Vocational identity of deaf and hard of hearing adolescents

Abstract

Vocational identity development represents the key aspect of identity development and it is one of the most significant issues in the period of adolescence. The persons with strong vocational identity have clearer understanding of their own career goals and they are characterized by greater self-confidence and dedication to their career choices, which is the reason why they decide on their future profession more quickly and more easily than the persons whose vocational identity is weaker. The career development of deaf and hard of hearing adolescents takes place under conditions of auditory deprivation, which may have a negative effect on the stability of their vocational identity and thus on their choice of profession, employment and assimilation into the working environment. This study examines the connection between vocational identity of deaf and hard of hearing adolescents and the number of completed school years and age, as well as the effect of gender, the level of hearing impairment, primary mode of communication, and general performance at school at the end of a school term on vocational identity. The sample comprised 97 deaf and hard of hearing students attending seventh and eighth grades of primary school as well as all grades of secondary school, who are educated in segregating conditions in the territory of Serbia. 'My Vocational Situation' (MVS, Holland et al., 1980-a) was used as the instrument. The results of the study, following the data analysis, point to the connection between vocational identity of deaf and hard of hearing adolescents and the number of school years completed and age, as well as the effect of gender on vocational identity, while the effect of the level of hearing impairment, primary mode of communication, and general performance at school on vocational identity of the examinees has not been confirmed. Comparing these results with the results of studies conducted on the population of typically developing students, it can be concluded that the key factors for stability of vocational identity do not change with regard to the hearing status of the individual.