The Relationship between Career Development and Educational Development

The Relationship between Career Development and Educational Development: A Selected Review of the Literature

Dr. David Blustein, Professor, Boston College

A key assumption of current career development practice is that students who are able to understand and internalize the connections between school and work will be more actively engaged in their academic tasks and will be more likely to succeed in high school (Hamilton, 1994; Solberg, Howard, Blustein, & Close, 2002). Indeed, this assumption has guided many of the secondary school reforms of the last decade (Blustein, Juntunen, & Worthington, 2000; Howard, Solberg, Blustein, & Close, 2002). This section of the guidebook will identify some of the more important bodies of work that provide solid evidence to support this position.



Prior to reviewing the empirical literature, it is important to observe that researchers and policy analysts in education and psychology are linking growth in educational development and career development (Gysbers & Henderson, 1994; Marshall & Tucker, 1992; Resnick & Wirt, 1996).

In short, if students have a clearer idea of their career goals, they will more likely to engage in academic tasks. In effect, facilitating the career development of students will help to get them to the "table", so that the educational reforms that have been implemented in recent years can be maximally effective.

Two meta-analyses (involving quantitative reviews of various research studies) have demonstrated that career education interventions are having positive impacts on academic achievement (Baker & Taylor, 1998; Evans & Burck, 1992). Other studies have further underscored the findings of the two aforementioned meta-analyses. For example, Fouad (1995) found that urban students who took part in a one-year intervention designed to improve their awareness of careers in math and science demonstrated modest gains in academic achievement.

Lapan, Gysbers, and Petroski (2001) conducted an extensive evaluation of a systematic guidance model that included clear focus on helping students to connect career planning to personal and educational development. Their analysis revealed that seventh graders who were exposed to this comprehensive guidance intervention reported gains in their attitudes about the importance of education in their lives and also achieved higher grades than did students who did not participate in this intervention. Using a program that focuses specifically on enhancing students' knowledge of themselves and the world of work, Solberg, Close, and Metz (2001) identified gains in various domains of student achievement and attitudes relating to education.

In sum, the findings that have been presented here provide empirical support for the proposition that students who are able to internalize the connection between school and career will be better prepared psychologically to engage fully in their educational lives.