect of career planning. Early attitudes andconcepts of various occupations may exertence later when the individual turns more ser-iously to considering how he will spend his life(Isaacson, 1966: 22).

Middle school and high school programs that reflectHoppock's theory, then, are flexible programs the allow stu-dents to change their program of studies as their needschange. Exploration programs at the middle school levelwhich encourage students to "try out" work in various occu-pational areas will help students better understand theirneeds.

The career development theory of Roe (1956), based onMaslow's need hierarchy, is included in Bugg's analysis ofseven theories of career choice. According to Roe, the needspostulated by Maslow provide the motivation for career

8

choice, and these motivations are largely unconscious.Childhood experiences, especially the treatment that thechild receives from his parents, cause some needs to becomedominant. These dominant needs are translated into inter-ests, and the interests in turn are translated into vocation-al selection. The intensity and organization of one's needs,which determine vocational choice, are set by kindergartenage.

Maslow's (1954) need hierarchy says that lower-orderneeds must L satisfied before higher-order needs appear,and Roe (1956) utilizes this thesis in an intricate theoret-ical model of career choice. Needs which are routinely sat-isfied as they appear do not become unconscious motivators.Needs which are rarely satisfied will df.sappear if they arehigher-order but will become almost totally dominant if theyare lower-order. If the satisfaction of a need is delayedbut eventually accomplished, the need will become an uncon-scious motivator (Hoppock, 1963; Shertzer and Stone, 1966).

In adcition to helping determine which needs will beunconscious motivators in the child's life, parental treat-ment also determines whether one will or will not be orient-ed toward people. This is important to Roe's (1956) schemesince all occupations can be categorized as being eitheroriented to people or things (Shertzer and Stone, 1966).

Roe's theory (1956), as does that of Bordin, et al.(1963), offers two possible directions for elementary schoolcareer education pro6mams. One is to omit career educationat the elementary level. The other is to provide this ser-vice in the hope that it will help children discover occupa-tions that satisfy unconscious motivations. External econom-ic, cultural, and geographic factors play a less importantrole in Roe's theory than in Bordin's, however, so that onemight make a strong argument in this theoretical base fordelaying career education until the secondary years for allbut a small number of children. Roe's two-dimensional clas-sification of occupations according to levels and activitygroups, however, provides an invaluable tool for school per-sonnel who adhere to one of the developmental theories ofcareer choice in planning a program of career education andin working with children in the upper grades (Isaacson,1966).

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DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACHES

Ginzberg, et al. (1951) have proposed a developmentalthecry of vocational choice as a largely irreversible processoccurring over a minimum of six or seven years and probablyat least 10 years. Each career decision made during the pro-cess is based on previous experiences, and each decision in-fluences all future decisions. The activities and experi-ences to which a child is exposed are most important in thistheory, because over the years the child develops a patternof activities that he someday will express as a career.

Ginzberg, et al. (1951) proposes three stages in the de-velopment of a career: fantasy choice, tentative choice, andrealistic choice. These periods correspond roughly to theelementary school years, the junior high and early highschool years, and the late high school years and after, res-pectively (Shertzer and Stone, 1966).

Ginzberg's fantasy period, according to Bugg (1969), fitsour common Sense observation and is an appealing way to ex-plain the behavior of the young child who says that he willbe a cowboy or astronaut or big-league ball player. Eventhough in Ginzberg's theory the fantasy period represents adaydreaming, wishful-thinking approach to career choice(Ginzberg, et al., 1951), this period is very important inthe theory since fantasy choices influence later realisticchoices. Children's occupational aspirations do not takeinto account any personal, cultural, economic, or other lim-itations. As the child grows out of the fantasy period, hebegins to limit his career choices in view of his personalinterests, capacities, and values. In the period of realis-tic choice, he adds economic and other practical considera-tions to his choice. The final career choice is a compro-mise based on factors important to the individual in allthree stages.

An important point, according to Bugg (1969), is thatchildren cannot choose, even in fantasy, jobs that they donot know about. If fantasy choices influence later choices,and if fantasy choices are influenced by knowledge and atti-tudes available to the child, providing occupational infor-mation to the young child might broaden his horizons and

10

experiences in play and otherwise enhance his chances of ad-equate vocational selection.

Ginzberg's theory presents a strong case for early ca-reer education programs. According to this theory, careerchoice begins in early childhood, and these early decisionssubstantially influence one's eventual career choice. Awell-planned and well-executed career education program dur-ing the elementary school years broadens the range of possi-ble choices during all the stages.

Middle school and high school programs that reflectGinzberg's theory stress that career decisions occur through-out a lifetime. These decisions involve risk - taking, and onedecision may precipitate a c',Iain reaction. The logical de-cision-making process as well as psychological factors whichinfluence decision-makirg are a part of such school programs.

One of the most comprehensive theories of career devel-opment is that of Super (1957). The heart of Super's ap-proach is that the process of vocational development is es-sentially that of developing and implementing a self-concept.Super's theory states that every person is suited to do manydifferent jobs. The occupation one chooses depends in parton his socioeconomic background, abilities, and availableopportunities. Through a process of compromise between in-dividual and social factors, the individual selects a carethat will enable him to be the kind of person that he viewshimself to be. A person may change his occupation if he dis-covers after entry that it is not congruent with his self-concept or if his self-concept changes.

Super (1957) has developed a series of life stages thatare intimately involved with the workhistory of the individ-ual and postulate important factors which influence careerchoice from the earliest stages onward. Super's growthstage (birth to age five or six) and his exploratory stage(five or six into middle or late adolescence) are particu-larly important, for these are crucial years for self-conceptformation.

During the exploratory stage, the individual becomesaware that work will be an important part of his life; in thelatter part of this stage he narrows his occupational choiceto those jobs he feels are within his abilities and will pro-vide him with the opportunities that are most important to

11

him. School programs, then, must provide opportunities forthe student to fir. out what his abilities are and the valuethat he places on them. Again, it seems that the opportunityfor "hands on" explorations in a variety of occupational areas,accompanied by a good program of guidance services, will helpthe student more realistically narrow h±s occupational pre-ference areas. Super reinforces this with his belief thatdevelopment through the life stages can be guided, partly byaiding in reality testing and by developing the self-concept.

The elementary school program based on Super's theoryincludes activities that help achieve self-understanding andpersonal development, and a program of accurate, realisticoccupational information. An essential part of the occupa-tional information service will be concerned with attitudestoward work (Isaacson, 1966). Super's research with ninthgrade boys underscores the importance of occupational infor-mation in the elementary school. The boys who were able tomake the most realistic career choices in view of their per-sonal abilities and opportAities were those who had had thegreatest exposure to valid information about the world ofw,rk (Super and Overstreet, 1960).

BUILDING CAREER EDUCATION PROGRAMS:THE INTERACTION OF THEORIES

In building career education programs, vocational devel-opment theory cannot be applied in isolation. The develop-ment of the Multi-Component Career Education Curriculum Modelat Eastern Illinois University serves as an example of howvocational development theories interact with the childgrowth and development, learning, and curriculum developmenttheories to produce career education programs which servethe needs of students and are functional for teachers andcounselors.

In developing the Multi-Component Model, the first stepsincluded the collection of relevant information on careerdevelopment. The literature on career education, careerguidance, and career development was surveyed and analyzed.In addition tc, the literature survey, students, parents,teachers, and workers were interviewed to determine theirperceptions of career education. Out of these data collec-tion activities came the following set of assumptions:

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1) Career education programs must be based on adevelopmental concept.

2) Careers rather than occupations should be thefocus of career education programs. (This doesnot mean that specific occupations cannot beused to teach larger career development con-cepts.)

3) Career education programs must provide assis-tance in the development of decision-makingskills.

4) Self-concept factors influence decision-making.

5) Attitudes and appreciations relative to workinfluence decision-making.

6) Lifestyle and job satisfaction as well aseconomic rewards are I- portant factors whichinfluence career choices.

7) Coping behaviors influence job satisfaction.

8) Career education programs should be articu-lated, planned programs which are providedfor all learners, pre-school through adult-hood.

9) Academic, vocational, and general learningexperiences are all a part of a careereducation program.

10) The community, the school, and the home allhave contributions to make to career educa-tion programs.

The Model, which is being developed consistent with theabove assumptions, relies heavily upon the previously de-scribed vocational development theories as well as onPiaget's learning and child growth and development theories(Athey and Rubedeau, 1970; Phillips, 1969; and Rosskopf,1971); and on Taba's (1967) curriculum development theory.The Model utilizes these theories in four components whichare listed below, described in the following sections, anddiagrammatically represented in Figure 1.

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From an analysis of Child Growth and Development the "CDC/AIC Clustering Component" emerged...

Grade

Levels

K- 2

3-

67----+

CDC

-)

4-------

AIC

o(-- \It

A

) )

(--

--

)C.DC/AIC

Functions

Symbolic

)Formal

Concrete

CDC - Child Dev-loped Clusters

AIC - Adult Imposed Clusters

And from an analysis of Curriculum Development and Learning Thaory the "Contrasting

Sequences in Curriculum Development and Learning Component" emerged...

And from an analysis of Vocational Development Theory the

"Career Development C.incepts Component" emerged.

.

Attitudes and Appreciations Dimension

Coping Behaviors Dimension

Career Information Dimension

Decision-Making Dimension

Educational Awareness Dimension

Lifestyle Dimension

Self Development Dimension

which will eventually be used by

Curriculum

deve opment

Examples

Grade 2

Grade

Concepts

Interdependence

Interdependence

Main ideas

Each worker provides

a service someone

else needs.

Each region of

a state depends

upon other regions

for different things,

Specific contentTeacher, gas station

attendant, merchant,

etc.

Water, food, etc.

Child's learning

administrative personnel

instructional and guidance personnel

work-leisure personnel

for the "Implementation Component"

for career education programs

Figure 1.

The Multi-Component Career Education Curriculum Model

1) Child Developed Clusters and Adult ImposedClusters Component (CDC/AIC Component).

2) Contrasting Sequences in Curriculum Develop-ment and Learning Component.

3) Career Development Concepts Component.

4) Implementation. Component.

Child Developed Clusters and Adult Imposed Clusters Component

Within the past several years, the use of clusteringsystems as a planning vehicle for career education programshas been suggested by several individuals and agencies (Vo-cational Education and Occupations, 1969; U.S. Office of Ed-ucation, 1969; Roe, 1956; Super, 1957; Robinson, et al., 1971;and Taylor, et al., 1972).

The term "cluster" has taken on a variety of mean-ings. It may refer to a simple grouping of seem-ingly like jobs, to broad institutional groupingssuch as transportation or manufacturing, to group-ings based on similar job products, to groupingsbased on analysis of work tasks, and so on. Thetype of cluster developed depends upon the partic-ular purposes and requirements of the agency doingthe clustering. Overall, the field of occupationalclustering is marked by a diversity of criteriaand variables, and a paucity of comprehensiveframeworks (Taylor, et al., 1972: 4).

An examination of existing occupational clustering sys-tems r-wealed that these systems have little meaning for thedevelopment of kindergarten through sixth grade career edu-cation curriculum. The various clustering systems representorganizational plans that have meaning for adults but littlemeaning for children.

Piaget helps to explain the problem of applying existingclustering to child-centered career education programs by ex-plaining that the child's mind is internally consistent; yet,externally it appears to the adult as illogical. Piagettreats this subject when he discusses equilibrium (Athey andRubadeau, 1970; Phillips, 1969; and Rosskopf, 1971). He saysthat, in general, the structures associated with the earlierstages of intellectual development tend to be characterized

15

by less staba., equilibrium, in that the probability of theirmodification i:Irough new experience is relatively high. Asthe structur.ts evolve, they come into increasingly stableequilibrium, until those which have developed by the time theindividual reaches the level of formal thought at around 14years of age will undergo little fundamental modificationthrough the remainder of his lifetime.

This does not necessarily imply that all forms of intel-lectual development reach a plateau at approximately fourteenyears of age. It only reflects Piaget's conclusion that thefundamental structures associated with this particular formof thought tend to be present by then.

The "Child-Developed Clusters and the Adult-ImposedClusters Component" (CDC/AIC) or the Model takes into accountthat the study of occupational areas in the early grades mustbe based upon a set of environmental conditions in which theteacher and curriculum materials together represent an edu-cation strategy capitalizing on the particular prior experi-ence and current cognitive development of children. Theteacher can elicit from the 'Mild those occupational areasthat are within the child's realm of understanding. Theresulting clusters may seem very unsystematic to the adultmind, but to a five, six, or seven year-old child, the clueters have meaning. Would an adult place the milkman, thegarbage man, and the mailman in the same cluster? Childrenwho were interviewed during the da+a collection phase of thedevelopment of the Model clustered the above-named peopletogether because they were all ". . . people who broughtthings to my house."

The CDC/AIC Component also takes into co.-ideration thatthe child is perceptually oriented; he makes judgments interms of how things look to him, and he often focuses on onevariable only. Usually the variable is one that stands outvisually. In summary, during the primary grades, a careereducation curriculum should allow for many success experi-ences with concrete objects that have been selected primari-ly for their relationship to the prior experience of thechild and should also include some experiences which are notwithin his experiential background. The time for a greateramount of imposed materials will come at a later stage ofintellectual development.

16

Too frequently education strategies have moved childrenabruptly from a world of finding out, testing, and manipula-tion to a world of adult-imposed symbolic and verbal manipu-lations which organize knowledge for the child. Thus, theCDC/AIC Component provides for a transition stage at the 3-6grade level when the curriculum provides for experienceswhich are "child-developed" and "adult-imposed." In general,this is also the stage when the transition from concrete-dominated functioning to a state dominated by abstract cog-nitive functioning begins to take place. This transition isnot uniform among the various subject matter content that isencountered by the child. The transition from concrete-dom-inated to abstract-dominated cognitive functioning likelytakes place specifically in each separate subject-matte-1" areaand is dependent upon the child's previous experience with thecontent under study.

It should be noted that, while in Figure 2 the K-2 lev-els have been designated as levels dominated by concretefunctioning, this does not mean that such functioning totallysupepsedes the more mature symbolic and formal functions.Likewise, the designation of grades 3-6 as levels when sym-bolic functions are dominant does not mean that concrete orabstract functions are nonexistent.

Traditionally, there has been more symbolic learninginvolved when adult-conceived structures and content are im-posed upon children. Therefore, the child has to be cogni-tively ready to deal with symbolic learning before adult-imposed systems can have meaning for him. The 3-6 gradechild who has moved from concrete-dominated experiences toa readiness for dealing with more symbolic learning is readyto begin to accept clusters of occupations that have beendeveloped in logicc,1 schema by adults.

The 3-6 grade years, as indicated in Figure 2, are yearsthat are marked by experiences that are discretely concrete,experiences that are discretely abstract or symbolic, andexperiences that involve various combinations of abstractnessand concreteness. It is important to emphasize that theselearning modes are continued throughout a lifetime: an in-dividual may continue to undergo the same transition fromconcrete to abstract cognitive functioning in each new sub-ject matter he encounters--even after he reaches the abl-stract-dominated stage of development on an overall basis.

17

GradeLevels K- 2 3- 6 7--- -4

CDCC.4-AI --

<---- -.>

CDC AIC

Functions Concrete ---)Symbolic >Formal

Figure 2. CDC - Child Developed ClustersAIC - Adult Imposed Clusters

Characteristics of OccupationalAreas Within Clusters

CDC - Random and sporadic. Will vary considerably fromone geographic area to another and wil_ be partial-ly dependent upon socioeconomic context of learner.Also affected by family setting. Content deter-mined internally by classroom S's.

AIC - Prestructured and fixed. Tends to be more uniformfrom one geographic area to another and not so de-pendent upon socioeconomic context of the learner.Less affected by family setting. Allows for goodorganization because content is externally imposedfrom adult logical point of view--not from psycho-logical point of view of the child.

CDC/AIC - Is at times random and sporadic (depending uponsubject matter context) and at times may be pre-structured and fixed. Aids the child in moving to-ward an organizational framework for more intensiveexploration of his life roles.

The CDC/AIC Component, then, allows for the movement ofthese learning modes into the stage of development wherelearning becomes more formal and where adult-imposed clustersof occupations have a more logical placement. This stage of

18

development generally occurs at about the time of entry intoseventh grade and continues at higher levels of sophistica-tion throughout a lifetime.

Contrasting Sequences in Curriculum Development and LearningComponent

It was mentioned earlier that the Model relies heavilyon the curriculum development of Taba. From Taba (1967), theproject staff learned that a good curriculum will be addressedto multiple objectives. The four categories which Taba out-lines are: (1) basic knowledge; (2) thinking; (3) attitudes,feelings, and sensitivities; :?nd (4) skills. Taba subdividesthe category of basic knowledge into three areas: basic con-cepts, main ideas, and specific facts. She says the basicconcepts are high level abstractions and are the threads thatoccur and reoccur in connection with different content. Theyare of sufficient importance and complexity to serve asthreads throughout the entire program. An example of one ofthese threads for career education programs is "The studentwill learn about himself in relation to his culture throughunderstanding and experiencing roles."

After the basic concepts or threads have been determined,the main ideas or subconcepts which represent important gen-eralizations are determined. An example of a career educa-tion main idea or subconcept is: "The student will recognizethe role of each family member."

After the main ideas or subconcepts have been determined,specific facts are used to develop the main ideas. Thesefacts are rarely important on their own account, and sincemany different samplings of facts can be used to develop themain idea, it is possible to use alternate sets of facts withdifferent student groups. While concepts are to be studiedrepetitively and ideas need to be covered, specific factsshould be sampled selectively rather than covered (Taba,19'67). An example of a specific fact is, "In some families,bjth daddies and mommies work outside the home."

Another important lesson can be learned from the curric-ulum development theory of Taba (Taba, et al., 1971): Thedevelopment and the organization of content proceed fromconcepts to main ideas or subconcepts and from there to spe-cific content. However, the learning sequence is in reverse.Students start with specific instances and then develop the

19

main idea (see Figure 3). Concepts are formulated acrossmany main ideas in several contexts (Taba, 1967).

:..irriculumleVO.UpMerj

Lxample

Gta,lo , C,radv 4

41t.:' OPt5 Interdependence 'Interdependence

Main ideas La.c-h worker providesa service someonoel:e needs.

Each region ofa state dependsupon other regionsfor different things.

LP

f,i7e'it'i ,.,:x.tent Teacher, gas ,-,atiorattendant, merchart,etc.

Water, food, etc.

Child's learning

Figure 3. The Multi-Component Career Education CurriculumModel Contrasting Sequences in Curriculum

Development and Learning Component

The above statements by Taba have important implicationsfor career education in the elementary school. For onething, they imply that there is nothing wrong with usingspecific occupations from which to form a base for acquiringmain ideas about career education which eventually lead tocareer education concept formation. Of course, the two pre-cautions that are inherent in the Model are that: (1) theselection of specific occupations should fall primarily with-in the experiential background of the K-2 child with the oc-casional introduction of new occupational areas to which thechild has not been exposed, and (2) specific occupationsshould never be used at the K-6 level for purposes of steer-ing children into specific occupational areas.

20

Career Development Concepts Component

Identification of the concepts to be included in a ca-reer education program is a critical task. Many differenttechniques, methods, and starting points can be used to teacha concept once the concept has been identified. Studyingspecific occupations is one starting point that can be usedto teach larger concepts and broader generalizations. Infact, in the elementary school, some teaching which involvesusing specific occupations to teach larger career developmentconcepts makes sense. Children can relate to specific oc-:u-pations. Their role-playing behaviors reflect this: a four-year-old may fantasize that she is a team of health care wor-kers. More than likely, the role playing and fantasizingwill center around pretending to be a doctor, or a nurse, oran ambulance driver.

Children enjoy role playing occupations. Recent visitorsto a field testing site where some "hands-on" K-6 career ed-ucation materials that were developed around specific occu-pations were being tested made the comment that it looked asif the children were playing rather than working with themanipulatives. The developers of the materials were delight-ed. At this developmental level, play is not distinguishedfrom work as the predominant mode of learning. If a childis fully involved in and has fun with a career education ac-tivity, then career education is contributing to the enjoy-ment of childhood.

Before good career education programs can be built, thecontent of career development has to be analyzed. The Modelincludes the philosophy that career education is the curri-cular program which results when career development conceptsand subject matter concepts can be brought together in somemeaningful fashion. Once major concepts and subconcepts rel-ative to career development have been identified, then stra-tegies for bringing subject matter concepts and career devel-opment concepts together can be outlined. Career developmentconcepts need to be placed within the curriculum on the basisof sound child growth and development data, learning theory,career development theory, and curriculum development theory.If all of the preceding are taken into consideration, theintegration of career development concepts and subject matterconcepts becomes much easier because subject matter conceptsin areas such as mathematics, science, and language arts aresupposedly already articulated and sequenced according to

21

child growth and development theory, learning theory, andcurriculum development theory.

The question, then, is, "What career development con-cepts should be included in a career education program?" Itwas noted earlier in this paper that the literature on careereducation, career guidance, and career development was sur-veyed and students, parents, teachers, and workers wereinterviewed. Part of the literature survey included theexamination of career development concepts that had beenidentified by other career education projects. These pro-jects included:

Anne Arundel County Career Education ProjectAnnapolis, Maryland 21401

Comprehensive Career Education ModelThe Center for Vocational and Technical EducationThe Ohio State UniversityColumbus, Ohio 43210

EPDA Institute: Career Development and theElementary School Curriculum

College of EducationUniversity of MinnesotaMinneapolis, Minnesota 55440

OCCUPAC ProjectThe Center for Educational StudiesEastern Illinois UniversityCharleston, Illinois 61920

The identification of career development concepts is aphase that has been overlooked in -The establishment of somecareer education programs. Where tempts (such as thosecited above) to identify career development concepts havebeen made, it should be remembered that these attempts, forthe most part, are still being validated. Concepts are be-ing revised and moved to different grade levels.

From the literature search, it was ascertained thatcareer development concepts for the Model would be estab-lished around the following dimensions of career education:

1) Attitudes and Appreciations Dimension,

22

2) Coping Behaviors Dimension,

3) Career Information Dimension,

4) Decision-Making Dimension,

5) Educational Awareness Dimension,

6) Lifestyle Dimension, and

7) Self-Development Dimension.

After extensive discussion with educators from through-out the country, it was determined that in order to avoidconfusion with the economics demension of social studiesprograms, economic concepts would be woven into all the di-mensions and that a separate category called "Economic Aware-ness" would be avoided. Four of the dimensions (i.e., CopingBehaviors, Decision-Making, Lifestyle, and Self-Development)have been labeled developmental dimensions, and concepts re-lated to these dimensions can be sequenced in logical pro-gressions for different experience levels. Three of thedimensions (i.e., Attitudes and Appreciations, Career Infor-mation, and Lifestyle) have been designated as dimensions inwhich each dimensional concept and subconcept is appropriatefor all experience levels. Concepts in these three dimensionswn111(1 be presented at increasingly higher levels of sophisti-cation to correspond with increasingly nigher experience lev-els.

An example of how concepts and subconcepts for the Modelare formulated and sequenced is shown in Figure 4. After con-cepts and subconcepts have been identified and sequenced, itis important that the concepts have some relationship to otherparts of the curriculum. The developers of the Model believethat, in the elementary school in particular, career develop-ment concepts can be infused with concepts taught in othersubject matter areas. In Figure 5, the Decision-Making sub-concept for the second experience level has been placed besidesome of the subject matter concepts that are frequently taughtat the second experience level.

23

Major Concept: 1. Life involves a series of choices leadingto career commitments.

Subconcepts:

A. Choice means "fflaking up one's mind" and thereare certain situations where one can make choices.

B. Things change and these changes influence thechoices and decisions one makes.

C. An individual's decisions affect himself andothers.

D. People change and these changes influence thechoices and decisions one makes.

E. Decision-making involves risks.

F. Decision-making can precipitate chain reactions.

G. Previous decisions, peers, gratifications,needs, interests, and career informationinfluence present and future decisions.

Major Concept: 2. Basic components of the decision-makingprocess can be applied to the establishingof personal goals and the making of career-related decisions.

Subconcepts:

A. An individual should recognize what "a goal" isand learn how to set his own goals.

B. Problems which conflict with one's goals can beidentified and assessed.

C. An individual should consider alternative waysto reach a given goal.

D. Decision-making plays a role in the setting ofimmediate and long-range goals.

E. The decision-making process can be used to setpriorities in developing personal goals.

F. Setting goals can be enhanced by analyzingdecision-making processes.

G. The decision-making process can be used todetermine one's preferences, at that pointin time, between various job families.

Figure 4. The Multi-Component Career Education CurriculumModel Career Development Concepts ComponentSample Dimension--Decision-Making

24

ireer Development SubconceptsSelected SubjectMatter Concepts

The student will develop anawareness that his decisionsaffect him and others.(Figure 4., Major Concept 1,Subconcept C)

Social StudiesContacts with other neigh-

borhoods are needed.Neighborhoods have charac-

ter.

ScienceEarth is one of many plan-

ets.Sun is one of many stars.Living things need food

and water to grow.Plant parts have different

functions.Movements of molecules de-

termines whether thingsare gas, liquid, orsolid.

LanEuage ArtsVollows printed directions.Makes judgments of stories,

characters.Reads for information, oth-

er purposes.Spelling words grouped by

ideas, or by structures.Transition to cursive writ-

ing.

MathematicsSums and minuends through

18.Zero concept.Products and dividends

through 18.Concept of one-half.Calendar: months, weeks,

days.Time: to nearest half-hour.

Figure 5. Career Development Subconceptsand Subject Matter Concepts

25

The subject matter concepts listed in Figure 5 are notan exhaustive list of concepts. However, from among the con-cepts that are listed, it is possible to begin to see somerelationships between the career development concepts and thesubject matter concepts. For example, classroom activitiescan be devised which tie together the career development con-cept that "The student will develop an awareness that his de-cisions affect him and others" with the social studies con-cept that "Contacts with other neighborhoods are needed" orthe several different science concepts which suggest thatthings or people are dependent upon and interact with otherthings or people.

It is not necessary that every career development con-cept shoilld be tied in some way to each subject matter area.In some ses, a career development concept can be presentedmost effectively with one subject matter area only. In othercases, a career development concept has a logical relation-ship to several subject matter areas. It is probable thatsome career development concepts can best be presented inisolation.

Implementation Component

The final step in the Model is the actual implementationin the classroom setting. The Model's basic intent is notto change all the techniques and strategies used to teachmathematics, science, and other basic skills. Rather, it isthe intent that career development concepts can serve as thebasis around which actitities are built that require the ap-plication of basic skills. Hopefully, these applied activ-ities will eventually improve the teaching of basic skills.

Some efforts are already underway to devise classroomactivities that are built around the basic components of theModel. Materials are being developed by the Enrichment ofTeacher and Counselor Competencies in Career Education Pro-ject staff at Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, Illi-nois, and K-6 materials are being developed for the Curricu-lum Development Basic to the Training of Individuals forEmployment in Agri-Business, Natural Resources, and Environ-mental Projection Projects, by the Ohio Career Education andCurriculum Management Laboratory in Agriculture Education.The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, will incorporatethe Model components.

26

Activities in the implementation stage require inputfrom three major personnel elements: (1) school personnelassociated with the administrative function, (2) school per-sonnel associated with the instruction-guidance function, and(3) personnel associated with the work-leisure community. Itis in tn.: implementation stage that other components of theModel are brought together. Curriculum guides and materialsare devised, guidance and instructional strategies are car-ried out, administrative support is provided, and out-of-school experLences and placement functions are implemented.

Throughout the development of the Model, it was intendedthat instruction be developed in conjunction with guidance.It was also intended that vocational, academic and generallearning experiences should be integrated and based on a de-velopmental concept. The Model presents an integrated devel-opmental curriculum, one built around the characteristics oflearners at different levels, which will help learners fuseconcepts relative to Attitudes and Appreciation, Coping Be-haviors, Career Information, Decision-Making, EducationalAwareness, Lifestyle, and Self-Development into meaningfuland satisfying careers.

SUMMARY

In conclusion, the development and implementation of ca-reer education programs cannot be accomplished by the appli-cation of vocational development theories alone. Rather,such programs can be created by the interaction of vocationaldevelopment, learning, child growth and development, and cur-riculum development theories.

The Multi-Component Career Education Curriculum Modelpresented serves as an example of the interaction of varioustheories to produce meaningful and functional career educa-tion programs. In attempting to build career education pro-grams, we must be thoroughly cognizant of how children learnand aware that: (1) career development takes place over anumber of years, (2) occupational choice is not a "pointin time event," and (3) an individual chooses occupationswhich will allow him to function in a role consistent withhis self-concept. In addition, we must be aware of the tactthat a person is an economic, social, family, moral, and

27

leisure being. All-out attempts should be focused on devel-oping career education materials which will take these factsinto account and help students learn how to become the indi-vidual they want to be and are capable of becoming.

28

BIBLIOGRAPHY 1

Asbury, Frank A. "Vocational Development of Rural Disadvan-taged Eighth-Grade Boys." Vocational Guidance Quarter-ly. Vol. 17, No. 2 (December, 1968), 109-113.

Athey, Irene J., and Rubadeau, Duane O. Educational Impli-cations of Piaget's Theory. Waltham, MA: Ginn-Blais-dell. 1970.

Blau, P. M., et al. "Occupational Choice: A ConceptualFramework." Industrial Labor Relations. Revised 1956.

Bordin, F. et al. An Articulated Framework for Voca-tional Development." Journal of Counseling Psychology.Vol. 10, No. 2 (Summer, 1963), 107-117,

Bugg, C. A. "Implications of Some Major Theories of CareerChoice for Elementary School Guidance Programs." Ele-mentary School Guidance and Counseling. Vol. 3, No. 3

(1959), 164-173.

Cooley, W. W. "Research Frontier: Current Research on theCareer Development of Scien'_:sts." Journal of Counsel-ing Psychology. Vol. 11, No. 1 (1964), 88-93.

Costello, Timothy W., and Zalkind, Sheldon S. Psychology inAdministration: A Research Orientation. EnglewoodCliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. 1963.

Ginzberg, Eli, et al. Occupational Choice. New York: Co-lumbia University Press. 1951.

1Bibliographic entries followed by an ED number are gen-erally available in hard copy or microfiche through the Edu-cational Resources Information Center (ERIC). This avail-ability is indicated by the abbreviations MF for microficheand HC for hard copy. Order from Eric Documen÷ ReproductionService (EDRS), P.O. Drawer 0, Bethesda, Maryland 20014.Payment must accompany orders totaling less than $10.00.

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Gottlieb, David. "Poor Youth Do Want to Be Middle Class ButIt's Not Easy." Personnel and Guidance Journal. Vol.46, No. 2 (October, 1967), 116-122.

Hansen, Lorraine S. "The Art of Planmanship." ChronicleGuidance Professional Services. Moravia, NY: ChronicleGuidance Publications. 1964-65.

Herr, Edwin L., and Cramer, Stanley H. Vocational Guidanceand Career Development in the Schools: Toward a Sys-tems Approach. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.1972.

Hoppock, Robert. Occupational Information: Where to Get Itand How to Use It in Counseling and in Teaching. Sec-ond Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill. 1963.

Isaacson, Lee E. Career Information in Counseling and Teach-ing. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. 1966.

LoCascio, Ralph. "Continuity ard Discontinuity in VocationalDevelopment Theory." Personnel and Guidance Journal.Vol. 46, No. 1 (September, 1067), 32-36.

Lyon, R. "Vocational Development and the Elementary School."Elementary School Journal. 66 (1966), 368-376.

Maslow, A. H. Motivation and Personality. New York: Harperand Row. 1954.

Phillips, John L., Jr. The Origins of Intellect: Piaget'sTheory. San Francisco: W. H. Freeman and Company.1969.

Robinson, John P., et al. Measures of Occupational Attitudesand Occupational Characteristics. Appendix A to Mea-sures of Political Attitudes. P-- Arbor: Institute forSocial Research, The University of Michigan. January,1971. 476 pp. ED 059 922, Document not availablefrom EDRS.

Roe, Anne. The Psychology of Occupations. New York: JohnWiley and Sons, Irc. 1956.

Rosskopf, Myron F., et al. Piagetian Cognitive - DevelopmentResearch and Mathematical Education. Washington, DC:National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. 1971.

30

Schmieding, 0. A., and Jensen, Shirley F. "American IndianStudents: Vocational Development and Vocational Tena-city." Vocational Guidance Quarterly. Vol. 17, No. 2

(December, :168), 120-123.

Shertzer, B. E., and Stone, S. C. Fundamentals of Guidance.Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1966.

Sigel, Irving E., and Hooper, Frank H., eds. Logical Think-ing in Children: Research Based on Piaget's Theory.New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, Inc. 1968.

Stevic, Richard, and Uhlig, Geol,ge. "Occupational Aspirationsof Selected Appalachian Youth." Personnel and GuidanceJournal. Vol. 45, No. 5 (January, 1967), 435-439.

Super, Donald E. The Psychology of Careers: An Introductionto Vocational Development. First Edition. New York:Harper and Row. 1957.

, and Overstreet, Phoebe L. The Vocational Matu-rity of Ninth-Grade Boys. New York: Bureau of Publi-cations, Teachers College, Columbia University. 1960.

Taba, Hilda. Teacher's Handbook for Elementary SocialStudies. Palo Alto: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.1967.

, et al. A Teacher's Handbook to Elementary So-cial Studies: An Inductive Approach. Reading, MA:Addison-Wesley Publishing Company. 1971.

Taylor, John E., et al. An Occupational Clustering Systemand Curriculum Implications for the Comprehensive CareerEducation Model. HumRRO-TR-72-1. Alexandria, VA: HumanResources Research Organization. January, 1972. 80 pp.ED 061 427 MF $0.65 HO $3.29.

Vocational Education and Occupations. Washington, DC: Branchof Occupational Analysis, Manpower Administration, U.S.Department of Labor; and Division of Vocational and Tech-nical Education, U.S. Office of Education, Department ofHealth, Education and Welfare. 1969. 296 pp.ED 033 243 MF $0.65 HC not available from EDRS. Avail-able from the Government Printing Office, catalog numberFS 5.280:80061, $2.25.

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Williamson, E. H. "Vocational Counseling: Trait-FactorTheory." Theories of Counseling. Edited by BufordStefflre. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company. 1965.

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The mission of the ERIC CLEARINGHOUSE ON VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION'is to .

acquire, process, and disseminate research and related information and instructionalmaterials on vocational and technical education and related fields. It is linked tothe Educational Resouroes Information Center (ERIC), the national information system

for education.

PRODUCTS

:The information in the ERIC system is made a-vailable to users through several informationaccess products. Documents and journal'artic-Yles are aoquired, selected, abstracted, index-ed, and prepared for announcement in these pub-lications. The dooument's abstract can be readin the same ERIC publication in which it is in-dexed. The full text of announced documents is'available from the original, source or from theERIC Document Reproduction Service (EDRS) inmicrofiche and hard copy form.

a ABSTRACTS OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IN VO-CATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION (AIM), aquarterly publication, provides indexes toand abstracts of a variety of instructionalmaterials intended primarily for teacher orstudent use.

* ABSTRACTS OF RESEARCH MATERIALS IN VOCATION-AL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION (ARM) is publish-ed quarterly and provides indexes to and ab-stracts of research and related materials.

* COMPUTER TAPES of AIM and ARM contain resumesof over 6,000 documents on vocational andtechnical education that have not appearedin RIE.

a RESEARCH IN EDUCATION (RIE) and CURRENT TNDEXTO JOURNALS IN EDUCATION (CIJE) are monthlypublications. Many of the documents announcedin AIM and ARM are also listed in RIE, theCentral ERIC publication. Journal articlesreviewed by the Clearinghouse are announcedin CIJE, the CCM Corporation publication.

CAREER EDUCATION

A new project, the Supportive Information forthe Comprehensive Career Education Model (SI/

::CCEM), is using the ERIC document base to pro -'.vide information for the development of the Com-pOehonsive Career Education. Model (CCEM). Inaddition to using ERIC, the project staff ishelping to. acquire additional materials for CCEM.Hefty of these are being announced in AIM, ARM,and

INFORMATION ANALn1S

The Clearinghouse engages in extensive informa-tion analysis activities designed to review,analyse, synthesize, and Interpret the litera-ture on topics of critical importanoe to voca-tional and technical education. Review andsynthesis papers have been prepared on many pro-blems or processes of interest to the entirefield. Current emphasis is upon interpretationof major concepts.in the literature for specificaudiences. Recent Career education publicationshave been developed that clarify and synthesisefor program developers and decision-makers thetheoretical, philosophical, and historical basesfor career education.

USER SERVICES

In order to provide information on ways of uti-lizing effectively the ERIC document base, theClearinghouse provides the following user ser-vices:

1. information on the location of ERICmicrofiche collections;

2. Information on how to order ERIC accessproducts (AIM, ARM, RIE, and CIJE);

3. Bibliographies on timely vocational-technical and related topics such as(1) career education, (2) vocationaleducation leadership development,(3) vocational education for disadvan-tepid groups, (4) correctional insti-tuttons, (5) cooperative vocationaleducation, (8) information system forvocational decisions; and (7) manage-ment systems in vocational education;

4. Brochures describing ERIC operationsand products;

5. Directins users to sources of informa-tion required for solving specific prowbless; and

8. Referral of requests to agencies thatcan provide special services.

YOUR INPUTS

Your comments, suggestions, and questions arealways welcomed at the Clearinghouse. In addi-tion, any documents yOU feslare beneficialH.toeducators' s:ay be sent to the Clearinghouse forpossible,selettion and inclusion into AIM,or IE. '

ERIC Clearinghouse on Vocational:and Technical Education1880 Kenny Road

Columbus, Ohio 43210

VT 020 388

DESCRIPTORS - *Vocational Development; *Career Education;

cision Making; Concept Formation; Child Development; Indi-*Educaponal Theories; *Models; *Curriculum Development; De-

vidual Needs; Socioeconomic Influences; Occupational Aspira-tion.

IDENTIFIERS - Multi/Component Career Education CurriculumModel.

ABSTRACT - Vocational development theories categorized astrait-and-factor approaches, decision-model approaches, sociological approaches, psychological approaches, and develop-mental approaches are presented to show how they might beapplied in elementary, middle, and high school career edU041-tion programs. The paper describes The Multi-Componont OrtOrEducation Curriculum Model, developed at Eastern IllinoitiOnis,varsity, as an example of the current use of vooational:40velopment theory, learning theory, child growth and develment theory, and curriculum development theory, in formUletcurricular materials and procedures for career educationgrams. It is emphasized, that in building such programs'interaction of the various theories is needed, not justapplication of vocational development theories elOne. afterdevelopment takes place over a number of years, occupationalcho.t.ce is not "a point in time event," and on individ411chk-oses occupations which will allow him to function *arole consistent with his self-concept. In develdping-cireereducation materials the occupational, economic, social, tam-ily, moral, and leisure being must be ccnsidered in, order tohelp students learn how to become the persons they want tobe and are capable of becoming. (MF)