Career decision-making the relationship between educational indecision and vocational indecision.

Abstract

The present study investigates the relationship between educational and vocational indecision. It examines gender and cultural differences in relation to these two main variables. Three levels of educational and vocational indecision among first-entry university students were studied and designated the categories decided, tentatively decided and undecided. A biographical questionnaire and the Career Decision Scale (CDS) were used to gather quantitative data. The CDS was used to measure career indecision. Students here were arbitrarily categorised as decided, somewhat decided and undecided according to their CDS scores. Interviews were also conducted to gather qualitative data. A total of 404 students completed the questionnaire and CDS, and a total of 25 students were interviewed. The sample was drawn from the first year student population and comprised 153 male and 221 female students. There were 271 African, 1 Coloured, 99 Indian and 4 White students in the sample. The results from the data show that there is a significant relationship between educational and vocational indecision in the sample. There were significant differences for gender and culture in relation to educational and vocational indecision. Male students were found to be more decided than female students about their majors and vocation. African students were more decided about their vocation than their majors. The reverse was true for Indian students, that is, they were more decided about their majors than their vocation. There were also very interesting differences among the different language groups. The findings of this study show that the levels of educational and vocational indecision were high among the first-entry university students. Recommendations and implications for further study are discussed. KEY TERMS: Career decision-making; majors; vocation; indecision.