Home Environment and Academic Self-Concept as Predictors of Career Maturity

Abstract

The present study was conducted to investigate home environment and academic self- concept as predictors of career maturity among adolescents. Descriptive survey method of research was used for collecting the data using Home Environment Scale by Sarla Java and Academic Self Concept Scale (ASCS) by Reynolds et al. (1980). A representative sample of 400 (200 boys and 200 girls) Xth class students was drawn from schools located in the Hyderabad city using simple random sampling technique. Descriptive, correlational and inferential statistics were used to compute correlations and to compare the means between the groups. Findings of the study revealed that (1) there is significant relationship between home environment, academic self-concept and career maturity of students. (2) there is significant difference between boys & girls and rural & urban in respect of their home environment, academic self- concept and career maturity and (3) there is significant difference between rural and urban students in respect of their home environment and career maturity, however insignificant difference is found in case of rural and urban on the measure of academic self- concept. The above analysis suggests that career development of adolescents should be taken as a challenge not only by the adolescents themselves but also by educationists, psychologists and administrators to develop maturity in career decision and goal selection. They should be guided and trained to make congruence between career behaviour and his expected behaviour at that age. Lesser is the gap between the two greater is the maturity in the individuals’ career.