Abstract Due to increased demand for skilled workers, it has become increasingly important for students to continue with higher education after obtaining a high school diploma. Nonetheless, although college enrollment rates have increased for all groups over the past three decades, gaps across socioeconomic and racial/ethnic groups still persist, and students from low-income families whose parents have not attended college, and those of African American or Hispanic descent are less likely than...

Abstract Middle school adolescents are developmentally ready to think about their future career options and goals. However, middle schools often struggle to find the necessary time and resources to devote to career exploration instruction. This study investigated the current state of career exploration instruction at one Mid-Atlantic middle school in order to determine how to improve the way career education is presented at the middle school level. The collected data encapsulates the...

Abstract Beginning teachers face numerous challenges as they embark on their career path. Job-related stresses are well known in the teaching profession; lack of support, poor salaries, and student discipline issues are just some of the recurring themes that are often referenced as to why teachers exit the profession. What is rarely acknowledged by these teachers is their lack of confidence in the classroom. The beginning teachers’ sense of competency or level of efficacy is believed to play a...