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Individual predictors of adolescents’ vocational interest stabilities

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International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The study investigated the predictive utility of interest profile differentiation, coherence, elevation, congruence, and vocational identity commitment and career maturity (career planning and exploration) on the 10-month interest stability of 292 Swiss eighth-grade students: profile, rank, and level stabilities were assessed. Controlling for socio-demographic and vocational interest type variables, measures of differentiated and coherent vocational interests were significant predictors of profile stability. Interest elevation predicted more rank and level stability. The career development variables explained only a non-significant additional amount of variance in the different stability measures.

Résumé.

Prédicteurs individuels de l’ Adolescents’ Vocational Interest Stabilities. L’étude a investigué, chez 292 élèves suisses du huitième degré, l’utilité prédictive du profil d’intérêts en termes de différenciation, de cohérence, d’intensité, de congruence, ainsi que d’engagement sur le plan de l’identité de professionnelle et de la maturité de carrière (planification et exploration du parcours professionnel) par rapport à la stabilité des intérêts à 10 mois: on a évalué la stabilité du profil, du rang et du niveau. Les variables de type sociodémographique et relatives aux intérêts professionnels étant contrôlées, les mesures des intérêts vocationnels différenciés et cohérents se révèlent être des prédicteurs significatifs de la stabilité du profil. Le degré d’intérêt prédit davantage la stabilité du rang et du niveau. Les variables de développement du parcours professionnel expliquent seulement une quantité additionnelle non significative de variance dans les différentes mesures de stabilité.

Zusammenfassung.

Individuelle Indikatoren für die Vorhersage der Stabilität von Berufsinteressen bei Jugendlichen. Diese Studie untersuchte die Vorhersage-Genauigkeiten in Bezug auf eine 10-Monats-Stabilität der Berufsinteressen für die Indikatoren Diffenziertheit des Interessensprofils, Kohärenz, Ausprägungsintensität, Kongruenz für die berufliche Zielorientiertheit und die Berufswahlreife (Laufbahnplanung und –erkundung) bei 292 Schweizer Schülern der 8.Klasse. Unter Berücksichtigung von sozio-demografischen Variablen und von Berufsinteressenstypen erwiesen sich die Differenziertheit und die Kohärenz der Interessensprofile als signifikante Indikatoren für deren Stabilität im Zeitverlauf. Die Variablen der Berufswahlvorbereitung erklärten dabei lediglich einen nichtsignifikanten zusätzlichen Varianzbereich der verschiedenen Stabilitätsindikatoren.

Resumen.

Predictores Individuales de la Estabilidad de los Intereses Vocacionales de los Adolescentes. El estudio investigó la utilidad predictiva de la diferenciación de los perfiles de intereses, la coherencia, y el compromiso con la identidad vocacional y la madurez profesional (planificacion y exploración de la carrera) con respecto a la estabilidad de los intereses de 292 estudiantes suizos de grado octavo a lo largo de 10 meses: se evaluó la estabilidad del perfil, rango y nivel. Controlando las variables socio-demográficas y tipo de interes vocacional, las medidas de intereses vocacionales diferenciadas y coherentes resultaron ser predictores significativos de estabilidad del perfil. Un nivel más elevado de los intereses predecía más estabilidad de rango y de nivel. Las variables del desarrollo de la carrera explicaron sólo una cantidad adicional no significativa de la varianza en las distintas medidas de estabilidad.

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Acknowledgments

This work was conducted while the author was at the Pennsylvania State University, USA. Thanks to Daphne M. Davis for her assistance in editing a previous version of this manuscript.

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  1. Institute for Strategic HR Management Research and Development (SMARD), Leuphana University of Lueneburg, Wilschenbrucher Weg 84, 21335, Lüneburg, Germany

    Andreas Hirschi

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Correspondence to Andreas Hirschi.

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Hirschi, A. Individual predictors of adolescents’ vocational interest stabilities. Int J Educ Vocat Guidance 10, 5–19 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10775-009-9171-2

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