The effects of high school career education on social-cognitive variables

The authors investigated the influence of a 9-week career education class on career decision-making self-efficacy, vocational skills self-efficacy, perceived educational barriers, outcome expectations, educational plans, and career expectations among a sample of 166 high school sophomores. Using a nonrandomized, within-subjects crossover design, the authors collected pretest, posttest, and follow-up data with a health education class as the control condition. Post- and follow-up testing suggest that the class resulted in increased career decision-making self-efficacy, vocational skills self-efficacy, and short-term gains in outcome expectations but did not influence perceived educational barriers. Participants enrolled in the career education class in the first quarter were more likely to change career plans than were those in the control condition. Implications for practice and future research are presented.