The Effect of a Computer-Assisted Career Guidance System on the Career Development of South African Students

Abstract

In this study the authors focused on the effect of a newly developed computer-assisted career guidance (CACG) system in South Africa on the career maturity, career certainty, career indecision and problem-solving appraisal of South African students. A Solomon four-group design was used and 84 final year high-school students were randomly assigned to two experimental and two control groups. The Attitude Scale of the Career Maturity Inventory, the Career Decision Scale and the Problem Solving Inventory were used as outcome measures. A two-way ANOVA indicated that exposure to the program had no effect on the outcome measures used. In a follow-up study 49 students in a lower grade level (Std 9) were randomly assigned to either a control or experimental group and the same outcome measures were used. An analysis of covariance indicated that exposure to the program had an effect on attitudinal career maturity and career indecision, but no effect on the career certainty and problem-solving appraisal of subjects. The results of the two studies suggest that CACG interventions need to take into account the career development stage and career readiness of students.