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Scholarly Research Journal for Humanity Science & English Language , Online ISSN 2348-3083, SJ IMPACT FACTOR 2016 = 4.44, www.srjis.com UGC Approved Sr. No.48612, OCT-NOV 2017, VOL- 4/24 https://doi.org/10.21922/srjhsel.v4i24.10318

CAREER MATURITY AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS Suman Kumari Katoch, Ph. D. Assistant Professor, Department of Education, MLSM PG College, Sundernagar, District Mandi, H.P.

Career Maturity has its origin in the Super’s developmental theory of career behavior, which envisages that selection of an occupation is a process spanning a considerable number of years usually from late childhood to early adulthood. Career Maturity describes one’s ability to successfully cope with vocational development tasks (e.g. crystallizing, specifying, and implementing career choice) that are encountered across the developmental continuum from exploration stage through withdrawal. The present study aimed at investigating career maturity among secondary school students. All the senior secondary school students of district Mandi constituted the population of the study. In all a sample of 108 senior secondary schools students were selected randomly from the selected schools. In the present study analysis and interpretation of the data statistical techniques mean, standard deviation and t-test were used. The findings of the study revealed that gender-wise, locality-wise, type of school in which student are studying do not differed significantly in their career maturity. Keywords: Adulthood, emotional, developmental tasks and personal values. Scholarly Research Journal's is licensed Based on a work at www.srjis.com

Introduction Adolescence is a time of life when the child is on the threshold of adulthood. It is a period of intense and rapid development and is characterized by numerous developmental tasks including gaining new and more mature relationship with others, achieving emotional independence from parents and the cognitive and psychological resources to face the challenges of adult life (Hazen, Schlozman & Beresin, 2008). Thus this is the time when the responsibilities of mature adult are slowly becoming manifest in the child’s mind. The adolescent mind is filled with dreams of future, and perhaps even some fantasy. Adolescents acquire the increasing ability to think abstractly and hypothetically. One of most crucial decisions a young adolescent must make is the selection of an occupation. Frequently, it is viewed by family and community as a mere start to workplace readiness; however, this decision plays a major role in the establishing youth in a career path that open as well as closes opportunities. In many societies, however, adolescence is narrowly equated with puberty and the cycle of physical changes culminating in reproductive maturity. In other societies adolescence is understood in broader terms that encompass psychological, social, Copyright © 2017, Scholarly Research Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies

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and moral terrain as well as the strictly physical aspects of maturation. In these societies the term adolescence typically refers to the period between ages 12 and 20 and is roughly equivalent to the word teens.During adolescence, issues of emotional (if not physical) separation from parents arise. While this sense of separation is a necessary step in the establishment of personal values, the transition to self-sufficiency forces an array of adjustments upon many adolescents. Furthermore, teenagers seldom have clear roles of their own in society but instead occupy an ambiguous period between childhood and adulthood. These issues most often define adolescence in Western cultures, and the response to them partly determines the nature of an individual’s adult years. Also during adolescence, the individual experiences an upsurge of sexual feelings following the latent sexuality of childhood. It is during adolescence that the individual learns to control and direct sexual urges.Some specialists find that the difficulties of adolescence have been exaggerated and that for many adolescents the process of maturation is largely peaceful and untroubled. Other specialists consider adolescence to be an intense and often stressful developmental period characterized by specific types of behaviour. Adolescence is a period of life with specific health and developmental needs and rights. It is also a time to develop knowledge and skills, learn to manage emotions and relationships, and acquire attributes and abilities that will be important for enjoying the adolescent years and assuming adult roles. All societies recognize that there is a difference between being a child and becoming an adult. How this transition from childhood to adulthood is defined and recognized differs between cultures and over time. In the past it has often been relatively rapid, and in some societies it still is. In many countries, however, this is changing. Age is a convenient way to define adolescence. But it is only one characteristic that delineates this period of development. Age is often more appropriate for assessing and comparing biological changes (e.g. puberty), which are fairly universal, than the social transitions, which vary more with the socio-cultural environment. Career Maturity: The concept of Career Maturity has its origin in the Super’s developmental theory of career behavior, which envisages that selection of an occupation is a process spanning a considerable number of years usually from late childhood to early adulthood. According to Super (1951) career maturity is the maturity with respect to some occupation which a person shows relative to their development stage that is, comparing the individual’s stage of maturity with his or her chronological age. Super (1951) describes five stages

development

including

growth

(childhood),

exploration

(adolescence),

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establishment (young adulthood), maintenance, and withdrawal. Super postulated that, typically, certain vocational tasks are accomplished during each of these distinct stages according to identifiable and predictable sequences. Career Maturity describes one’s ability to successfully cope with vocational development tasks (e.g. crystallizing, specifying, and implementing career choice) that are encountered across the developmental continuum from exploration stage through withdrawal. As a construct, it represents a repertoire of coping behaviors and one’s readiness to employ these behaviors toward career related events by some writers, career maturity does not increase monotonically having a direct correspondence to age, and it is not a unitary trait (Super, 1951).Super (1951) viewed that career maturity represents the place reached on the continuum of vocational development from exploration to decline, and involves both discipline and information aspects. The discipline aspects represents readiness to face whatever challenges that one may encounter in any career choice whereas the information aspect involves being exposed to new ideas related to one’s career choice. On the whole, career maturity dimensions include career attitude, self-appraisal, occupational information, goal selection, planning and problem solving. The concept of career maturity, thus, consists of readiness, attitude and competency to cope effectively with the career development tasks. The assumption can be made that a career mature person is more capable of making an appropriate and realistic career choice and take an appropriate decision. Career mature individuals have the ability to identify specific occupational preferences and to implement activities in order to achieve their goals. Career maturity is, thus the degree which one has reaches in cognitive, emotional and other psychological factors whereby one acquires the capacity of making realistic and mature career choices. Career maturity is conceptualized as an individual’s readiness to make well informed, ageappropriate career decision, and to shape one’s career carefully in the face if existing societal opportunities and constraints (Salami, 2008). Studies have shown that career maturity, realistically dealing with occupational choices, correlates positively with academic performance in most student populations, including college groups (West, 1986). Some distinct subgroups, however, are exceptions (Burkhead & Cope, 1984), and minority ethnic groups have been found to score consistently lower on career maturity than comparison Caucasian groups (Pelham &Fertz, 1982). Researchers working with Indian students often conclude that more study is needed to understand and address the problems in both educational and career processes of this group (Gade, Fuqua, & Hurlburt, 1984; Lee, 1984). Copyright © 2017, Scholarly Research Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies

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Review of Related Literature Review of related literature not only provides conceptual frame of references for the contemplated research but also suggests methods, procedures, sources o data statistical techniques appropriate to the solutions of the problem selected for present study. The studies available in the present research are reported below. Arbona (1990) studied the correlation of career maturity and mental health of secondary school students. The study found that career aspiration between inner city adolescents and suburban adolescents did not differ; inner city adolescents and youth from culturally diverse backgrounds tend to hold lower perceived outcome expectation regarding career aspirations than suburban and white youth. Herr and Cramer (1992) studied the career guidance and counseling through the life span. The study found that there was interface between career development and education. The study observed that three points were common for career development. First, career development was integral part of individual development experiences as well as a process that encompasses the whole life span. Second, career planning and life planning were interrelated processes. Third, educational experiences at the primary and secondary level play an important role in facilitating the career development of students, as well as equipping them to become effective persons as they enter the adult world. Fisher & Griggs (1994) studied the factors that influence the career development of youth. They found that family functioning had a greater influence on career development than either family structure or parentâ€™s educational and occupational status. Lee (1997) studied the career maturity and intrinsicextrinsic work value of college students. The study found that there was a significant positive correlation for intrinsic values and negative correlation for extrinsic values to career maturity. The study observed that there was a significant influence of work values on career development. The study also found that intrinsic goals generally promote higher achievement in different domains as compared to extrinsic goals. Lundberg et al. (1997) studied the impact of a career intervention at risk middle school students on career maturity levels, academic achievement and self-esteem. The study found that Anglo ninth graders had higher career maturity score that Mexican American student. The study observed that there was a significant difference between two groups on the Myers Briggs Type indicator. The study also revealed that personality had a significant influence on career maturity. Hairston (2000) found that adolescents who took up vocation in teaching revealed that their parents roles as community contributors influenced their desires to give to others through the general career Copyright ÂŠ 2017, Scholarly Research Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies

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of teaching as well as through the specific teaching concentration of vocational education. Consistent references to parent’s community contributions through, church, social and civic organizations highlighted the impact of these contributions. Like their parents, respondents were eager to make notable contributions to the community by becoming vocational teachers. A student acknowledged the altruistic nature of parents; they appeared the tap onto their personal desires of benevolence. The study found that respondents acknowledge their parents roles as helpers then cited their personal desires to help children through learning. Hardin (2001) examined the cultural relativity of career maturity with both Asian American and Causcasian American Students. Results indicated that as a whole, Asian Americans demonstrated less career maturity than Causcasian American students. However acculturation was found for highly acculturated Asian student’s career maturity scores did not differ from Caucasian students score. Patton (2001) conducted a study on vocational maturity of adolescents in Quebec. The study found that minority of students in Quebec had higher ethnic identity a vocational maturity. The study observed that increase ethnic identity lead to greater awareness o potential barriers and had lower career maturity. The study also revealed that age, race, ethnicity had significant influence on career maturity. Hargrove, Creagh and Burgess (2002) found that family interaction parents played a small but significant role in the development of stable career goals and career decision making self-efficacy. Rachel (2002) studied the influence of adjustment problems on careen aspirations of the adolescents. The study found that father’s employment status and home atmosphere were the primary factors which influenced adolescent’s career development. During adolescence aspirations were especially important because they allow teenagers to evaluate the degree to which various choices help or hinder their chances of attaining desired goals. Cooter et al. (2004) investigated the relationship between the student’s family income and career choice. The study formed that financial support facilitated the career choice. The study observed that there was a significant difference between in career maturity of students from high and low socio economic groups. The study also observed that parental income and student debt had a significant influence on career choice. Students from low income families were more likely to experience high level of educational debt. Keller (2004) found that middle students and their parents had significantly different views about family relationships and parent behaviors. The study revealed that students whose views about family relationships were very dissimilar from their parent’s views had low levels of career decision-making self-efficacy. Dhillon & Copyright © 2017, Scholarly Research Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies

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Kaur (2005) studied the career maturity among the students of public and government schools. The results of the study indicated that the students of public schools possess a higher career maturity attitude, career maturity competence, as well as self-concept and achievement motivation. Significant relationships have also been obtained between career maturity attitude and career maturity competence, internal locus of control and achievement motivation in case of boys in public schools and between career maturity attitude, achievement motivation and self-concept in case of boys in government school and between career maturity competence and achievement motivation in case of girls in government school. Hasan (2006) had investigated whether self-concept, occupational aspiration and gender were capable of generating variance in career maturity of Indian adolescents studying in class X. It was found that all the three variables i.e. self-concept, occupational aspiration level and the gender had a significant positive correlation with the adolescents’ level of career maturity. Porfeli (2007) conducted a study of career development practice during adolescence. The study found that there was significant relationship between career developments of adolescents. The study revealed that there was a significant influence of career decision- making process in adolescence on young adolescent’s career development. The study also observed that vocational guidance had significant influence on career development, choice and satisfaction.Kaur and Amritsa (2008) had investigated the dimensions of career maturity among adolescents in high, medium and low school climates and found that self-appraisal, occupational information and problem solving were significantly different aspects of career maturity where those adolescents demonstrated differential abilities. Salami (2008) investigated the relationship between identity status and career maturity of secondary school adolescents. The study found that the identity status significantly predicted career maturity of the adolescents but gender did not. No significant differences were found between the males and females in their career maturity and identity status. Elias and Yee (2009) conducted a relationship between perceived paternal and maternal parenting styles and students’ academic achievement in selected secondary schools. The study found that good parenting had a strong relationship with study habit. The majority of the students perceived both paternal and maternal parenting style as authoritative. They felt that when their parents both mother and father provide and firm direction when their parents were rational in setting up rules for then they can respect and follow them clearly. Gupta (2001) studied the career maturity of senior secondary school students in relation to their gender and socio economic status. The study Copyright © 2017, Scholarly Research Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies

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found that there was a significant difference between career maturity of male and female senior secondary school students. The difference was in favour of female students. The female students were better in deciding about the career than the male students. The study observed that there was a significant between career maturities of senior secondary school students in relation to their socio economic status. The high socio economic status students were more mature in career choices than low socio economic status. Mahmood (2012) studied the emotional intelligence, self-efficacy and career maturity among the senior secondary school students. The study found that there was a positive correlation between career maturity, attitude and self-efficacy among the senior secondary school students. The study observed that career maturity attitude had a significant positive correlation with career maturity competence, emotional intelligence and self-efficacy had better career maturity competence. Rafiq (2013) conducted a study of effect off patterns on study habits of adolescents. The study found that parental expectations had a great impact on student’ soutcomes. The more parents were involved in the process of imparting education to their children the more the children may excel in their academic career.Jakhar (2014) studied the relationship of career maturity with the school environment of adolescents. The study found that there was a positive correlation between the career maturity and school environment of adolescents. The study revealed that school environment had a significant influence on career maturity. The study also observed that in healthy school environment the students become more mature and could choose their career wisely. Rani (2014) investigated the relationship among intelligence, career preference and academic achievement among senior secondary school students. The study found that there was a significant positive correlation between career preference and academic achievement. The study observed that there was a significant relationship between levels of intelligence with career preference. Sundari (2014) studied the role of literate working women in molding their children’s character and educational career. The study found that mean score of mothers who were educated up to P.G level was highest than the mean score of mothers who were educated up to graduation level. The study observed that the mothers who were educated up to P.G level give the highest care and attention towards their children’s educational career than those who were educated up to graduation level. Wadhwa (2014) studied the influence of values and academic achievement on vocational preferences of Arts students. The study found that Arts students had more preference to the executive job. The study also observed that academic achievement did not Copyright © 2017, Scholarly Research Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies

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influence the vocational preferences of the students. The study revealed that the values Arts student had significant influence vocational preferences. Yadav (2015) studied the career choices of 11th graders in relation to their needs. The study found that the jobs related to the field of executive work were preferred by most of the students in the total sample. Urban students had given their preferences for the job related to the field of executive work. The study observed that science student preferred the job relate to physical science whereas rural students preferred the job related to physical an biological science, Arts students were interested in the field of executive work. The commerce students had their preferences for the fields of computational and linguistic work. Need and Justification of the Study Choosing a career is an extremely important incision that impacts an individualâ€™s entire future. Career development, for the most people, is a lifelong process of engaging the work world through choosing among employment opportunities made available to them. Just as physical an intellectual development can be stunted if appropriate interventions are not applied, so can the normal developmental process of vocational development be stunted of appropriate interventions are not available in a planned, systematic way. A major turning point in adolescents live involves the career choice that they make while in secondary school. A large number of career options are available these days to the students, making it a difficult task for the youngster to make a mature choice. Moreover, their career an vocational choices are certainly influenced by many social and environmental, sex, age, rural and urban background, psychological factors which may include intelligence, personality, achievement, motivation, interest, aptitude, self-concept, academic achievement etc. Thus, career selection is not an exclusively intellectual process in which various possibilities are sorted out in a logical manner. Insteaddecisions are based on the interaction of career maturity with various social or psychological factors. The complex interaction of these factors affects individualâ€™s readiness to succeed in mastering the tasks appropriate to various stages of career development. It has been found to be influenced differentially in different culture, race and gender groups by certain psychological, educational and demographic factors. The present study was, therefore, undertaken to examine the career maturity of senior secondary school students.

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Objective of the Study The following objectives were framed in this study. 1. To study the difference in career maturity of government and private senior secondary school students. 2. To study the difference in career maturity of male and female senior secondary school students. 3. To study the difference in career maturity of senior secondary school students of rural and urban groups. Hypotheses of the Study The following hypotheses were tested in this study. 1. There exist no significant difference in career maturity of government and private senior secondary school students. 2. There exists no significant difference in career maturity of male and female senior secondary school students. 3. There exists no significant difference in career maturity of senior secondary school students of rural and urban groups. Method and Procedure Research is not a disorganized task but it requires proceeding in a definite direction with definite intention. The objective of the present study was to examine the career maturity among secondary school students. The present study aimed at investigating career maturity among secondary school students the investigator used the descriptive research. All the senior secondary school students of district Mandi constituted the population of the study. A sample is a small proportion of a population selected for observation and analysis. It is a collection consisting of a part or subset of the objects or individuals of population which is selected for the express purpose or representing the population. A good sample must be nearly representative of the entire population as possible and ideally it must provide the whole of the information about the population from which it has been drawn. The target population in this study comprised the students 12th standards of district Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. To draw representative sample from the target population a list of senior secondary schools of Mandi District was prepared. Thereafter nine senior secondary schools from District Mandi were selected randomly. 12 students including 6 males and 6 females were selected from each of the selected school. In all a sample of 108 senior secondary schools students were selected Copyright ÂŠ 2017, Scholarly Research Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies

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randomly from the selected schools. For the present study, the investigator used Career Maturity Scale developed by Thakur Manu (2015).Scoring is based on 5 point scale. A positive item weighed score of 5 for strongly Agree (SA), 4 for Agree (A), 3 for Undecided (U), 2 for Disagree (D) and 1 for Strongly Disagree (SD) and a negative item weighed score of 1 for strongly Agree (SA), 2 for Agree (A), 3 for Undecided (U), 4 for Disagree (D) and 5 for Strongly Disagree (SD).With a view to collect data for the present researcher visited the twelve senior secondary schools in district Mandi. In the present study analysis and interpretation of the data following statistical techniques mean, standard deviation and t-test were used. Analysis and Interpretation of Data Analysis of the data is the most important step in research from which the results can be streamed out. After the data has been collected, it must be processed and analyzed to draw proper inferences. To serve this purpose of the hypothesis-wise analysis and interpretation is given in the following sections of the chapter. Hypothesis Testing –I, “There exists no significant difference in career maturity of government and private senior secondary school students” Table 1: Significance of difference between mean Career Maturity Scores of government and private senior secondary school students Type of School Government Private

N 54 54

Mean 63.32 64.82

S.D. 5.99 4.87

df 106

„t‟-value 1.425

It is quite clear from table 1 that the mean career maturity score of government senior secondary school students is 63.32 and S.D is5.99. The mean career maturity score of private senior secondary school students is 64.82 and S.D is4.87. The ‘t’-value is .425 which is less than corresponding table value at 0.05 level of significance. Therefore the hypothesis- There exist no significant difference in career maturity of government and private senior secondary school students stand accepted.It may be due to the reason that students of both types of schools nowadays usually get more opportunities to get knowledge about varied career choices in the present scenario. The provision of career counseling programmes and organization of career exhibitions given them an equal edge in term of Career Maturity. Hypothesis Testing –II, “There exists no significant difference in career maturity of male and female senior secondary school students”

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Table 2: Significance of Difference between mean Career Maturity Scores of Male and female senior secondary school students Gender Male Female

N 48 60

Mean 64.69 63.39

S.D. 4.99 3.90

„t‟-value 1.479

df 106

It is quite clear from table 2 that the mean career maturity score of male senior secondary school students is 64.69 and S.D is 4.99. The mean career maturity score of female senior secondary school students is 63.39 and S.D is 3.90. The ‘t’-value is 1.479 which is less than corresponding table value at

0.05 level of significance. Therefore the hypothesis- There

exist no significant difference in career maturity of male and female senior secondary school students stand accepted.It may be inferred that gender does not play a significant role in career maturity of senior secondary school students. In the era of information technology the male and female students are more conscious about their future area of work. Therefore they collect career related information from various sources and keep themselves aware and update with the job possibilities in future. Hypothesis Testing –III, “There exists no significant difference in career maturity of senior secondary school students of rural and urban groups” Table 3: Significance of difference between mean Career Maturity Scores of Urban and Rural senior secondary school students Type of School Rural Urban

N 69 39

Mean 65.15 66.10

S.D. 4.12 3.87

„t‟-value 1.196

df 106

It is quite clear from table 3 that the mean career maturity score of rural group is65.15 and S.D is 4.12. The mean career maturity score of urban group is 66.10 and S.D is 3.87. The ‘t’value is 1.196 which is less than corresponding table value at

0.05 level of significance.

Therefore the hypothesis- There exist no significant difference in career maturity of senior secondary school students of rural and urban groups stand accepted.It is inferred that career maturity is not influences by their locality i.e. rural or urban. In the era of information technology the ruraland urban students are more conscious about their future area of work. All modern media have their access even to rural area nowadays. Therefore they collect career related information from various sources and keep themselves aware and update with the job possibilities in future.

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Findings The findings of the present study are reported below. 1. The government and private senior secondary school students do not differ significantly in their career maturity. 2. The male and female senior secondary school students do not differ significantly in their career maturity. 3. The rural and urban senior secondary school students do not differ significantly in their career maturity. Educational Implications The present study has wide educational implications for parents and teachers. Professional school counsellors should provide collaborative support and training to parents on career guidance. This is because their education, skills, and position within the school community, are in a unique position to assess the needs of adolescents, and the skills and stressors of their parents. School Counsellors can assist parents in learning how to provide emotional support by helping them understand the emotions that adolescents experience when faced with difficult educational and vocational challenges. Parents should provide opportunities that would nurture interests in vocational subject matter, and create environments that would nurture the discovery of aptitudes for vocational content. Parents, generally, should be cautioned against imposing their own goals onto their children, they can act as a guide. This is because adolescents need to discover who they are on their own. Parents should respect their adolescents’ differences. Family environments that show respect for differences and independence would enormously be helpful to the child’s career development. Parents should show genuine interest in and support for their adolescents’ career plans. Parents should encourage their children to explore career options. References Arbona.C. (1990). Career counseling research and Hispanics: A reviews of the literature. The Counseling Psychologist, 18, 30-323. Coetzee, M., &RoythorneJacobs, H. (2007). Career counseling and guidance in the Workplace: A Manual for career practitioners. Retrieved from http://jutaacademic.co.za/products/careercounselling -and-guidance-in-the-workplace-2e Cooter.R., Erdmann,J.B., Gonnella, J.S. Callahan, C.A., Hojat, M., &Xu, G. (2004). The relationship between students family income and academic performance and career choice. Journal of Career Assesment. 5, 293-303. Crites, J.O. (1961).A model for measurement of vocational maturity.Journal of counseling Psychology. 8, 255-259 Copyright © 2017, Scholarly Research Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies

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Gade, E.M., Fuqua, D., &Hurlburt, G. (1984). Use of the Self-directed Search with Native American high school student, Journal of Counseling Psychology,Vol.31, 584-587. Gupta, A.K. (2001). Career Maturity of senior secondary school students in relation to their gender and socio economic status. Journal of career Development, 10(3),13-19. Hairston, J. E. (2000). How parents influence African American students decisions to prepare for vocational teaching careers. Journal of career and Technical Education, 4(2) 37-40. Hasan, B. (2006). Career maturity of Indian adolescents as a function of self-concept, vocational aspiration and gender. Journal of the Indian Academy of Applied Psychology, 32(2), 20-23. Jakhar, L.R. (2014). Career maturity of adolescents in relation to the school environment. Journal of Education Beacon, 3(1),42-59. Keller, B.K. (2004). Parental behaviors that influence adolescents career Development University of Washington, U.S.A. Retrieved from http://www.edanz.org.nz/files /otango%20polytechnic/TessLivingstone.pdf. Kelley, K.R. (1983). Effect of gender and academic risk behavior on career maturity Mahmood, A. (2012). Emotional intelligence, Self efficacy and career maturity among students. Journal of Community Guidance & Research 29(4), 272-283. Otto, L., B., (1989).How to help your child choose a career.Florda: State Department of Education (ERIC Document Reproduction Service, 336 506) Retrieved from http://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jrme/papers/vol-4%20Issue-4/Version-3/G04434457.pdf Palton, C. (2001). Assessment of the vocational maturity of adolescent students Quebec Journal of Human Ecology, 21(4) 233-248. Penick.H.,&Jepsen. D. (1992).Family functioning and adolescent career development Career Development Quarterly, 40(4), 208-222. Rafiq, M.H. Fatima, T. Sohail,M.M., Saleem, & M. Khan, A.M.(2013). Parental Involvement and academic achievement.A study on secondary school student of Lahore. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 3 (8) 93-112 Salami, S.O. (2008).Gender identity status and career maturity of adolescent in South West Nigeria. Journal of Social Science, 16 (1) 44-47.