The effects of instructional approach, locus of control, and cognitive style on the decision to teach

Abstract

<p>Self-concept theory of career development suggests that experiences resulting in self-clarification and self-understanding are linked to adequate vocational decisions and career development.('1) The study proposed that adequate career decision-making may be related to accountability in teacher education programs;Subjects were 149 students assigned by the registrar's computer scheduling procedure to six sections of SEC ED 204 Fall Semester 1981. Four sections of SEC Ed 204 received a self-assessment instructional approach that included career education concepts in the study of Social Foundations of American Education. Two sections received a traditional foundations instructional approach. Students completed background information, a seven-point item measuring certainty about teaching, Rotter's I-E Scale, the DMT-M Scale from Harren's Assessment of Career Decision-Making (ACDM), and three scales from the ACDM measuring decision-making style.('2);Instructional approach was neither related to posttest certainty score nor to posttest DMT-M score. However, a number of posthoc two-way interactions were significant (p < .05) suggesting that the effects of instructional approach may depend upon an individual's locus of control, whether the teaching field has a surplus, shortage, or balanced supply of teachers, and use of the rational decision-making style;Locus of control was significantly (p < .01) related to posttestcertainty core and to both pretest and posttest DMT-M scores.Higher dependent decision-making style scores were significantly(p < .01) related to lower pretest and lower posttest DMT-M scores.The time when the decision about teaching was made wassignificantly (p < .05) related to posttest certainty score and to;posttest DMT-M score;('1)Donald E. Super, Reuben Starishevsky, Norman Matlin, and Jean P. Jordaan, Career Development: Self-concept Theory (New York: College Entrance Examination Board, 1963);('2)Julian B. Rotter, "Generalized Expectancies for Internal Versus External Control of Reinforcement," Psychological Monographs 80, 1 Whole No. 609 (1966): 1-28; Vincent A. Harren, Assessment of Career Decision-Making, Carbondale, Illinois: Southern Illinois University, 1980.</p>