Sarah Lindsay - Standard One: Graduating Teachers know ...
The relationships between students’ life experiences and career choices: A study using Bronfenbrenner’s conceptual frameworkSarah LindsayIntroductionIn the study of human development, researchers express different views about the relationship between environmental factors and the development of people. There are many different theories that aid in the development of humans some more justifiable and relevant than others. Santrock (2011) states “development reflects the influence of several environmental systems.” This conveys the idea that Santrock believes there is a strong relationship between the environments, which an adolescent is exposed to and their development within these different settings. To explore the relationships between student’s life experiences and career choices, I will use data from a research project that examined students’ responses to questions about career and study choice. These students were all enrolled in the same course in a New Zealand university.I will use Bronfenbrenner’s model of the Ecological systems theory “the theory identifies five environmental systems: Microsystems, Mesosystem, Exosystem, Macrosystem and Chronosystem.” (Santrock, 2011) As a framework to organise and interpret the data from this research project. Bronfenbrenner explains that this model “emphasizes the importance of both micro and macro dimensions in which the child lives.” (Santrock, 2011.) There isn’t able to be one system without the other as they both link together in assisting development. This theory helps to clarify why we behave and develop differently in different environments and how the complex environmental systems tie everything together. There are five different components, which make up Bronfenbrenner’s theory, the system that is closest personally is the microsystem. This relates to ones immediate environment that they are located in, there are many microsystems in a person’s life, and it’s necessarily a singular system. The mesosystem is the relationship between a person’s microsystems. The exosystem is the external factors and influences that will indirectly affect a person’s development. The macrosystem is on the edge of the exosystem, this is when overarching beliefs and values related to society and culture are developed. The last system that takes place in Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological systems theories is the Chronosystem, this system is referring to a place and the time in history when things occur and contribute to human development.According to McMillan (1990) this model “runs the risk of being regarded (perhaps analogous with Piaget's four-fold framework for the structure of cognitive develop- ment)…There is a risk, then, that his framework may be seen in the same light as is a set of Russian dolls, an interesting novelty of no lasting value.” (pp 36). There are risks and certain aspects about this model that don’t quite work, McMillan (1990) talks about how links in the systems may be different and this in turn has an influence and effect on the development within an individual. “There are links between the "levels" of the system, but these links may differ for each individual within a microsystem, let alone for those in other microsystems. We may also appreciate that the system is not simply to be admired from the outside, as it were, but represents the set of meanings held by those who inhabit it.” (McMillan, 1990 pp36). Bronfenbrenner compared others theories and their methods created by theorists such as Lev Vygotsky who created the social learning theory development, and Jean Piaget who created the cognitive development theory which focuses on children developing in stages. “His view of development reflects the tradition of Piaget and others who emphasize the centrality of a person's own construction of meaning as a basis for building on past experiences, and preparing for new ones.” (McMillan, 1990 pp36). Vygotsky believed it was essential to examine the social context in which children develop, Bronfenbrenner took theories like Vygotsky’s and Piaget’s and unravelled them then refined what he had done.In his model, Bronfenbrenner covers all the different elements that make up a persons life, by creating these five different systems that all contribute in some shape or form to human development, some more drastically than others. The micro and mesosystems are two of the five systems that have a relatively dominant role as these two systems have an immediate influence on a child/person. Bronfenbrenner portrays in his model the links between all the systems and how they manage to co-exist and still aid in development. The advantages of using Bronfenbrenner’s model are through using this structure it is straightforward and clear to visualise what the five different components are and the effects they have on ones development, through environmental factors and societal influences. By using Bronfenbrenner’s model, links to the different systems are clearly structured and what affect especially the Microsystems have on adolescents development can be viewed through a structured model.By drawing on the self-reported experiences of a small group of students and using Bronfenbrenner’s conceptual framework, the research question that I will answer in this report is: what are the relationships between students’ life experiences and career choices?MethodParticipantsThe students participating in this study attended a university in New Zealand and were enrolled in a 100-level Human Development course. This course is taken by all students enrolled in Initial Teacher Education programmes. Students pursuing other degrees were also enrolled in this course. The majority of these students were enrolled in Physical Education, Social Work, and Psychology programmes.The data was collected in two stages. In the first stage, all students enrolled in this course were invited to participate in a survey. In the second stage, three weeks later, each student interviewed students attending their workshop session.The surveyThe survey questions were developed by the course leaders. The survey consisted of eight demographic questions and fifteen Likert-scale questions. The Likert-scale questions required students to mark their agreement with statements on a five-point scale, with the option Strongly Agree on one end, and Strongly Disagree at the other end.The survey was administered to each workshop group during class time during the second week of the course. The workshop facilitator provided information to students about the process, confidentiality, and anonymity. Students who did not want to participate were given an opportunity to opt out of the study by pretending to complete the survey without marking the form. Students were told that the research was approved by the departmental Ethics Committee and that students who did not want participate would not incur any disadvantage.The interviewsThe questions for the interview were developed by students in their workshop group. Through a process of brainstorming, they agreed on a number of questions that would address the different systems of Bronfenbrenner’s framework. The questions were used to form a structured interview protocol. This interview protocol allowed the investigating students to ask, and record their answers in a structured way.The interview questions asked were:Tell me about how your parents influenced your choice of career/study? What kinds of discussions did your school and parents have in regards to your future?How did the careers of your family influence your choice of study/career? How did society and media influence you in your choice of study?Did the Christchurch earthquake affect your choice of study, if so how and why?Each investigating student interviewed two students they had not worked with before. Students alternated asking each other questions. After some time, the workshop facilitator invited students to form another dyad and a second round of the structured interviewing process was conducted. The interviewing students took notes during each of the interviews they conducted. After this, students returned to their workshop groups and shared their interview data.Survey AnalysisThe results from the Likert-scale questions were assigned numerical values from 1-5, with “5” being Strongly Agree and “1” being Strongly Disagree. The mid-point of the scale was assigned a value of “3” and reported as Neutral. Subsequently, the results for the strongly agree and agree answer options were calculated as the average of the combined result and were reported as (Strongly) Agree. The results for the strongly disagree and disagree answer options were calculated as the average of the combined result and were reported as (Strongly) Disagree.Interview AnalysisStudents used the structure of the interview protocol to help them organise and analyse their data. An initial round of analysis was completed in students’ workshop groups. The responses to interview questions were analysed by students using the characteristics and details of each system in Bronfenbrenner’s framework. Students were encouraged by their course leaders to meet outside of class time with other students in the course to analyse and discuss the research report.Results and DiscussionSurvey RespondentsThe survey was filled in by 301 students. A total of 348 students were enrolled in this course. This means that the survey had a response rate of 86%. A summary of the survey respondents can be found in Appendix 1. A summary of the survey results can be found in Appendix 2.Interview RespondentsThe two students that we interviewed were aged between 18 and 21. We interviewed two students all together, both were studying full time at the University of Otago. Gender distributions in the class were very uneven, there were two boys in the class we gathered data from so we were only able to obtain data from females. The older female was in her third year studying Psychology and the younger interviewee was in her first year at Teachers College. Both females had come directly from school although the 21 year old had already been at University for 2 years. Bronfenbrenner’s conceptual frameworkThe data in this study will be interpreted using Bronfenbrenner’s conceptual framework. Specifically, Bronfenbrenner’s concepts of the microsystem, the mesosystem, the exosystem, and the macrosystem, will be used to discuss the relationships between students’ life experiences and career choices in the data I collected.MicrosystemBronfenbrenner described the microsystem as “the setting in which the individual lives.. It is in the microsystem that the most direct interactions with social agents take place.” (Santrock, 2011 pp28). The microsystem is the system in Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological systems theory that relates to an adolescent’s immediate environments and the impacts these environments have on development. “There are at least four major microsystems in which adolescent development occurs and which have relevance to career development: the family, the school, the workplace, and the peer group.” (Young, 1983 pp403). Each interviewee was asked the following question related to the micro-system. “Tell me about how your parents influenced your choice of study?”Participant A discussed her reasoning for going into the course of study she did (Psychology) was because it was something her mother had a degree in. At the beginning she wasn’t entirely sure why she had chosen Psychology, when she reflected back on it she came to the conclusion it was because of her mother. When she was younger her mother was an adult student and would test her brother and herself out with different tests required for her study. By participating in these tests it stemmed an interest in her to explore the field of Psychology to see what it had to offer. Another large influence was the pressure from her parents to attend University, as they were both graduates, from a very young age there was always that striving and push for excellence in academics.Participant B stated that unlike our first interviewee she didn’t really have the strong push from her parents. They were exceptionally supportive but there was no external motivation or pressure for her from them to obtain a Bachelor of Education. Participant B’s mother had recently completed long distance study and although she didn’t want to study what her mother had been participant B was encouraged to see her mother working hard and achieving her personal academic goals. Her father is also a very hard worker so through both parents as a child she was able to grasp the concept of being internally motivated and working hard for yourself to make things happen. Participant B although exceptionally well supported didn’t have a huge push to go to University from her mother and father, in this situation she had a lot of intrinsic motivation to get her to the place she is now.The experiences that these participants discussed connect to Bronfenbrenner’s concept of the microsystem because both participant A and B although in different aspects were influenced by their immediate surroundings. Participant A in this particular microsystem was encouraged into her study from experiences she had observed and participated in as a younger child but those experiences along with her parents support and a push on academic aspects that influenced her when she was younger helped shaped her development in what she was passionate about and what career path she wanted to take. Participant B was also heavily influenced by her immediate environment, in a different way however. With less of a push from her parents academically she had to use a lot of intrinsic motivation, her parents influenced her heavily here. As a young child she was constantly in an environment where hard work was promoted, you work for what you get. This motivation is something that her parents have influenced her with in her choice of study.MesosystemBronfenbrenner describes the mesosystem as the system that “involves relations between microsystems or connections between contexts.” (Santrock, 2011 pp28). The mesosystem is the system that interconnects the mircosystems to one another, this is an important system as this theory is multidimensional and doesn’t just contain one microsystem, this links together the systems that have the immediate influence and effect on an adolescent’s development. “Most adolescents participate in at least three, if not all four, of the microsystems identified. The interrelations among these microsystems comprise the adolescent's mesosystem.” (Young, 1983 pp406.) Each interviewee was asked the following question related to the mesosystem. “What kinds of discussions did your school and parents have in regards to your future?” Participant A discussed the conversations that her parents and teachers had about her different skills and abilities they saw within her at home in her most comfortable environment, and at school in a higher strung atmosphere. One thing became apparent relatively quickly was her manner with people, she was exceptionally empathetic with people and needed a job where she was with them helping. With these qualities in mind and her mother’s influence and guidance clinical Psychology seemed like a really good option.Participant B stated that her parents and teachers often had interactions, as her father was a member of her school’s board of trustees. Through these interactions and discussions it become abundantly clear that all her teachers thought she would make a wonderful teacher and they would tell her father this constantly. By having a parent that was so actively involved in the school this was very beneficial to participant B as it meant that there was lots of communication between two of her microsystems. The experiences that these participants discussed connect to Bronfenbrenner’s concept of the mesosystem because both A and B had influences that helped shape their futures and different career options through the merging of two of their microsystems to form a mesosystem. Participant A’s teachers and parents went over things that had already been confirmed as far as what she wanted to do career wise. There was an equal drive from both microsystems for her to attend University, this was a great link in the mesosystem as both were influences that had the same objective in mind. Participant B would have had a greater influence of the mesosystem in Bronfenbrenner’s theory as in her microsystem in her home environment her parents were supportive of what she wanted to achieve in the future but they didn’t push it, the coming together of her school and home life to create the mesosystem gave another support system and helped to develop and reiterate the fact that she would be a fantastic teacher and that was what she wanted to do in her future. ExosystemBronfenbrenner describes the exosystem as a system that “consists of links between a social setting in which the individual does not have an active role and the individuals immediate context.” (Santrock, 2011 pp29). The exosystem is the system in Bronfenbrenner’s model that doesn’t directly impact on a persons devlopment it is through external influences that this occurs. Each interviewee was asked the following question related to the exosystem, “How did the careers of your family influence your choice of study/career?” Participant A disscussed about her parents careers and the influence they had, had on what she had wanted to study and start a career in. Her mother although she had a degree in Psychology didn’t work in this area of expertise, she did however have a very high paying job and this interested participant A as she had grown accustomed to a particular way of life growing up. This was what was the motivation driving her into clinical Psychology as that is where there is a lot of money and she had a taste of it and she saw what it could do. Her father didn’t work so she didn’t want to be stuck in that situation so she chose study that would be challenging but have a high job market when she graduates.Participant B stated that her parents careers didn’t really influence her decision apart from money. Participant B’s mother was in a corprate job that was steady and secure with a solid income from week to week, and her father was a farmer. What that meant a lot of the time was the income he would receive would be dependent on many different factors often out of their control due to weather. Seeing her father in a career that he loved but wasn’t always finacially stable had an influence as she could see through her father how tough things could get. Through this external factor teaching was perfect as it’s a more stable job and it’s what she is really passionate about, like her father farming.The experiences that these participants discussed connect to Bronfenbrenner’s concept of the exosystem as both paticipant A and B were influenced by external factors of their parents different careers. These indirect influences impacted on the careers that both participant A and B now want to obtain. They both have slightly different objectives A wants to be able to uphold a certain standard of living that only a high paying job will allow and B from the impact of having her father as a farmer, wants a job that is not nessacarily high paying but is finacially secure. MacrosystemBronfenbrenner describes the macrosystem as the system that “involves the culture in which individuals live.” (Santrock, 2011 pp29). The macrosystem is the overarching values and beliefs that have an impact on culture and societal factors a person is developed in. “The broad cultural context that affects the variables identified at previous levels is the macrosystem. Little research has examined this context's direct relationship to adolescent career development.” (Young, 1983 pp410). Each interviewee was asked the following question related to the macrosystem “how did society and media influence you in your choice of study?” Participant A discussed that she wanted to be a respected member of society and how she believed she could do this was to become a doctor. This position to her sounds quite prestigious and doctors in most areas are considered very respectable. It was mentioned that the media portray doctors as heroes, not only the medical but also all. This was the view and status she wanted for herself so people would look at her and see she is contributing to society in some way. Another media outlet that influenced her particular choice of study was the popular television show the mentalist. In this show the character storylines are based around is an extremely capable psychiatrist who is able to instantly analyse people and help them. Seeing through this show how easily he helped people although she realised wasn’t entirely accurate it still encouraged her into her study of Psychology. Participant B stated that media did not really influence her choice in wanting to study education, as there were a few negative stories in the media when she was making her decision. The difficulty with novapay was a story circulating at this time and it did not aid in influencing her decision to go teaching. Society did have an impact, as there was a certainty most of the time for a job. She also wanted to be perceived in society with a respectable and responsible image that she believed teachers had.The experiences that these two participants discussed connect to Bronfenbrenner’s concept of the macrosystem as both of the participants had values, beliefs and ideologies about the different professions they wanted to achieve. Society and how they would both be viewed played a role in their final decision as they wanted professions that would be respected and in participants A’s case she wanted that prestigious name for herself in society. Concluding remarksThe main results from this study were the influence and impact of the different systems that make up Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. Both of the participants that had been interviewed had links and were influenced in choosing their study options/career, some systems impacted more heavily than others. Bronfenbrenner’s conceptual framework drew our attention to the importance of the different systems and their linking together, how they all play an important role in the decision-making these participants had to make. There was not one system without the other they. The interviewees clearly indicated that their parents, teachers and societal factors influenced their career and study choices. The microsystems of these participants and their environments had the most immediate and direct influence. The mesosystem when both participant’s parents and teachers interacted, alongside the macrosystem where their beliefs about how they would be portrayed in society helped to shape that decision making. Overall, results of this study point to the impact and influence not just one system has on life experiences and career choice but the impact that a few systems have, they all compliment one another. As mentioned earlier “development reflects the influence of several environmental systems.” (Santrock, 2011). This idea is conveyed clearly in this report through the use of interview.ReferencesMcMillan, B. (1990). An ecological perspective on individual human development. Early Childhood Development and Care, 55(1), 33-42.Santrock, J. (2011). Introduction to life-span development Life-span development. (pp. 4-48). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.Young, A. (1983). Career development of adolescents: An ecological perspective. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 12(5), 401-417. Demographic detailsAge16-1920-2526-3031-4041-5051-60older than 60%68.120.32.74.33.71.00Accommodation Residential College/ HallFlatting with othersLiving in my own home (with or without family)Living with parents or relativesOther%32.634.911.618.32.7Out of town (Dunedin/ Invercargill)YesNo%51.049.0Main studyTeachingBA – EdBA - otherSocial workPsychPhys. Ed.Other%62.77.39.36.75.73.05.3QualificationNCEAUEUE-intl.Tertiary otherOther entryDegree %72.85.66.04.410.11.0 GenderFemaleMale %82.317.7Before?High schoolEmployedStay at home parentTertiary studiesOther %66.818.63.76.34.7Ethnic identificationMāori(NZ) EuropeanPasifika(NZ) AsianOther% (adds to more than 100 due to multiple identities)13.884.63.04.06.7Appendix 1: Summary of the survey respondentsSURVEY QUESTIONn(Strongly) agree %nNeutral %n(Strongly) disagree %My parents were very influential in my choice of study/career9631.98628.611939.5My whanau/extended family were influential in my choice of study/career5317.7752517257.3My teachers played an important role in how my career interests developed13645.67424.88829.5My siblings had an important influence on my study and career interests5518.57023.517358.1My friends and their interests and choices had an important influence on my study and career interests 60206722.317357.7My school and parents discussed my future career and/or study choice13645.3541811036.7The ethnic group I belong to believes that people in my chosen career are able to contribute to the well-being and aspirations of our ethnic group. That has influenced my choice of study/career. 5017.38027.715955.0My school and parents discussed my strengths in particular subjects in order to help me decide on my future study/career choice114386220.712441.3The career of one (or more) of my parents has influenced my career/study choice78264715.717558.3Having observed the impact of my parent(s) job/career on our family has influenced my choice of study/career12642.16321.111036.8Government advertisements to recruit students for particular careers (for example to attract teachers) played a role in my decision-making155391324581.9The status in society of the career I am pursuing played a role in my choice of study/career7525.28929.913445The fact that society believes that the career I want to pursue makes a valuable contribution to the well-being of our country, played an important role in my choice of study/career13244.38026.88628.9Society’ wants everyone to be employed; my study/career choice is purely pragmatic: I have to do something to earn money.6521.87023.516354.7‘Society’ believes that people in my chosen career are able to contribute to the well-being and aspirations of all groups in society. That has influenced my choice of study/career. 11438.110133.88428.1Appendix 2: Summary of the survey results ................
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