Developing a self-directed career guidance intervention for South African high school learners amidst severe COVID-19 restrictions

Chantel Streicher,Stephan Rabie,Michelle Jäckel-Visser,Francois J Van Den Berg,Izanette Van Schalkwyk,Anthony V Naidoo

doi:10.4102/ajcd.v3i1.40

Abstract

Background: South African schools have been severely impacted by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020. State-imposed restrictions to mitigate the spread of the infection have significantly limited direct interpersonal contact, curtailing the existing career guidance and counselling activities in schools. Crucially, in low-income settings, the social distancing regulations implied that in a year of increasing anxiety and uncertainty, many high school learners would have had to make important career-related decisions with limited or no tacit career guidance.Objectives: In response to these challenges, this study developed a self-directed career guidance intervention to provide continued career guidance support for Grade 9 learners amidst the unfolding global pandemic.Method: A cross-sectional mixed-methods design was employed to evaluate feasibility and acceptability of the intervention amongst a sample of 498 learners across eight high schools in the Cape Winelands district, Western Cape province, South Africa.Results: Favourable quantitative results were obtained assessing learners’ experiences of participating in the intervention and on the perceived impact of the intervention on their career preparedness. Participants reported a mean score of 41.25 (out of 50) for acceptability of the intervention. In addition, they reported a mean score of 17.1 (out of 20) for perceived impact of the intervention on their career preparedness. In terms of feasibility, qualitative findings revealed that the intervention improved learners’ self-knowledge and career directionality.Conclusion: The mixed-methods results confirm the feasibility and utility of implementing a self-directed career guidance intervention amongst secondary school learners. Whilst learners reported positive evaluations of the self-directed career guidance booklet, they also expressed the need for one-on-one or group engagement with the intervention content.

Highlights

The role and provision of career guidance and counselling at secondary school level are critical in supporting young adolescents for taking initial steps in formulating their post-school study and career goals (Hartung, Porfeli, & Vondracek, 2005; Watts & Sultana, 2004)
In low-income settings, external factors such as economic deprivation, high youth unemployment rates, lack of access to career services and resources, and absence of parental support severely undermine the career development process (Dube, 2019). This is the reality for many South African high school learners, who have to contend with limited support and access to services and resources as they face making important career-related decisions (Pillay, 2020; Rabie, Visser, Naidoo, Van den Berg, & Morgan, 2021)
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study set out to establish the feasibility and acceptability of an intervention using a self-directed career guidance booklet to address career development needs of secondary school learners living in low-income communities

Summary

Introduction

The role and provision of career guidance and counselling at secondary school level are critical in supporting young adolescents for taking initial steps in formulating their post-school study and career goals (Hartung, Porfeli, & Vondracek, 2005; Watts & Sultana, 2004). In low-income settings, external factors such as economic deprivation, high youth unemployment rates, lack of access to career services and resources, and absence of parental support severely undermine the career development process (Dube, 2019). This is the reality for many South African high school learners, who have to contend with limited support and access to services and resources as they face making important career-related decisions (Pillay, 2020; Rabie, Visser, Naidoo, Van den Berg, & Morgan, 2021). In low-income settings, the social distancing regulations implied that in a year of increasing anxiety and uncertainty, many high school learners would have had to make important career-related decisions with limited or no tacit career guidance

Objectives

Results

Discussion

Conclusion