An exploratory study of senior cycle students' perceptions of their values in the context of future career decision-making

The overall aim of this research study was to explore the perceptions Senior Cycle students have of their values in the context of future career decision-making. The study discusses values in a broad context as a review of the literature exposes a gap in literature in relation to any possible link between values and career decision-making. The study also focuses on the traditional and contemporary perspectives of adolescent development. The lack of empirical evidence regarding the influence of values during adolescence (Döring and Hillbrink 2015) is also presented. Finally, career theories and interventions are outlined as well as implications for guidance practitioners discussed. An interpretivist paradigm was employed in the study using a mixed methods approach with two phases of data gathering. In Phase 1, an established Career Value Inventory (CVI) was utilised with fifty 5th year students. Phase 2 engaged twelve students in two focus groups from the same cohort of 5th year students. The overarching themes that emerged were (1) Perceptions of Career Values Identified (2) Male V’s Female Perspectives of Career Related Values and (3) Interventions in the Career Decision-Making (CDM) Process. The overall findings revealed that adolescents can have rich and insightful perceptions of their career values and express well-articulated opinions regarding how values could assist their career decision-making process. This exploratory study concludes by recommending a review of current psychometric assessment instruments used with Senior Cycle students to include a Career Value Inventory (CVI). It also suggests that a guidance practitioner could include the topic of values in the narrative approach to guidance interventions which could enhance the career decision-making experience for students.