2014 Volume 28 Issue 1 Pages 38-52
The need for “psychological education” has been cited over the past few years, and psychoeducation should become a key component of schooling. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the communication experiences of junior high school students during career decision-making in order to use psycho-education in career advising. Data from interviews with 12 students were analyzed using the Modified Grounded Theory Approach to study students' communication with key figures during career decision-making and how students feel before and after that decisionmaking. Results yielded 42 concepts, 11 sub-categories, and 5 categories of responses. Results revealed 4 findings; (1) communication with parents developed primarily based on the topic of “ceasing reliance and gaining independence,” (2) communication with friends developed as part of an idealized sense of togetherness, though students ultimately achieved independence from their friends, (3) communication with teachers was more rational than communication with parents or friends, and (4) students were encouraged to accept themselves as they achieved independence from parents and friends. This study concluded by discussing the aforementioned findings in terms of the influence of communication experiences on students' psychological growth and practical suggestions for development of psycho-educational programs for career advising.
