Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.5559/di.26.1.03
Could Differentiation and Consistency of Interests Serve as Career Maturity Indicators of Elementary School Children?
Iva Černja
; Croatian Studies, Zagreb
Toni Babarović
orcid.org/0000-0003-0838-3205
; Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, Zagreb
Iva Šverko
; Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, Zagreb
Abstract
Holland postulated that interests should become more
differentiated and more consistent as career maturity
increases, but previous studies provided ambiguous results
on relations between these constructs. This paper presents
two studies conducted on samples of students in higher
grades of Croatian elementary schools which were 10 to 15
years old (Nstudy 1 = 522; Nstudy 2 = 497). The first study
was conducted online and Pictorial and Descriptive Interest
Inventory (PDII) and Test of Occupational Knowledge (TOK)
were applied. The second study was based on a paper and
pencil assessment and Occupational Preference Scale
OPS-96 and TOK were used. Both studies showed coherent
results. Career maturity systematically increased with the age
of respondents and female students demonstrated a higher
level of career maturity. Differentiation and consistency of
interest did not increase with age, while girls expressed a
higher level of differentiation and consistency than boys.
Career maturity correlated weakly and positively with interest
differentiation, but not with consistency. It was concluded that
differentiation and consistency should not be considered as
measures of career maturity, and it is recommended that
specific career maturity measures are used in career
counselling of elementary school students.
Keywords
career maturity; RIASEC; interests; differentiation; consistency
Hrčak ID:
178512
URI
Publication date:
28.3.2017.
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