The present study examined the patterns of individual adjustment and career consciousness of 154 Japanese junior high school students at 4 months before transition to high school. The relations between those patterns and adjustment after transition to high school also were examined. Four distinct patterns of junior high school students' adjustment and career consciousness were found by means of cluster analysis; (a) having low self confidence and low social support, (b) having undeveloped career consciousness and dissatisfaction with academic performance, (c) depending on others and having dissatisfaction with school life, and (d) having high self-efficacy and making a good adjustment. The students who had high self-efficacy and were well adjusted before transition showed better adjustment to high schools after transition than the students who had low self confidence and low social support. The results are discussed in terms of individual differences among adolescents in their adjustment to high school transition. Educational implications of students' social support and self-efficacy are also discussed.

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The purpose of this study was to find development of self-efficacy on career decision and career maturity through teaching practice. The scales of self-efficacy on career decision, career maturity were administered to 44 educational undergraduates (27 women and 17 men). In this study, Self-Efficacy on Career Decision Scale (SECD) and Career Readiness Scale (CRS, Sakayanagi, 1996) were used. Self-Efficacy on Career Decision Scale consists of Goal Selection, Occupational Information, Self-Appraisal, Planning, and Problem Solving. Career Readiness Scale consists of Life Career Readiness (LCR) and Occupational Career Readiness (OCR). Each consists of career concern, career autonomy and career planning. The following results were obtained. (1)The scores in the scales of self-efficacy on career decision after teaching practice were significantly higher than those before teaching practice. (2)The scores in the scales of career maturity after teaching practice were not significantly higher than those before teaching practice. (3)All paths from the scales of self-efficacy on career decision before teaching practice to those after teaching practice of the path model we proposed were significant. These findings suggest that teaching practice is one of the effective activities to develop self-efficacy on career decision in undergraduates.

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This paper attempted to examine the contents, methods and assessment of Career Education in Family and Consumer Sciences in the USA. The author found two characteristics of Career Education in Family and Consumer Sciences; (1)understanding of the relations among family, community and career and performance of multiple roles and (2)understanding and preparation of occupations related to Family and Consumer Sciences. In the middle school, it was aimed at nurturing the abilities of self-understanding, human relations, decision making and information gathering and processing. In the high school, it was especially aimed at nurturing the abilities of life career planning through the program of work experiences. In the career center, it was focused on the specific occupations and nurturing the abilities needed to them. Cooperative education was incorporated into the classroom teaching and portforio was adopted as the assessment methods. The programs of teaching remain to be developed and practiced from the view point of career guidance and sogo-gakusyu.

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