Effects of a vocational group experience on the persistence rate of freshman college students

Typescript (photocopy).The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a 90-minute vocational group experience on the persistence rate of freshman college students. The vocational group experience was conducted supplying basic vocational information to beginning college students about themselves, the college, and the job market. A review of the literature indicated that a number of factors affect college students' persistence, including: vocational counseling, declared college major (undecided, associate degree, or bachelor degree), achievement test score (verbal and mathematics), sexual gender, and receipt of financial aid through the college. A 90-minute vocational group experience was developed based on Holland's model of vocational counseling and Strong's vocational life stages. This vocational experience was conducted by peer counselors for incoming freshman students at Lamar University during freshman orientation sessions in small groups averaging 10 students each. During the vocational experience the students were exposed to: the Holland Self-Directed Search and the Occupations Finder, a handbook linking college majors to Self-Directed Search codes, and the Postsecondary Education Supply and Occupational Demand in Texas. To examine the effects of the vocational group experience and the other variables, subjects (N = 200) were chosen randomly and data collected. To analyze the data and make assessments, a chi-square analysis, partial correlations, and multiple regressions were performed. Results indicated that students exposed to the vocational group experience had a higher persistence rate at the end of the freshman year which was significant beyond the .05 level of significance. The achievement test scores were positively related to college student persistence and declaration of a major beyond the .01 level of significance. The declaration of major and sexual gender were not significantly related to college student persistence at the .05 level of significance. The factor of receipt of financial aid through the college was negatively related to college student persistence at the .01 level of significance. Recommendations for further research based on the results of this study were presented