EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2012, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Counselor Education

This study explored the effects of professional socialization factors (i.e. number of career counseling classes; faculty, supervisor, and peer attitude; training/client experience; level of importance of career counseling; perceived difficulty level of career counseling) on counselor trainees' levels of self-efficacy and interest in career counseling. Participants completed the Career Counseling Self-Efficacy Scale (O'Brien et al., 1997) and two additional measurements developed by the researcher: First, an interest assessment which was developed by modifying the CCSES to capture interest versus self-efficacy and the second, the Counseling Student Survey to measure professional socialization factors. Eighty one graduate counseling students from two CACREP-accredited counseling programs from two Midwestern universities participated in this study and were randomly assigned to one of two conditions to test the effects of professional socialization factors on career counseling self-efficacy and interest. Participants completed the Counseling Student Survey, the Career Counseling Self-Efficacy Scale (CCSES), and a modified version of the CCSES to measure interest. Linear regression analyses yielded a positive significant relationship between interest and participants' view of importance of career development knowledge when working with clients. A negative significant relationship was found between interest and how participants viewed the difficulty level of career counseling compared to mental health counseling. There was no relationship among professional socialization factors and self-efficacy. However, a correlation analysis revealed a moderate positive significant relationship between interest and self-efficacy. The limitations of this study, as well as recommendations for future research, are discussed.

Committee: Mei Tang PhD (Committee Chair); Donna Tromski-Klingshirn PhD (Committee Member); Ellen Piel Cook PhD (Committee Member); Christine Hovanitz PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Counseling Psychology

PHD, Kent State University, 2009, College of Education, Health, and Human Services / Department of Adult, Counseling, Health and Vocational Education

The purpose of this study was to examine the distinctiveness of interest inventory scores. The researcher studied the difference between scores on the Self-Directed Search (SDS) in an effort to determine when a difference between two scores represents a significant and meaningful difference. Researchers commonly use the standard error of measurement (SEM) to determine confidence intervals for individuals' true scores. The SEM for the SDS equals eight points, which means two scores must be separated by at least eight points to be considered distinct. Over time the SEM has become known as the “rule of eight”, and practitioners use it as a guideline for interpreting SDS results. However, researchers determined the SEM from a statistical formula, and no study has empirically examined this guideline. This study examined the distinctiveness of interest inventory scores by calculating the difference between individuals' highest two SDS scores, while comparing congruence between two concurrent measures of vocational interest, both taken from the SDS. SDS data was collected for 2397, (1497 female and 900 male), undergraduate students enrolled in the exploratory major at a large Midwestern university between 1996 and 2002. Primary-code distinction represented the absolute difference between the top two SDS scores. Expressed vocational interest and inventoried interest were compared to determine whether or not a congruent match existed between the two. Congruence results were grouped by level of primary-code distinction in an effort to determine when distinction scores represent a meaningful difference. Descriptive statistics suggest a positive relationship exists between primary-code distinction and congruence. Furthermore, distinction scores of four points appear to distinguish between individuals' top two SDS scores. Logistic regression confirmed the existence of a significant positive relationship between primary-code distinction and congruence, such that a one-point incr (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Mark Savickas PhD (Committee Chair); Jason McGlothlin PhD (Committee Member); Mark Kretovics PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Academic Guidance Counseling; Psychology; Vocational Education

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2023, Educational Administration

Student veterans have long been a population needing specialized assistance, however due to their unique intersectional identities higher education professionals in many cases are unsure of what to do when meeting with them. This Grounded Theory-Action Research focused study has sought to identify the career needs of student veterans as well as any potential barriers they face when working with career practitioners. Arguably just as important, this study also sought to identify the needs of the practitioners who are working with these students in their career advising appointments. The purpose of this study is to begin to work towards filling knowledge gaps within the career advising industry from both the perspective of the student and the practitioner. To accomplish this purposive sampling was used to interview student veterans from Youngstown State University remotely using semi-structured recorded interviews. Similarly, career practitioners were interviewed using a semi-structured format, however practitioners were staff at several different collegiate institutions throughout the state of Ohio which were deidentified. Interviews were then transcribed and coded to identify themes. Once themes were found an action plan revolving around a comprehensive training program was created. Findings indicate that the primary areas of need for the student veterans include practitioners having information on transferable career paths, a centralized location and point of contact for student veterans to receive services (not the career center), and the need for practitioners to be aware of mental health needs of the population while not becoming overly cautious. A unique element of these findings is that student veterans continually mentioned the need for the practitioner to have a general understanding, and ideally appreciation of, their unique experiences and culture. Findings of practitioners indicated that there is an understanding that student veterans face simila (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Elizabeth Essex (Committee Chair); Scott Hall (Committee Member); Justin Edwards (Committee Member) Subjects: Academic Guidance Counseling; Adult Education; Armed Forces; Education; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration

MA, University of Cincinnati, 2020, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Counseling, Mental Health

Although career decidedness is not necessarily regarded as a career counseling goal, career indecision is a common concern of clients who seek career counseling. Many components of career indecision have been studied, and the current study aims to further understand the relationship between personality and career indecision. Specifically, the MBTI was used as a measure of personality, and career indecision was determined by whether college students declared a major or not. It was hypothesized that there were statistically significant differences between each dimension (E-I, T-F, S-N and J-P) between exploratory students and declared students. Specifically, it was predicted that individuals who prefer N and P were more likely to experience career indecision. The current study tested the hypotheses using proportional t-tests tests. The results indicate that individuals who had F and P preferences are more likely to experience career indecision. The results offer an explanation about the impact of personality traits on career indecision and how counselors can better help students who present such issues. Keywords: career indecision, personality, MBTI, career decision making, career counseling, exploratory students

Committee: Mei Tang Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Hang Joon Kim Ph.D. (Committee Member); George Richardson Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Continuing Education

MA, University of Cincinnati, 2019, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Counseling, Mental Health

College student-athletes are often overlooked in regard to post graduation planning support, yet this population is in great need of career intervention when considering few of them could pursue and achieve a professional athletic career. The sparse research on assisting college student-athletes for career transition found that athletic identity could be a factor in their readiness to transition into nonathletic careers. The current study seeks to explore the relationship between transition readiness, athletic identity, and college experiences, as well as examine how transition readiness can be influenced by the other two factors. Fifty four college student-athletes completed the AIMS (Brewer and Cornelius, 2001), the SACSI-RM and RF (Cox, Sadberry, McGuire, and McBride, 2009), and a demographic questionnaire including transition readiness. The correlation analysis found significant relationships between transition readiness and career confidence type college experiences as well as athletic identity and sport involvement promotes career confidence type college experiences. A linear multiple regression analysis was used to determine if athletic identity and college experiences were predictors of transition readiness. The results of this test observed no statistical significant predictors with transition readiness. The discussion includes explanations of unsupported influence of athletic identity and college experience to career transition readiness, limitations to the study, and implications and suggestions for continuing this research to further help the population's transition readiness and career development.

Committee: Mei Tang Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Michael Odio Ph.D. (Committee Member); Andrew Wood Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Mental Health

PHD, Kent State University, 2019, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences

To explore and extend Holland's (1997) theoretical proposition regarding inconsistency in vocational personality patterns, the researcher studied how the patterns function in the lives of individuals. Rather than investigate the theoretical construct of inconsistency as an individual difference variable, as has been done numerous times before, the present study examined inconsistency from the perspective of individuality, that is, individuals' personal experience of inconsistency. To accomplish this purpose, the researcher asked one overarching research question: How do individuals with an inconsistent vocational personality pattern conceptualize the origin, experience, development, and career implications of living with contrary interests? The researcher recruited 10 participants who displayed inconsistent vocational personality patterns and then used Stake's (2006) multiple-case methodology for within-case analysis for each of the 10 participants followed by cross-case analysis to identify themes that generalize common issues across the 10 cases as well as fit the unique issues in each case. The cross-case analyses suggested 17 themes that were sufficiently common and consistent to merit attention. The 17 themes were organized and categorized into five conceptual clusters, one for each of the research questions that guided the study along with an individuation cluster. After interpreting the meaning of these clusters, the researcher presented a “synthetic construction” of the origins, experience, development, and career implications of an inconsistent vocational personality pattern to provide an explanatory framework with generative power beyond the 10 cases studies in the present research. The synthesis was followed by implications for theory, research, and practice.

Committee: Jason McGlothlin PhD (Committee Co-Chair); Steve Rainey PhD (Committee Co-Chair); Phillip Rumrill PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Counseling Education; Counseling Psychology; Rehabilitation; School Counseling

Honors Theses, Ohio Dominican University, 2017, Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between life design's career counseling techniques and the effect on career indecision and self-efficacy in a sample of 17 senior undergraduates. Rooted in Arthur Bandura's concept of self-efficacy (1994) and John Krumboltz's social learning theory (1976), life design, created by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, employs design thinking to create a meaningful life. The study utilized a mix methods longitudinal approach. Participants completed Burnett's and Evan's survey during three phases. The survey measured mindset, confidence, and career indecision in relation to life design tactics. Data results revealed increases in self-efficacy, despite job search discouragement during the third phase of the study. The hope is that research from this study may be applicable to career counseling centers, particularly at educational institutions.

Committee: Natalie Kompa M.B.A. (Advisor); Arlene Ramkissoon D.B.A. (Other) Subjects: Academic Guidance Counseling; Counseling Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2017, College of Education and Human Services

International students face many challenges as they adapt to a new host country. These challenges are present in social, psychological, academic, and career domains of life. Although students aim to reduce the difficulties encountered in the acculturation process, negative experiences often have a harmful impact. Acculturative stress can negatively affect mental and physical health, as well as career outcomes. The literature focusing on the career-related needs and placement concerns of international students with relation to acculturative stress is scare and needs further exploration. The present study investigated the relationship between acculturative stress and the career outcomes of work hope, career outlook, occupational awareness, career agency, career aspirations (leadership, achievement, and educational), and job-search self-efficacy. The findings from this investigation suggested that international students who reported more acculturation difficulties associated with Perceived Discrimination, Perceived Hate and Fear, and to a lesser extent Homesickness; also tended to report less Work Hope, a more Negative Career Outlook, lower Achievement Aspirations, Leadership Aspirations, Educational Aspirations, Career Agency, and Job Search Self-Efficacy.

Committee: Donna Schultheiss Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Phillips Julia Ph.D. (Committee Member); Stead Graham Ph.D. (Committee Member); Horvath Michael Ph.D. (Committee Member); Perry Justin Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Counseling Psychology; Education; Mental Health; Teaching

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), University of Findlay, 2017, Education

This dissertation identifies and describes the broad range of variables that may influence the high school student's ability to make accurate career decisions as approaching post-secondary transitions. The dissertation also studies and discusses the effects of the general education and career-technical education tracks on the high school student's ability to make confident career decisions. Variables found to be contributing to low Career Decision Self-Efficacy (CDSE) that may lead to poor post-high school transitions include the lack of self-confidence to carry out post-secondary plans, lack of interest, or uncertain career goals. The consequences of low CDSE include disengagement from academic coursework, potentially dropping out of their future degree program or vocational training, consequently doubting their abilities and avoiding academic challenges. High CDSE can play a key role in the student's belief to confidently choose between post-secondary options and successfully complete the tasks associated with achieving their goals. The study included 102 urban and 436 rural, junior and senior students from northwest Ohio. Students were sorted by age, gender, race, expected education outcomes, and parents' level of education, and assessed across the five subscales of CDSE: Self-Appraisal, Occupational Information, Goal Selection, Planning and Problem Solving. The information gathered from this research has the potential to benefit high school students as they move through the critical career exploration stage into future post-secondary career options.

Committee: John Cindric (Committee Chair); Mike Scoles (Committee Member); Kathleen Crates (Committee Member); Kathy Siebenaler Wilson (Committee Member) Subjects: Academic Guidance Counseling; Vocational Education

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2016, Counselor Education and Supervision

The effectiveness of career counseling treatment outcomes is determined in part by the competence of career counselors themselves who must work with an increasingly expanding range of client diversity including but not limited to more clients of color. Career counselors' self-efficacy in general, and particularly regarding multicultural clientele, is a key component of career counseling effectiveness. This may be especially true for career counselors of color although little research has been conducted to assess variables predictive of self-efficacy among career counselors of color. Due to the potential that their own personal experiences of racial insults may impact treatment competency perceptions, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether self-perceived multicultural competence and self-perceived racial microaggression predicted career counseling self-efficacy among counselors of color. Minority stress theory informed the underpinnings of the present study. One hundred eighteen licensed professional counselors and licensed rehabilitation counselors, self-identified as counselors of color and practicing career counseling, completed the Career Counseling Self-Efficacy Scale, the Racial and Ethnic Microaggression Scale, the Multicultural Counseling Inventory, and a demographic questionnaire. Four hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that stronger career counseling therapeutic process and competency self-efficacy beliefs were significantly predicted by self-perceived increases in multicultural competency skills. However, neither other forms of self-perceived multicultural competencies nor self-perceived microaggression predicted self-efficacy beliefs. Implications for multicultural theory, career counselor practice and education, and future research are discussed.

Committee: Robert Schwartz (Advisor) Subjects: Counseling Education

Doctor of Education (EdD), Ohio University, 2016, Educational Administration (Education)

Women continue to be underrepresented in the nontraditional careers. With areas of cosmetology, health sciences, education and child care being the dominate female careers; there is limited female representation in welding, carpentry, plumbing/pipefitting, electrical and other traditional male careers. Due to facing social barriers and developing an understanding of skill measurement among peers by the age of adolescence, individuals will disregard career options that may be viable for the future based on limited exposure and inaccurate facts. In addition, as students become aware of their own interests and abilities career preferences begin to emerge. Choices tend to be toward jobs in which students find accessible and in which there is a familiarity. The process of self-selection and differentiated task-specific beliefs among students occurs as early as elementary school. Researchers have gathered data to bring awareness that gender stereotyping occurs within the elementary setting and students are already self-selecting careers based upon those stereotypes at young ages. By the age of adolescence, the experiences students have had within the school setting, within the home, and through experiences or lack thereof, can already determine the career path for an individual. Due to females being strongly influenced by their setting and the expected gender roles they are to play, understanding the research is critical for the recruitment and retention of women within a nontraditional work setting. Recruitment and early exposure can start at earlier ages by providing job shadowing and mentoring early in the educational life of a child. By researching ways to improve the recruitment and retention of females into nontraditional occupations, tremendous financial opportunities could be available to women who may never have considered the skill sets and talent they have as being viable. This qualitative study uses a series of three interviews with selected participants (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Charles Lowery Ed.D (Committee Co-Chair); Krisanna Machtmes Ph.D (Committee Co-Chair); Emmanuel Jean Francois Ph.D (Committee Member); Dwan Robinson Ph.D (Committee Member); Jason Stoner Ph.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Continuing Education; Counseling Education; Curriculum Development; Education; Education Policy; Educational Theory; Gender Studies; Labor Relations; School Counseling; Vocational Education; Womens Studies

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2014, Counselor Education

The ability of mothers in the criminal justice system to obtain stable employment upon release from the criminal justice system has been shown to be a crucial aspect for successful reentry into society. The described population is often unemployed or works in unrewarding and underpaid jobs. These individuals often fail to find quality employment due to limited resources on a personal, educational, and societal level. The present study aimed to determine whether mothers in the criminal justice system differ in their career needs. Levinson's theory of adult development suggests distinct life eras over the life span associated to particular age groups. The researcher used three of four life eras of Levinson's theory to investigate if mothers in the criminal justice system (n=1,040) differ in their career needs related to education, employment, counseling, and hope for the future. The researcher found in the sample of this study only moderate support for the theory with little evidence to support the age-linked notion of these stages. Results showed that mothers differ significantly across age groups as defined by Levinson's theory in their experienced rejections for a job due to their criminal record, the degree to which mothers desire to receive long-term counseling and their hope for the future. While the researcher did not find strong evidence that supports the postulate of Levinson's primary developmental sequence in mothers in the criminal justice system, the researcher did identify several notable implications based on the study's results. Suggestions are provided for improvements in research design, measurement, and for future research to understand the best approaches to provide effective career counseling to mothers in the criminal justice system.

Committee: John Laux (Advisor); Nick Piazza (Committee Member); Kasey Tucker-Gail (Committee Member); Christopher Roseman (Committee Member) Subjects: Counseling Education; Counseling Psychology; Criminology

MS, University of Cincinnati, 2010, Allied Health Sciences : Genetic Counseling

Early awareness of careers is helpful in recruiting students into a career pipeline. School counselors are among the top resources that students turn to when seeking advice about choosing their career. Studies show that high school is the ideal time to generate interest in the genetic counseling career, especially for minorities. This novel study of 291 high school counselors from diverse public school districts examines to what extent members of this important group discuss genetic counseling as a career option with their students. Our findings indicate that the majority of school counselors in this study did not discuss genetic counseling with their students, citing a lack of resources and lack of student interest as the major barriers. We suggest ways to increase high school counselors' awareness of the career to enhance the goal of enriching recruitment of minorities into the genetic counseling pipeline

Committee: Kerry Sebera PhD (Committee Chair); Meredith Tabangin MPH (Committee Member); Nancy Warren MS, CGC (Committee Member) Subjects: Academic Guidance Counseling

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2008, Educational Studies: Hums, Science, Tech and Voc

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between the roles of school counselors and the participation of students in CTE programs using data from an extensive survey of high schools in New Jersey. The roles of school counselors defined as the goals and activities they provided. Their activities were consisted of four areas: career services, post-secondary education selections, school and personal problems, and academic services. In addition, the extent to which specific subgroups of school settings, such as socio-economic status of school, school type, and school size and the characteristics of school counselors. This study is based on data from 401 high schools in New Jersey. The survey data for the study came from New Jersey state project, Profile and evaluation of career and technical education in New Jersey high schools. The project used four sources of data: administrative data (New Jersey high school report card, vocational education data system), mail survey of high school principals, and mail survey of high school counselors. The results of the study show that the goal of job placement promoted the outcomes of CTE and effectively impacted the services of school counselors associated with enrollment in CTE. Second, in the case of their activities the career and academic services enhanced the outcomes of CTE. The service of school and personal problems also is related to improve the outcomes of CTE. This study provides several significant implications for future study and the professional development of scholars, educators, and policy makers regarding career and technical education, career development, and workforce development. The first is high schools need to clarify the roles of school counselors. The second is that schools might need to arrange school counselor's roles to improve CTE outcomes with understanding their evolving roles in changing socio-economic surroundings. The third is that high schools should consider the district's c (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Joshua Hawley EdD (Advisor); Christopher Zirkle PhD (Committee Member); Christopher Wood PhD (Committee Member); David Stien PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2009, Counselor Education (Education)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of providing Holland's (1997) RIASEC interest inventory as a tool for Japanese high school students to narrow down their career choices and develop their vocational identity. It especially focused on how students reacted differently depending on their sex differences and job-seeking attitudes (occupational model or workplace/company model). Holland's theory assumes that an individual chooses his or her desired occupation (occupational model), however, traditional Japanese job-seekers place more importance on choosing a desired workplace or a company (workplace/company model) and become generalists rather than choosing a single occupation. In such a culture, the effectiveness of Holland's career intervention needed to be carefully investigated before its application to the target culture.A sample of 58 Japanese high school students temporarily residing in the U.S. participated in an experimental design on their development of vocational identity after receiving an intervention. Data were analyzed using a factorial Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). A McNemar chi-square significance of change was also used to analyze the impact of Holland's career intervention on students' attitudinal change in their job-seeking orientation. While these analyses did not reveal any statistically significant effects or differences, which may be due to the small sample and effect size, supplemental analyses revealed: (a) a statistically significant correlation between gain scores of vocational identity and a high level of Investigative interest; (b) a statistically significant interaction effect between the treatment condition and the levels of Investigative interest; (c) a statistically significant increase from the pretest to posttest vocational identity score with a small-medium effect size only for the treatment group; and (d) a statistically significant increase among members of the treatment group in the two items of the (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Tracy Leinbaugh (Committee Chair); Jerry Olsheski (Committee Member); Johanson George (Committee Member); Thacker Rebecca (Committee Member) Subjects: Academic Guidance Counseling

PHD, Kent State University, 2012, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences

This study determined and recommended empirically-based criteria for performing person matching as a psychometric scoring methodology to predict specialty selection for a profession. This study compared the predictive hit rates of standard scoring and three calculations of person matching based upon ex post facto data collected on 5,143 medical students who had taken an interest inventory and had entered their medical residency. The results suggested the following conclusions to the five hypotheses. First, the inclusion of all 150 raw item scores when person matching produced more accurate hit rates than when using the 18 scale scores. Person matching on the item level appears to be more accurate than person matching on the factor or scale level. Second, using the top 20 person matches produced the highest hit rates as compared to the top match and top 5 and 10 singular matches. Third, standard scoring outperformed person matching for the top match. However, the 150 items and the 30 items were able to outperform standard scoring when looking beyond the top match to offer medical students several medical specialties to research for further consideration. Fourth, gender differences were less pronounced for person matching than standard scoring. Fifth, the predictive hit rates were slightly higher when combining standard scoring and person matching psychometric scoring methodologies to person match based upon only 30 items on the inventory. In conclusion, person matching is worthy of considerable research attention in interest inventories as the benefits to women and a quickly-changing, global workforce could be immense.

Committee: Mark Savickas Ph.D (Committee Chair); Jason McGlothlin Ph.D. (Committee Member); Cynthia Symons D.Ed. (Committee Member) Subjects: Academic Guidance Counseling; Educational Tests and Measurements; Psychological Tests