College students' choice of careers in home economics and non-home economics professions

Abstract

<p>The purposes of this study were (1) to develop a model of career choice by college students, (2) to identify variables influencing college students' choice of home economics careers, and (3) to determine the impact of the interactions of these variables on college students' choice of home economics careers. A model proposed by Moos (1987) was adapted and utilized to explain the interrelatedness of environmental and personal variables as they influenced students' choice of a career in Home Economics; A sample of 428 junior/senior college students from three land-grant institutions responded to a career choice instrument. The home economics subgroup (N = 225) was composed of students enrolled in upper division classes in units accredited by the American Home Economics Association (AHEA). The remaining 203 students were comparable except that they were enrolled in other upper division classes outside the accredited units;The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, factor analysis, reliabilities, Pearson correlations, and logistic regression. Two environmental and seven personal variables were found to be significantly important predictors of a choice of career in Home Economics; The environmental variables were ethnic composition of student population in high school and stress related to interpersonal relations with college faculty. The personal variables were ethnicity, college classification, perceived ability to pursue social sciences or home economics, preference for timing of career information, and a consideration to pursue a career in art-related or education-related fields.</p>