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Career Counseling in the Community College: Career Indecision Research

This study explores the effects of career indecision on community college students' retention, persistence, and success rates, with a focus on minority groups. Research findings and implications are discussed.

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Career Counseling in the Community College: Career Indecision Research

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  1. California Community College Chancellor’s Conference April 11, 2002 Career Counseling in the Community College: Career Indecision Research Merril A. Simon, Ph.D., NCCC (simon_merril@smc.edu) Esau Tovar, M.S. (tovar_esau@smc.edu) Santa Monica College 310/434-4012

  2. Need for Project • High probationary rates • Low persistence rates • At-risk population • Replication with larger sample with pilot study

  3. Career Indecision Research Questions • Does Career Indecision at Orientation to college impact first semester retention rates? • Does Career Indecision at Orientation to college impact persistence from semester one to two? • Does Career Indecision at Orientation to college impact success of community college students?

  4. Funding for Study • Fund for Institutional Improvement--State of California Chancellor’s Office CompetitiveGrant (Santa Monica College, J. Gonzalez original P.I.; currently E. Tovar) • Matriculation Grant (SMC) • Title III Federal funding

  5. Career Theory Considerations • Krumboltz • Super • Holland

  6. Intervention (1) • Orientation • Provided by team of  counseling and instructional  faculty • Four hours (Cohort 2) & 7.5 hours (Cohorts 3A, 3B, and 4) – versus a control group Orientation of  two hours in length

  7. Intervention (2) • Orientation (continued) • Available for course credit • Utilized both social integration and involvement opportunities by the students.

  8. Study Group • Five cohorts of randomly selected entering community college students at a large, urban, diverse institution. • Fall 1999 • Spring 2001 • Spring 2000 • Fall 2001 • Fall 2000 • All indicated that they planned to transfer to a four-year institution as their initial goal at application • CFI Study Group: 512 student participants

  9. Student Information Collected • Demographic information collected: • Including gender, ethnicity, age • Level of expressed commitment to major (high, medium, low) • Career Factors Inventory • First semester retention rate • First semester GPA (success rate) • Persistence rate to second semester

  10. Career Factors Inventory™ • Twenty-one items • Purports to measure level and type of career indecision. • Normed previously on university and high school students, adult populations, and prison inmates. • Norms were established by a validation study completed within our study (Item 21 deleted).

  11. Need for Career Information (NCI) Need for Self-Knowledge (NSK) Career Choice Anxiety (CCA) Generalized Indecisiveness (GI) Career Factors Inventory™(Chartrand & Robbins, 1997, Consulting Psych. Press)FourFactor Scales

  12. Retention – Completion of units by students who are enrolled at the time of the census date. Persistence – Continued enrollment by students in the semester following the initial enrollment. Success – Achieving an overall GPA in enrolled classes of over 2.0 (on a 4.0 scale). Terminology Definitions as used in this study

  13. Primary Hypothesis • Being more career decided will impact the retention and persistence of entering community college students in a positive direction. • Based upon Preston Hampton’s dissertation results with Calif. Comm. College under-represented students.

  14. Gender 54% females 46% males Age ranges: 4% < 18 yrs 91% 18-22 5% > 22 Ethnicity 39% Hispanic 14% African American 14% Asian 23% Caucasian 3% Filipino 1% Native American 6% Declined to State Overall Demographics

  15. Summary of Findings • Impact of Career Indecision Type & Level • Success • Retention • Persistence

  16. Minority vs. Non-Minority Statistically significant difference with respect to Career Choice Anxiety Non-minority are more anxious Possible explanation High vigilance may create higher anxiety, but that anxiety is productive toward reaching student’s goals. CFI FindingsConsideration of Career Indecision with Ethnicity

  17. African-Americans vs. Caucasians: African-Americans are less likely to have career choice anxiety (13.4 vs. 15.8 score average) No statistical differences between Hispanics, Filipinos, Asian and Caucasian CFI FindingsConsideration of Career Indecision with Ethnicity 16 15.5 15 14.5 14 13.5 13 12.5 12 African White American

  18. Minority vs. Non-Minority Found that there is greater Generalized Career Indecision in minority students (14.2) vs. non-minority students (12.2). CFI FindingsConsideration of Career Indecision with Ethnicity

  19. Male vs. Female: There is a statistically significant difference between the generalized indecisiveness of males (13.7) and of females (14.0). CFI FindingsConsideration of Career Indecision with Gender

  20. Age Groupings The Need for Career Information (NCI) was significant across various age groups. Interpretation Students who are younger perceive they have a higher Need for Self-Information (NSI) than do older students. CFI FindingsConsideration of Career Indecision with Age

  21. Age Groupings The Need for Self Knowledge (NSK) was significant across various age groups. Interpretation Students who are younger perceive they need more career information than do older students. CFI FindingsConsideration of Career Indecision with Age

  22. Factors Related to Academic Success

  23. Findings related to: GPA • African American males and females earned the greatest proportion of GPAs of < 2.0. • African American males are 2-3 times more likely to earn GPAs below 2.0 as compared to Hispanic and Caucasian males. • Hispanic males are 2 times more likely to earn GPA’s below 2.0, compared to Caucasian males.

  24. Findings related to: GPA • African American males and females are less likely to earn GPAs > 3.0. • African American males are 4-6 times less likely to earn GPAs > 3.0.

  25. Findings Related to:Success • H:Students who are more career decided will be more successful. • Not found to be true in general, BUT there is a statistical significance reported by different age groups on the Need for Career Information (NCI) scale: • Overall, must reject the hypothesis, but looking at individual items on the CFI, found the following results: Students under 18 & 18-22 have the highest NCI scores 22.1 & 20.4, as compared to those over 22 years of age.

  26. 100% Probability of Persistence, if: Good Student GPA of 3.0-3.49; & Possess a greater Need for Self-Knowledge (score of 16-20). Possible Explanation: Self-awareness and ability combine to predict persistence. CFI FindingsCareer Indecision and Grades/Persistence

  27. Results Related toRetention

  28. Findings related to:Retention • Males only retention rate:Ethnicity x Retention • African-American males: 73%* • Hispanic males: 83% • White males: 91%* * p<.05 level.

  29. Findings related to:Retention • Females only retention rate:Ethnicity x Retention • African-American females: 92% • Hispanic females: 89% • White females: 91%

  30. Findings related to:Retention • 91% Probability of Retention, if: • Generalized Indecision was higher (9-25 points); & • Possess average to very high degree goal commitment.

  31. Findings related to:Retention • 91% Probability of Retention, if: • Decision-making is more challenging (Item 4, score 2-5); & • Are more relaxed about career decision-making (Item 8, score 1-3). • 81% Probability of Retention, if: • Decision-making is more challenging; & • Feel more tense about making a career decision (score 4-5).

  32. Findings related to:Retention • 94% Probability of Retention, if: • Need to clarify personal values (Item 3, score 5). • 74% Probability of Retention, if: • Lesser need to clarify personal values (score 1-4)

  33. Findings related to:Retention • 100% Probability of Retention, if: • Individual takes moderate amount of time in making decisions (Item 18, score 4). • 63% Probability of Retention, if: • Very quick or very slow at making decisions (score 1-3, 5)

  34. Summary of Career Related Factors Impacting Retention • Higher Probability of Retention: • The greater the need to clarify values; • Perceiving decision making is challenging; & • Taking your time in reaching decisions.

  35. Results Related to Persistence

  36. Findingsrelated to:Persistence • Males only persistence rate Ethnicity x Persistence • African-American males1,2: 50% • Hispanic males1: 68% • Caucasian males 2: 68% 1,2p<.05 level

  37. Findingsrelated to:Persistence • Females only Persistence rate: Ethnicity x Persistence • African-American females1: 74% • Hispanic females2: 72% • Caucasian females1,2: 62% 1,2 Approach p<.05 level

  38. Findingsrelated to:Persistence Rates • Persistence x Career Choice Anxiety • Non-persisters had a lower mean score (14.9) in career choice anxiety. • Persisters had a higher mean score (16.0) in career choice anxiety. • Possible interpretation: • Relates to vigilance or drive of student

  39. Findings related to:Persistence • 99% Probability of Persistence, if: • First semester GPA of 2.5-2.99 or 3.5-4.0; • Under 22 years of age; & • High Career Choice Anxiety (score of over 30) • 60% Probability of Persistence, if: • First semester GPA of 2.5-2.99 or 3.5-4.0; • Under 22 years of age; & • Low Career Choice Anxiety (score of 11-15)

  40. Findings related to:Persistence • 99% Probability of Persistence, if: • First semester GPA of 3.0-3.49; & • Greater Need for Self-Knowledge (score 16-20) • Possible Explanation: • Self-awareness and ability combine to predict persistence.

  41. Findings related to:Persistence • 81% Probability of Persistence, if: • Physical manifestations of career choice anxiety as expressed through tight breathing. • 70% Probability of Persistence, if: • Physical manifestations of career choice anxiety as expressed through loose breathing. • Possible Explanation: Vigilance?

  42. Findings related to:Persistence • 93% Probability of Persistence, if: • Little physical manifestation of anxiety (Item 12); • No need for greater self-knowledge thru work exploration (Item 13, score 1-2). • 66% Probability of Persistence, if: • Little physical manifestation of anxiety (Item 12); • Greater self-knowledge thru work exploration (Item 13, score 3-5). • Possibly explained by the fact that they wish to focus on their college experience vs. on employment alone

  43. Findings related to:Persistence • 91% Probability of Persistence, if: • Greater physical manifestation of anxiety (Item 12); & • Being moderately certain on decision making (Item 19, score 3. • 73% Probability of Persistence, if: • Greater physical manifestation of anxiety (Item 12); & • Being highly certain or highly uncertain on decision making • Note: More uncertain students, find career decision-making more difficult.

  44. Summary of Career Related Factors Impacting Persistence • Higher Persistence Rates: • Higher Career Choice Anxiety • Physical manifestation of anxiety (tight breathing) • Greater Need for Self-Knowledge • “Who am I;” “what are my values?” • Being moderately certain about making most decisions

  45. California Community College Chancellor’s Conference April 11, 2002 Career Counseling in the Community College: Career Indecision Research Merril A. Simon, Ph.D., NCCC (simon_merril@smc.edu) Esau Tovar, M.S. (tovar_esau@smc.edu) Santa Monica College 310/434-4012

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