Vocational Environments Research Articles

What Do College Students Have To Lose? Exploring the Outcomes of Differences in Person-Environment Fits

This article continues a series of analyses using of developed by John Holland (1966, 1973, 1985, 1997) to examine patterns of student stability and change inherent in college experience--as part of an effort to understand satisfaction, learning, and retention of college students (see Smart, Feldman & Ethington, 2000; Feldman, Smart & Ethington, 1999; and Feldman, Ethington & Smart, 2001). The underlying basis of Holland's theory is that human behavior is a function of interaction between individuals and their environments. The theory focuses on an assessment of individuals, their environments, and interaction or fit between individuals, and their environments. Three specific assumptions are associated with these three essential components of theory: (1) people tend to choose environments compatible with their personality types; (2) environments tend to reinforce and reward different patterns of abilities and interests; and (3) people tend to flourish in environments that are congruent with their dominant personality types. Most research assessing validity of three assumptions has tended to examine merits of each assumption separately. The collective evidence from literally hundreds of studies over past three decades or so has been summarized in several literature syntheses and meta-analyses (see, for example, Assouline & Meir, 1987; Holland, 1985, 1997; Spokane, 1985, 1996; Tranberg, Slane, & Ekeberg, 1993; Walsh & Holland, 1992). Because Holland's theory intends to explain vocational behavior, most evidence of validity of basic assumptions of theory has been derived from studies of employed adults. Moreover, attention has been directed primarily to vocational choices of individuals and significance of these choices for their vocational stability, satisfaction, and success. This dominant focus on individuals may be understood as a consequence of primary focus of theory itself and scholarly interests of those who have conducted much of relevant research. As a theory of careers, Holland's work is intended primarily to be of assistance to individuals in their search for careers that are satisfying and rewarding, and research on theory reflects this orientation toward individuals. The vast bulk of research literature in this area concentrates on validity of personality types and their searching behavior (the self-selection assumption) and on consequences of individuals' choices of congruent or incongruent vocational environments (the congruence assumption) rather than on reward and reinforcement patterns of vocational environments (the socialization assumption). Holland has acknowledged this differential emphasis in research literature, noting that the environmental models are only occasionally studied 160). As Walsh and Holland (1992) have put it: We view theory as primarily psychological in nature and one in which personality variables are most powerful and influential .... The theory tends to emphasize person variables and [to be] lean on concept of reinforcement ... (p. 63). Given psychological orientation of Holland's theory and of those who have conducted most of research on theory, it is not surprising that work environments (in general) and interpersonal and social structural patterns of environmental reinforcement (in particular) have not been of central interest. While his theory is intended to explain vocational behavior, Holland has noted repeatedly that theory and its basic assumptions are equally applicable to educational settings such as college and universities. The research evidence supporting basic assumptions of Holland's theory is sparser as it pertains to college students; even so, dozens of relevant studies have been conducted over past three decades (as reviewed in Smart et al. …

Vet in Schools: The Adoption of National Training Packages in a Secondary School Setting

Growing pressure is being placed on schools, as students, employers and governments look at the economic, demographic and vocational environments of the present, and expect schools to adequately prepare students for an ever widening post-school vocational future. A major factor contributing to the lack of adoption of any new innovations is the entrenched attitudes of the teaching staff and a reluctance to change. In differing forms, Vocational Education and Training programs have been circling the change process in Australian schools since 1930, yet still are in the adoption and implementation phase rather than having become institutionalised and embedded in the life of schools. It is clear that the way teachers construct meaning for innovations is a major factor in whether innovations are institutionalised in schools. However, this paper also investigates the influences of organisational culture, infrastructure, leadership and policy on the adoption of National Training Packages and their components in a West Australian case-study school.

The Role of Assessment in the Transition to Adult Life Process for Students With Disabilities

Students with disabilities must have a statement of transition service needs in their individualized education programs (IEPs) by age 14. Transition service needs must be based on students' needs, preferences, and interests. Transition assessment is an ongoing process that can help students with disabilities gain an understanding of their needs, interests, and preferences in relation to educational, vocational, and postschool environments. In addition, it can provide secondary personnel with a framework to meet the mandates for transition services in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997. The legislative foundation, purposes, and uses of transition assessment in the middle and high school years are discussed in relation to transition planning. In addition, the competencies needed by personnel involved in this assessment process are highlighted along with IEP team members who may be involved in transition planning activities.

The Meaning and Measurement of Environments in Holland's Theory

A major advantage of Holland's (1997) theory is that it provides a parallel way of describing people and environments. Vocational psychology has provided many ways of assessing people but not environments. One of Holland's major contributions during the past four decades has been to develop techniques for assessing and classifying different vocational environments, principally educational settings and occupations. These techniques have allowed Holland and his associates to plumb the validity of his environmental formulations. His newest environmental measure, the Position Classification Inventory (G. Gottfredson & Holland, 1991) promises to stimulate intensive research, both inside and outside vocational psychology, on vocational environments.

Differences in adjustment between women with breast cancer and their spouses: Implications for nursing interventions

The aims of the study were to examine differences between partners in:(a) emotional and interaction support within the marital relationship, and (b) adjustment outcomes. Data were collected at 7–10 days, at 1, 2, 3 and 6 months, and I-year postsurgery. At each data collection point, the respondents completed the Partner Relationship Inventory (Hoskins 1998), the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale (Derogatis & Lopez 1983) and the Profile of Adaptation to Life Clinical Scale (Ellsworth 1981). Intact data series were available for 128 patients and 121 spouses. The effect of cancer accentuated a complementary pattern for both emotional and interaction needs. The t-tests of differences between means were significant at all phases. For the adjustment variables, there was a consistent pattern of change over time for Negative Emotions, Psychological Distress and Psychological Well-being for both partners. Performance of roles in the vocational, domestic and social environments also improved significantly over time.

Leisure education for a quality transition to adulthood

Stuart J. Schleiena,*, M. Tipton Rayb a Division of Recreation, Park, and Leisure Studies, University of Minnesota, 1900 University Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA b1nc/usive and Therapeutic Recreation Consllitant, 807 Fairmont Avenlle, St. Palll, MN 55105, USA There is increasing recognition and acceptance that successful transition of youth with disabilities from school experiences occurs when they acquire and are able to demonstrate skills and behaviors related to several typical adult life activities including lifelong learning, home living, community participation, recreation participation, as weB as work. Finding meaningful employment upon graduation continues to be a central theme of transition planning efforts within secondary schools. However, increasing research, as weB as anecdotal reports from educators, families, and students themselves have highlighted the need to take a more broad-based approach to transition planning so that students are learning skills (e.g. social, self-determination) which may be used in a variety of non-vocational, as well as vocational environments. Federal education law now requires transition planning which supports these broad-based initiatives. This article presents a rationale and support for implementing comprehensive therapeutic recreation services within school settings to help students learn skills which may be used in both vocational and non-vocational environments, thus facilitating a quality transition to adulthood. The principle goals of therapeutic recreation services are identified foBowed by a model framework and six 'action steps' transition planners and key stakeholders can take to facilitate successful transition to community recreation environments. A case study is highlighted which iBustrates the implementation of a functional leisure education program for two young adults with developmental disabilities. Key points that transition planners should consider when providing community recreation programming are listed and discussed to conclude this article. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.

Adjustment to Breast Cancer in Couples

Present aims were to examine differences in fulfillment of emotional and interactional needs between 128 breast cancer patients and 121 partners and to examine differences in emotional and physical adjustment outcomes using a multivariate model of family adjustment to illness. Intact data series were obtained at 7 to 10 days, at 1, 2, 3, and 6 months, and 1 year postsurgery. The effect of cancer accentuated a complementary pattern for both emotional and interactional needs. The t tests of differences between means were significant at all phases. The main effect of time was statistically significant for scores on Negative Emotions, Psychological Distress, and Psychological Well-being for both partners. Performance of life roles in the vocational, domestic, and social environments also improved significantly over time. Although perceived Health Status remained stable for partners, patients' perceptions improved across phases of illness.

Worksite accommodation – adaptation from a pragmatic perspective

The Wichita RERC, a consortium of the Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation of Kansas, and the Wichita State University, College of Engineering, has been a pioneer in the investigation and application of rehabilitation engineering techniques in vocational environments. The RERC concentrates on three thrust areas: 1. Research and Demonstration in Educational Settings 2. Research and Demonstration in Prevocational Environments, and 3. Research and Demonstration in Actual Employment. Researchers encourage the development of autonomous behaviors in students with disabilities. Over time, the RERC has identified some key concepts related to the role of assistive technology and proper management crucial to transition. Data generated has been extremely candid, pragmatic, and on occasion, at odds with conventional thinking of educators and advocates. The next step in the employment process is assessment and placement. Systems that incorporate proven and innovative techniques that enable assessment professionals, vocational rehabilitation counselors, and consumers with disabilities to effectively control their work destinies are being developed by RERC staff. Once employment is obtained, modification or fabrication of worksites is necessary. These can be very sophisticated or relatively low-tech. Hundreds of applications of rehabilitation engineering and assistive technology enabling persons with disabilities to earn a competitive wage have been documented over the years with special emphasis on cost. Non-federal research activities conducted by the Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation of Kansas have resulted in several products that were marketed to persons with disabilities. Current research efforts include the development of a state-of-the-art wheelchair control system, and a microprocessor-controlled nebulizer. The Wichita RERC is unique among its peers in that it has conducted applied research resulting in service delivery at clinical models in the areas of housing and manufacturing for over twenty years.

Enduringness and change in creative personality and the prediction of occupational creativity.

Participants in a longitudinal study of women's adult development were scored at midlife on the Occupational Creativity Scale (OCS), which draws on J. L. Holland's (1985) model of vocational environments in the assessment of participants' creative achievement. College measures of cognitive-affective style and career aspirations predicted OCS scores at age 52, and consistency of creative temperament (H. G. Gough, 1992), motivation, and overall attributes of creative personality were demonstrated with both self-report and observer data over several times of testing. However, there was change along with this enduringness: Large fluctuations in creative temperament over one period of life or another were common in individuals, and OCS scores were associated with an increase in level of effective functioning over 30 years.

Increasing Counselor Confidence in Applying a Theory of Vocational Personalities and Work Environments: An Evaluation

This article examines correlates of counselor confidence in their competency in using Holland's (1985a) theory, and evaluates a 1-day workshop to improve counselors' knowledge of the theory and its applications. As expected, the workshop increased counselors' confidence. Both prior experience with applying the theory and familiarity with professional manuals predicted confidence in using the theory to help clients, but many regular SDS users reported not having previously examined a test manual. More knowledge of the effects of exposure to test manuals, workshops, and personal experience on counselor's assessments of their competency in using career intervention tools is now important.

Wine TU: German language grade 2 to ASCII braille translator

The German acronym, WineTU (WIener Nahezu Echtzeit Braille-Text Uebersetzer), is probably best translated as ‘Viennese almost real time braille text translator’. WineTU is a program that translates German contracted braille (i.e. literary or grade 2 braille) into ASCII. It greatly simplifies the writing process for blind people because it allows them to use literary (contracted) braille which is more ergonomic and time saving, and is a factor in facilitating integration into school and vocational environments. WineTU eliminates the necessity to re-enter text for ink print output which has already been edited and refined in literary braille. It is a time saver because 30% fewer characters need be entered.

The Differences in Inappropriate Behavior and Instructional Interactions in Sheltered and Nonsheltered Work Environments

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the nature and frequency of the instructional interactions and work-related behavior of 15 workers in nonsheltered vocational environments to 15 workers in sheltered environments. Workers in nonsheltered and sheltered environments were observed using a discontinuous time sampling procedure for approximately three 1-hour sessions. Data were collected during work and break times on instructional interactions between the workers with disabilities and their co-workers and supervisors. Additionally, data were collected on the frequency of eight categories of behavior labeled as inappropriate by observers. The results revealed that the workers in nonsheltered environments engaged in significantly more instructional interactions with supervisors and exhibited significantly fewer occurrences of inappropriate behavior.

Integrated Work Opportunities for Adults with Severe Handicaps: The Extended Training Option

One major reason why those adults with the most severe intellectual handicaps are prevented from performing meaningful work in nonsheltered environments is the requirement that they cannot do so unless they receive direct pay. Unfortunately, as long as direct pay is an admission requirement to the real world of work, confinement to unnecessarily costly, antihabilitative, and counterproductive segregated facilities and prevocational programs that never lead to real work in the real world will prevail. The highly selective and closely monitored use of an Extended Training Option is offered as a reasonable procedure that can be used to arrange for nonsheltered functioning while the attitudes and skills necessary for direct pay are developed. Specifically, workers with severe intellectual handicaps should be placed in nonsheltered vocational environments, unless health considerations are contraindicated. Then they should be taught to perform meaningful work. Then all reasonable attempts to secure contingent direct pay should be made. Direct pay can no longer function as a barrier to integrated work opportunities.

Concurrent validity of Holland's theory for non-college-degreed black women

This study, using the Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) and the Self-Directed Search (SDS), explored the concurrent validity of Holland's theory for employed non-college-degreed black women. The VPI and the SDS were administered to 102 black women workers in occupational environments consistent with Holland's six vocational environments. The results revealed that four scales of the VPI and four scales of the SDS successfully differentiated the occupational groups consistent with Holland's theoretical notions. In general, the findings lend some support to the concurrent validity of Holland's theory for employed non-college-degreed black women.

Concurrent validity of Holland's theory for college-degreed black women

This study, using the Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) and the Self Directed Search (SDS), explored the concurrent validity of Holland's theory for employed college-degreed black women. The VPI and SDS were administered to 93 black women workers in occupational environments consistent with Holland's six vocational environments. The results revealed that four scales of the VPI and five scales of the SDS successfully differentiated the occupational groups consistent with Holland's theoretical notions. In general, the findings lend some support to the concurrent validity of Holland's theory for employed college-degreed black women.

Concurrent validity of Holland's theory for non-college-degreed working women

This study, using the Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) and the Self-Directed Search (SDS), explored the concurrent validity of Holland's theory for employed non-college-degreed women. The VPI and SDS were administered to 114 women workers in occupational environments consistent with Holland's vocational environments. The results revealed that three scales of the VPI and five scales of the SDS successfully differentiated the occupational groups consistent with Holland's theoretical notions. In general, the findings lend some support to the concurrent validity of Holland's theory for employed non-college-degreed women.

Concurrent validity of Holland's theory for college degreed working women

The study was designed to explore two areas: (1) the concurrent validity of Holland's theory for employed college degreed women using two different operational definitions (Vocational Preference Inventory and the Self-Directed Search) of vocational orientation; and (2) the relationships among same named scales across the VPI and the SDS. Concurrent validity was studied by administering the VPI and the SDS to 179 women workers in occupational environments consistent with Holland's six vocational environments. In general, the findings indicate that the VPI and SDS scales tend to effectively discriminate among the occupational groups consistent with Holland's theoretical framework. In addition, the correlation coefficients for same named scales for the two inventories were all found to be significant. In sum, the results of the study lend some support to the concurrent validity of Holland's theory for employed college degreed women.

Concurrent validity of Holland's theory for non-college degreed black working men

The study was designed to explore two areas: (1) the concurrent validity of Holland's theory for employed non-college degreed black men using two different definitions of vocational orientation; and (2) the relationships among same scales across the two inventories. Concurrent validity was studied by administering the Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) and the Self Directed Search (SDS) to 121 men workers in occupational environments consistent with Holland's six vocational environments. In general, the findings indicate that the VPI and the SDS scales tend to effectively discriminate among the occupational groups consistent with Holland's theoretical notions. The results tend to suggest that Holland's theory is meaningful for employed non college degreed black men.

Concurrent validity of Holland's theory for non-college-degreed workers

This study was designed to explore two areas: (1) the concurrent validity of Holland's theory for employed non-college-degreed men using two different operational definitions of vocational orientation; and (2) the relationships among same named scales across the two inventories. Concurrent validity was studied by administering the Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) and the Self-Directed Search (SDS) to 126 male workers in occupational environments consistent with Holland's six vocational environments. The results revealed that two scales of the VPI and four scales of the SDS successfully differentiated the occupational groups consistent with Holland's theoretical framework. In general, the findings of this study lend some support to the concurrent validity of Holland's theory for non-college-degreed employed men.

Concurrent validity and Holland's theory

This study was designed to explore two areas: (1) the concurrent validity of Holland's theory for employed men using four different operational definitions of vocational orientation, and (2) the relationships among all possible combinations of same named scales across the four inventories. Concurrent validity was studied by administering the Vocational Preference Inventory, the Self Directed Search, and the Holland Scales (Set I and Set II) to 153 male workers established in occupational environments consistent with Holland's six vocational environments. The results revealed that five scales of the VPI and of the Holland Scales (Set I and Set II) and four scales of the SDS successfully differentiated the occupational groups consistent with Holland's theoretical framework. The correlation coefficients for same named scales for all possible combinations of the four inventories were all found to be significant. In general, the findings of this study tend to support the concurrent validity of Holland's theory for employed men.