Efficacy of Work–Life Orientation

Region and Parents’ Education as Background Factors

Bibliographic Data

ID16913235
AuthorsKalervo Friberg (0000-0002-8824-9753, University of Helsinki, corresponding author)
Year2020
Volume10
Issue4
Publication date2020-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSAGE Open (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2158-2440 • E-ISSN: 2158-2440
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/2158244020972364
OpenAlexW3101259529
LanguageEN
References cited57

This study detected and analyzed changes that took place in students’ attitudes toward their future education and occupation after completion of the 3-year orientation to work–life through Grades 7 to 9 in different regions in Finland. The changes in the correlations of attitudes were seen as both precursors and consequences of the students’ engagement in the work–life orientation (WLO) program. The changes were postulated not to correlate with the respondents’ region and parents’ education. The empirically measured changes in students’ attitudes served as indicators of the efficacy of WLO. Efficacy referred to the power of WLO to produce effects in the form of changes in attitudes toward educational and occupational choices. Consequently, tentative hypotheses were formed to be tested through empirical observations (measurement points) of WLO. WLO was expected to positively affect student motivation and to guide idiographic decision-making concerning personal goals. Using an alpha level of .05, an independent samples test was conducted to evaluate whether independence, flexibility, and self-direction differed significantly in the measurement groups. For the WLO effect sizes (ES) estimation and for the comparison of the groups, Cohen’s ds were calculated. WLO had a small to medium effect on independence and flexibility, and a near zero effect on self-direction. No notable regional differences in the variance of the students’ attitudes were detected although the social environments differed considerably with regard to industrial structure. The statistically significant proportional differences between the parents’ educational levels did not correlate with the efficacy of WLO

Developmental psychology · Nomothetic and idiographic · Statistics · Gender Diversity and Inequality · Mathematics · Psychological and Temporal Perspectives Research · Psychology · Social Psychology · Work-Family Balance Challenges