Project HOPE: a career education program for rural middle school students

• Main Author: Hoffman, Tina D.
• Other Authors: Ali, Saba Rasheed
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: University of Iowa 2013
• Subjects: Critical Psychology; Social Cognitive Career Theory; Educational Psychology
• Online Access: https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/4991; https://ir.uiowa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4991&context=etd

A critical psychology perspective (Prilleltensky and Nelson, 2002) advocates for research that focuses on social change, the mutual participation of community stakeholders, and the empowerment of those served. The current study applies this critical psychology perspective to career education programming in a multiculturally diverse rural high school. This manuscript illustrates the collaborative development, implementation, and evaluation of the "Project HOPE" career education program. Case study methodology is used to examine the effects of the program congruent with a critical psychology paradigm. Social Cognitive Career Theory (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994; 2000) variables of math/science self-efficacy, vocational skills self-efficacy, math/science outcome expectations and intentions, and math/science interests among rural eighth grade middle school students were examined via a pre and post-test design. Additionally, focus group and student evaluation data provide information on how the collaborative development and implementation was experienced.