The factors that relate to the career maturity of school-going girls in Gauteng : a case study

Abstract

The first aim of this research was to identify the factors that relate to the career maturity of school-going girls and more specifically the factor positive possible selves. Secondly, the study aimed to measure the stability of the construct career maturity as learners progress from one grade to the next without any guidance intervention. The work of Super (1957), Crites (1969) and Langley (1988) formed the theoretical framework for the investigation of the contextual factors such as subject choice and career choice and the biological and psychological factors such as grade, self-efficacy, self-esteem, perceived and actual academic achievement and positive possible selves in relation to career maturity. Quantitative research that involved a cross-sectional and longitudinal research design was implemented. Career choice and self-esteem were the strongest predictors of career maturity Self-efficacy showed marginal significance and possible selves explained only 2% of the variance of the dependent variable career maturity.