Career maturity among children from economically disadvantaged families in Korea

Abstract

The present study aims to explore career maturity and influencing factors among elementary schoolers from poor families in Korea. Data are from 249 welfare recipient children in 10 administrative districts of Incheon. Scores of the work attitudes subdomain was lower than other aspects of career maturity including planning, self-appraisal, and independence in career decision-making. In the full sample, those in the higher academic years showed greater career maturity, planning, and self-appraisal, and those with greater parent attachment showed higher levels of self-appraisal. In separate analyses by gender, parent attachment showed greater influence on girls' career maturity. Finding from the separate analyses on lower vs. higher academic years (i.e. grades) revealed that parent attachment and female were associated with career maturity among lower graders, while academic achievement was associated with career maturity, planning, and self-appraisal among those in higher graders. Findings lend support to parental involvement in career education. Poor children might have limited perceptions of career focused on satisfying economic necessities. Career education should pay attention in helping them expand perceptions of the values of career.