Holland's Theory of Vocational Personalities and Work Environments Applied to Students Majoring in Family and Consumer Sciences"
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HOLLAND'S THEORY OF VOCATIONAL PERSONALITIES AND WORK ENVIRONMENTS APPLIED TO STUDENTS MAJORING IN FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES by DEBORAH CADE MUMME, B.S.H.E., M.S.H.E, A DISSERTATION IN FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES EDUCATION Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Approved /\ Accepted Deantof the Graduate b/J:hool December, 1997 pi-? 0 © 1997, Deborah Cade Mumme ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express appreciation to my committee chairperson, Dr. Betty L. Stout, for her tireless support and encouragement throughout the entire process. Her unique perspective and attention to detail were phenomenal. Special thanks is also extended to the conm[iittee members, Dr. Sue Couch, Dr. Virginia Felstehausen, Dr. Ruth E. Martin, and Dr. Jean Pearson Scott for their expertise, helpful suggestions, and generous commit ment of time. 1 also wish to express my gratitude to friends, family, and co-workers who have given me inspiration, encouragement and support. Foremost, my sin cere appreciation goes to Lynn Perrin and Marilyn Wragg from the Home Economics Curriculimi Center. Special thanks and appreciation are extended to my statistical advisors, Shridhar Chikkodi and Dr. Du Feng. Each of them provided me with techni cal knowledge and direction. Dr. William Carter, supervisor of the Testing, Assessment, Measurement, and Evaluation Center served as consultant in the beginning stages of my study. I am very grateful for his knowledge and expertise in accomplishing this endeavor. Most importantly, 1 want to express my love and devotion to my husband, Bill and my daughter, Julie who gave me encouragement from the very begin ning and motivated me to fulfill my dream. My parents, Dick and Kathryn Cade, deserve special thanks for instilling in me an insatiable thirst for knowledge and concern for humankind. My sisters, Marsha and Cindy, who said "You can do it!" and their families have provided me with a wonderful network of love and support. I am truly blessed. 11 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii ABSTRACT v LIST OF TABLES vii CHAPTER L INTRODUCTION 1 Statement of the Problem 5 Purpose of the Study 6 Research Questions 7 Definitions of Key Terms 8 Limitations of the Study 13 Basic Assumptions 13 II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 15 Career Development Theory 15 Family and Consimier Sciences in Higher Education 31 Career Selection Studies in Family and Consumer Sciences ....34 Summary 46 m. METHODS AND PROCEDURES 47 Research Design 47 Design and Development of the Instruments 48 Selection and Description of the Sample 53 Pilot Study 54 Data Collection 55 Data Analysis 59 Summary 63 IV. ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA 64 Description of the Sample 64 Results Related to Research Questions 69 Summary 97 111 V. SUMMARY, FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 98 Summary of the Study 98 Interpretation of the Findings 102 Conclusions 110 General Limitations 112 Recommendations 114 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 116 APPENDICES A. COVER LETTER ACCOMPANYING INSTRUMENTS 127 B. BASIC INFORMATION QUESTIONNAIRE 129 C. SELF-DIRECTED SEARCH 131 D. FOLLOW-UP TO STUDENTS 134 E. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 138 F. LETTERS OF PERMISSION 145 IV ABSTRACT A review of literature revealed a paucity of research on students' decisions to major in family and consumer sciences. Most of the research concentrated on the factors influencing students to major in family and consumer sciences as well as on marketing and recruitment strategies. Very few studies were based on career development theory. The purpose of the present study was to apply Holland's theory of vocational personalities and work environments to undergraduate students enrolled in family and consumer sciences at one major southwestern university. In addition, demographic and background data about the students were provided. The study was based on responses from 159 freshmen enrolled in an introductory seminar course and 163 juniors and seniors enrolled in a capstone seminar course. The students responded to a Basic Information Questionnaire, developed by the researcher and the Self-Directed Search, a career assessment inventory based on Holland's theory of personalities and environments interaction (RIASEC) model. According to Holland, individuals can be characterized by their resemblance to each of the six personality types: Realistic (R), Investigative (I), Artistic (A), Social (S), Enterprising (E), and Conventional (C). Evidence of the application of Holland's theory indicated that the students majoring in family and consumer sciences were identified by three personality types (Social, Enterprising, and Artistic). The majority of the students were compatible with their self-summary score on the Self-Directed Search. The self-summary scores of the students in the 11 majors were congruent with their occupational codes (Holland's Dictionary of Educational Opportu nities). Some majors were found to be more congruent than others. Demo graphic and background variables revealed no significant effect on the level of congruence for students in the study. Two-thirds of the students majoring in family and consumer sciences had been enrolled in secondary home economics. Sixty-four percent of the sample had previous volunteer and work experiences related to their major. The study and its application of Holland's theory has practical implica tions for recruitment, advisement, instruction, and retention of students. Findings also indicated that additional career development research needs to be conducted in family and consumer sciences programs. VI LIST OF TABLES 2.1 Summary Comparison of Three Theories of Career Development 17 3.1 Characteristics of RIASEC Personality Types 49 3.2 Characteristics of RIASEC Occupational Environment Types 50 3.3 Occupational Codes for Majors in the College of Human Sciences 56 4.1 Demographic Data for Students in the Study 65 4.2 Background Information for Students in the Study 66 4.3 Demographic and Background Data by Major for the Study 68 4.4 SDS First-letter Code Frequencies for Students Majoring in the College of Human Sciences 71 4.5 SDS First-letter Code Frequencies for HUSC 1100 72 4.6 SDS First-letter Code Frequencies for HUSC 3214 73 4.7 SDS Summary Code Frequencies for Early Childhood Education Majors 74 4.8 SDS Summary Code Frequencies for Family Financial Planning Majors 75 4.9 SDS Summary Code Frequencies for Family Studies Majors 76 4.10 SDS Summary Code Frequencies for Fashion Design Majors 77 4.11 SDS Summary Code Frequencies for Food and Nutrition-Dietetics Majors 78 4.12 SDS Summary Code Frequencies for General Home Economics 79 4.13 SDS Summary Code Frequencies for General Home Economics- Teacher Certification 80 Vll 4.14 SDS Summary Code Frequencies for Human Development Majors 81 4.15 SDS Summary Code Frequencies for Interior Design Majors 82 4.16 SDS Summary Code Frequencies for Merchandising Majors 83 4.17 SDS Summary Code Frequencies for Restaurant, Hotel, and Institutional Management 84 4.18 Summary of Hit Rates for Each Major in the College of Human Sciences 85 4.19 lachan Index of Congruence for Students in the College of Human Sciences 87 4.20 lachanlndexof Congruence for Each Major- HUSC 1100 89 4.21 lachanlndexof Congruence for Each Major- HUSC 3214 90 4.22 ANOVA Summary Table of Effects Between Selected Variables and the lachan Index of Congruence 92 4.23 ANOVA Summary Table of Effects Between Selected Variables and the lachan Index of Congruence for Human Development Majors 94 4.24 Reasons for Selecting a Major in the College of Human Sciences 96 E.l Demographic Data for Students in the Pilot Study 139 E.2 Background Information for Students in the Pilot Study 140 E.3 Demographic Data for Students Enrolled in HUSC 1100 141 E.4 Backgroimd Information for HUSC 1100 Students in the Study 142 E.5 Demographic Data for Students Enrolled in HUSC 3214 143 E.6 Background Information for HUSC 3214 Students in the Study 144 Vlll CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The study of career choices in the United States is well established (Brown & Brooks, 1996; Osipow & Fitzgerald, 1996). Some who have studied career development have focused on the processes by which one selects a career. For most individuals, career development is a lifelong process of getting ready to choose, choosing, and typically, continuing to make choices from among the many occupations available in our society. Each individual under taking this process is influenced by a great number of factors, in cluding family, personal values and aptitudes, and social context. (Brown & Brooks, 1996, p. xv) Because of the centrality of work in most people's lives, it is significant to comprehend the career development process and how it can be effective to individuals as well as the greater society. One of the most important decisions made by a university student is that of choosing a major. The university experience should encourage stu dents to strive for academic excellence and help prepare them for career opportunities and develop skills for life. When Boyer (1987) asked 1,000 college-bound high school seniors about their reasons for wanting to go to college, 90% said "to have a more satisfying career" (p. 11). Programs offered at the baccalaureate level should be "innovative in focus, relevant to the needs of a rapidly changing society, and designed to prepare professionals for employment in broad career options" (TTU, 1996, p. 368). That statement was written for students enrolled in the College of Human Sciences at Texas Tech University. Home economics programs were introduced in higher education in the late 1800s and early 1900s with an emphasis on the more practical aspects of home and family life. Home economics was considered an enrichment to the general university curriculum. With the creation of the land-grant university system in the 1860s, home economics courses gradually became a regular part of curricular offerings (Tate, 1961).