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Career exploration and occupational knowledge in Italian children

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

Abstract

We explored the perception and actual occupational knowledge of jobs on career exploration across Holland’s categories in 60 elementary and 60 middle school students. Results showed a closer relationship between career exploration and actual knowledge than children’s perception of knowledge. We found higher levels of actual knowledge and perception of occupational knowledge for social jobs and lower levels for conventional jobs. There was no increase with age for career exploration and actual occupational knowledge. A decrease emerged in the perception of occupational knowledge in Social and Investigative categories. Gender differences emerged in perception but not in actual occupational knowledge.

Résumé

Exploration professionnelle et connaissances sur les métiers chez les enfants italiens. Nous avons exploré les connaissances professionnelles réelles et perçues des métiers sur l’exploration professionnelle, au travers des catégories de Holland, chez 60 élèves issus de l’école primaire et 60 élèves issus du niveau intermédiaire. Les résultats ont montré une relation plus proche entre l’exploration professionnelle et les connaissances actuelles des enfants qu’avec la perception de ces connaissances. Nous avons trouvé des niveaux plus élevés de connaissances actuelles et de perception de la connaissance sur les métiers pour les emplois de type sociaux, et des niveaux plus bas pour les emplois de type conventionnel. Il n’y avait pas d’augmentation de l’exploration professionnelle ni des connaissances professionnelles actuelles sur les métiers avec l’âge. Une diminution a été observée quant à la perception des connaissances sur les métiers dans les catégories Social et Investigateur. Enfin, des différences entre les genres ont émergé concernant la perception, mais pas les connaissances actuelles sur les métiers.

Zusammenfassung

Berufserkundung und berufsbezogenes Wissen bei italienischen Kindern. Anhand von 60 Grund- und 60 Mittelschülern untersuchten wir die Wahrnehmung und das tatsächliche berufsbezogene Wissen von Jobs bei der Berufserkundung (Hollands Kategorien). Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass es eine engere Beziehung zwischen Berufserkundung und bestehendem im Vergleich zu wahrgenommenem Wissen gibt. Wir haben höhere Werte im Bereich des tatsächlichen und wahrgenommenen berufsbezogenen Wissens bei sozialen Jobs gefunden. Niedrigere Werte wurden für konventionelle/herkömmliche Jobs gefunden. Es zeigte sich keine altersbedingte Veränderung bzgl. Berufserkundung und tatsächlichem beruflichen Wissen. Eine altersbedinge Abnahme trat in der Wahrnehmung des berufsbezogenen Wissens bei sozialen und erforschenden Berufen auf. Geschlechterunterschiede zeigten sich bei der Wahrnehmung aber nicht beim tatsächlichen berufsbezogenen Wissen.

Resumen

Exploración de carreras y conocimiento sobre el trabajo en los niños italianos. Examinamos la percepción y el conocimiento ocupacional real del trabajo en la exploración de carreras a través de categorías de Holanda en 60 estudiantes de primaria y 60 de secundaria. Los resultados muestran una relación más estrecha entre la exploración de la carrera y el conocimiento real que entre la percepción de conocimiento de los estudiantes. Los niveles más elevados de conocimiento real y de la percepción del conocimiento ocupacional se encontraron en los trabajos sociales mientras que los niveles más bajos en los empleos convencionales. No se halló un incremento con la edad de la exploración de carrera ni del conocimiento ocupacional real. Se produjo en descenso en la percepción del conocimiento ocupacional en las categorías sociales e investigadoras. También aparecieron diferencias de género en la percepción pero no en el conocimiento real ocupacional.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology, University of Padova, 35131, Padua, Italy

    Lea Ferrari, Maria Cristina Ginevra, Sara Santilli, Laura Nota, Teresa Maria Sgaramella & Salvatore Soresi

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  1. Lea Ferrari
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  2. Maria Cristina Ginevra
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  3. Sara Santilli
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  4. Laura Nota
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  5. Teresa Maria Sgaramella
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  6. Salvatore Soresi
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Correspondence to Lea Ferrari.

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Ferrari, L., Ginevra, M.C., Santilli, S. et al. Career exploration and occupational knowledge in Italian children. Int J Educ Vocat Guidance 15, 113–130 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10775-015-9299-1

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