Bernes, Kerry

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Adolescent Perceptions of Career and Occupation
(2002) Bernes, Kerry B.; Pyne, Deena Patricia
A Comprehensive Career Needs Survey was designed to assess the career needs of junior high- and senior high-school students in Southern Alberta. The questionnaire explored career needs from the perspective of students, teachers, parents, counselors, and administrators. An important aspect of the research was to examine how adolescents perceive the terms career and occupation, and to also determine if and how these perceptions evolve over time and through developmental stages. Results suggest that the way students conceptualize the terms occupation and career do not quantitatively differ across grade level, nor are there any conceptualizations specific to one grade level. However, the way in which these students think about career and occupation becomes much richer as they get older. The results suggest a need for earlier career education, clearer articulation of career exploration activities with student perceptions of career and occupation, and increased adolescent involvement in future needs assessments. (Contains 12 references.) (Author