gms | German Medical Science

15th Congress of the European Forum for Research in Rehabilitation (EFRR)

15.04. - 17.04.2019, Berlin

Promoting self-determination in the vocational decision-making process – development and validation of a picture-based scale for assessing vocational interests

Meeting Abstract

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15th Congress of the European Forum for Research in Rehabilitation (EFRR). Berlin, 15.-17.04.2019. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2019. Doc003

doi: 10.3205/19efrr003, urn:nbn:de:0183-19efrr0037

Veröffentlicht: 16. April 2019

© 2019 Weißmann et al.
Dieser Artikel ist ein Open-Access-Artikel und steht unter den Lizenzbedingungen der Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (Namensnennung). Lizenz-Angaben siehe http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.


Gliederung

Text

Background: Having an occupation is one of the most important basic components of social participation due to its function of earning income, socialization, and identity formation. Therefore, enabling adolescents and young adults to make a reasoned vocational choice is the main goal of inclusive vocational education. Alongside abilities and expertise, individual interests are discussed as a significant aspect for passing the process of vocational choice successfully.

Aim: This study focuses on investigating how to satisfy the needs of adolescents, who are especially challenged in terms of vocational choice, due to cognitive and language limitations. Our computer-based self-assessment scale for vocational counselling settings in vocational contexts considers the individual’s interests as resource for successful confluence in working life. Existing instruments for investigating vocational interests do not fit the target group in terms of level of abstraction, the amount and complexity of language use, and compliance with adolescents’ lifestyle.

Method: Thus, our scale for measuring vocational interests contains concrete picture-based material offering direct identification possibilities in nine vocational areas. In a first study with students between 13 and 20 (N=239) the evidence of reliability and validity of the scale’s vocational areas was investigated. The second study included the implementation in vocational preparation in institutes for professional apprenticeship and secondary schools (N=100).

Results/findings: Results emphasize that the instrument with its direct individual feedback and the related explorative consultation is evident in empowering adolescents to become experts in their own learning and decision-making process, and to come to a self-directed vocational choice.