An exploration of the perceptions of disadvantaged context learners' career development interventions by using: " A guide for schools into higher education" as a vehicle.
Date
2009-03-23T09:37:19Z
Authors
Buthelezi, Thabile
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Abstract
Career development interventions have been lacking within disadvantaged contexts in South
Africa. This is attributed to the country’s political history under the apartheid system. The
predominant career interventions have been standardised on the English and Afrikaans
populations, which are not necessarily applicable to the black population, a previously
disadvantaged population. This study explored learners’ perceptions of career development
interventions, career challenges and career needs within their contexts by using a career
intervention vehicle, subject-career information guide titled, “A Guide for Schools into Higher
Education”. The study was qualitative in nature and it conducted semi-structured interviews with
12 learners from a school within the disadvantaged context. The research interviews were
analysed using the thematic content analysis. The findings of the study revealed that these
learners had fairly different experiences of career guidance interventions within their contexts.
The study indicated that the main career challenges faced by the learners were mainly externally
based within their context. Thus, they needed career intervention resources to address the
challenges. The findings of the study indicated that learners have benefited from A Guide for
Schools into Higher Education as an intervention resource within their context. The study
subsequently recommended that frequent career interventions be more available within schools
and people perceived as role models within such contexts would need to be mobilized as career
influencers. Furthermore it was recommended that learners within disadvantaged contexts would
need to be taught skills towards the building of internal factors to facilitate them to own their
career development.
Description
Keywords
Career development, Disadvantaged learners