Key Issues in Career Counselling and Guidance

Career Guidance & Counseling in Greece: Guidance & Counseling Centers (KESYP) and School Career Guidance Offices (GRASEP)

By Fani Adam-Christopoulou, School Career Guidance Officer

Each current society should have as a priority the creation of circumstances that express young people's respect for education and professions and take into account cultural, ecological, economic and educational needs.

The most important choice in a person's life is his profession. How many teenagers don't feel confused about their future? How many adults feel trapped in an occupation that they dislike? How many are in unemployment and looking for a job? How many try to build a successful career?

The fast rhythms of the third wave of technological revolution that we face today and the economical and social evolutions have made life much more complicated. Teenagers try to get used to the way of living that they will lead as adults. They have to be aware of the broader society and the global economy that has no restricted limits but change every day and it is impossible to be forecasted.

New technologies are the basic component of current society, offering important advantages to mankind. Fast technological and social changes demand:

Broader intrascientific and educational bases for the citizens of tomorrow, in order for them to be competitive and not surpassed by evolutions.

Career effectiveness and career guidance suggest the development of certain career attitudes, values and dispositions that facilitate the smooth entrance in the labor market, the "career socialization".

"Counseling and Career Guidance" institution can offer many things and become the link between education and labor market. It can:

Help teenagers identify their abilities, interests, (expectancies), dispositions, talents or special characteristics.
Provide information about the Greek Educational System.
Help them identify and assess their career values.
Become the link between education and production. It can give them the opportunity to experience certain job circumstances, to learn about new technologies, to discover the variety of new professions and to attain realistic understanding of them.
Facilitate the communication/cooperation with parents and increase their interest in career guidance issues.

School Career Guidance (SEP)

Account
LEGISLATIONS
School Career Guidance was first implemented in Greece, in a pilot phase, in 1976. In school year 1981-82, it was established in the Third Grade of the Lower Secondary School (Gymnasium) in all regions of Greece. Later School Career Guidance expanded to the First and Second Grade of Upper Secondary School (Lyceum) but only for four months in each grade.

Articles 37-38-39 of Law 1566/85 constituted the legislative framework for the implementation of the institution.

According to the article 37:

Main goal of School Career Guidance (SEP) is the development of the students' personality, students' information about career choices available to them and the transitional stages of establishing a career and a harmonious entry into life and society.
School Career Guidance (SEP) is implemented in Secondary Education school units:
- By discussion and group exercises, by providing information, by using contemporary technology methods, by contacting professionals and visiting work places and educational institutions, as mentioned in the curriculum.
- By providing information about the educational system.
- By publication of relevant booklets for students, teachers and parents.

According to the article 38.2:
"Each school unit keeps educational and professional information record. This is a responsibility of teachers who implement School Career Guidance".
School Career Guidance (SEP) is currently implemented in the Third Grade of the Lower Secondary School (Gymnasium) (one hour per week for all the school year) and in the First Grade of Upper Secondary School (Unified Lyceum) but only in the second four months of the school year.

Guidance & Counseling Centers (KESYP) and School Career Guidance Offices (GRASEP)

Creation account
Guidance & Counseling Centers (KESYP) and School Career Guidance Offices (GRASEP) were founded to improve Counseling and Career Guidance services to young people.

Under the Law 2525/97, art. 10.3 the following innovations have been introduced: sixty eight 68 Guidance and Counseling Centers (KESYP) were founded at the headquarters of each prefecture, one (1) center at the Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs and two hundreds (200) School Career Guidance Offices (GRASEP) in 200 secondary education school units. Recently eleven (11) more KESYP and two hundreds seventy (270) GRASEP were founded while one hundred (100) GRASEP are about to be founded.

The objective of KESYP is Counseling and development of Career Guidance institution to a prefecture level, providing help not only to specific individuals (school students, university students), in order to realize their abilities and enter smoothly the social and labor world, but to larger groups as well (school units, students, parents, teachers etc).

On September of 1997 Law 2525/97 "Unified Lyceum, Access to Higher Education, Assessment of Teaching Work and Other Regulations" was voted. According the article 10 of the law:

The objective of School Career Guidance (SEP) is to provide students the necessary help during the various stages of development, so that they can be able to attain realistic understanding of their dispositions, to develop their skills and to claim their participation in society.
The National Centre for Vocational Orientation (EKEP), according to the article 16 of the Law 2224/1994, which is located in Athens, operates under the joint authority of the Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs and of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.
- To facilitate the implementation of the School Career Guidance institution in all regions of Greece Guidance and Counseling Centers (KESYP) were founded at the headquarters of each prefecture, one (1) center at the Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs and two hundreds (200) School Career Guidance Offices (GRASEP) in 200 secondary education school units. KESYP of prefecture and GRASEP operate under the authority of the Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs and are financed by the tactic budget of the Ministry.
- More specific objectives of KESYP and GRASEP, posts, duties and rewards of their stuff, their organizing and function, the number of KESYP in each prefecture and the school units, where GRASEP are located, are determined by Presidential Order after proposition of the Ministries of National Education and Religious Affairs, of the Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization and of Finance.

The most important criteria for the location were:

Central position within the limits of local Secondary Education Office.
Number and composition of population, in order to support regions with special social problems.
Size of the rooms, in order to be able to conduct seminars or other team activities with students, teachers and parents.
Accessibility to people with moving difficulties.

Guidance & Counseling Centers (KESYP) and School Career Guidance Offices (GRASEP)

Services
KESYP and GRASEP address to school students, university students, parents, adults in employment and generally to the local and broader society.

KESYP are located in central areas that are easily accessible.
They also serve people with special needs, but only a few KESYP are accessible to people with moving difficulties.

KESYP and GRASEP are connected to each other and communicate through "Nestor" network. "Nestor" facilitates the flow of current, correct and documented information about career related issues. Recently, almost all school units are connected to Panhellenic Intraschool Network EDUnet. GRASEP are connected to EDUnet through their school units. KESYP are, also, connected to EDUnet.

"Nestor" network is a panhellenic Intranet network (through telephone network). Connection is permitted only to those with access code.

"Nestor" network facilitates communication and collaboration between teachers who are interested in Counseling and School Career Guidance issues. KESYP of Pedagogical Institute supports "Nestor" network's, KESYP's and GRASEP's function.

The trained staff of KESYP and GRASEP may use "Nestor" network for issues relevant to:

Educational information
Professional information
Counseling and Career Guidance
Seminars, Conferences or other activities
Information about various websites and many other issues related to the existence and function of KESYP and GRASEP.

School Career Guidance officers:

Are responsible for the implementation of School Career Guidance in school units, along with the Information Expert.
Support GRASEP and cooperate with the teachers who work there.
Provide counseling support.

Counseling and Guidance Centers (KESYP)
Are staffed by:

Teachers trained in Counseling and Career Guidance.
Teachers trained in Information and Documentation.

Have:

Information and educational material about educational, training and labor market issues both in printed and electronic form.

Are connected to:

The Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs (YPEPTH).
The National Centre for Vocational Orientation (EKEP) database.
The Pedagogical Institute (PI)
School Career Guidance Offices (GRASEP).

Address to:

All students.
Candidates for Greek Higher Education Schools (University, AEI, TEI, Greek Open University) and for every other training school.
Parents.
Teachers who implement Career Guidance in their school units.
Young people.

Organize:

Gatherings of parents and students about issues relevant to education and professions.

Training seminars and conferences for teachers who implement Career Guidance in their school units.

Cooperate:

With local authorities.
With local social, educational and professional organizations.
With EKEP, YPEPTH and PI.

Every student, who can't decide about his/her educational pathway, may find support and valuable help in the local KESYP.

Every young man/woman, who needs information about educational, training and labor market issues, may address to the local KESYP and receive reliable and correct information.

KESYP address to parents who are worried about the future of their children. Parents can ask the local KESYP for help.

Every teacher, who needs help in order to implement School Career Guidance more efficiently, may address to the local KESYP.

Objectives of KESYP:

School Career Guidance implementation coordination in the prefecture.
Counseling of young men/women about career choice and occupation issues.
Upgrading of information, by personal access to correct information through new technologies.
Support of people with special needs and complicated problems by experts.
Development of information printed material (through connection with the center).
Collaboration of teachers who implement SEP in the prefecture's school units (information and training).
Upgrading of School Career Guidance (SEP) lesson and activities in collaboration with parents and students.
Providing information to supervisors of school principles, to teachers and to public opinion and making them interested in issues relevant to career guidance by various activities (speeches, conferences etc)
Communication and cooperation with local authorities' representatives. Specifically

The objective of KESYP is Counseling and development of Career Guidance institution in a prefecture level, providing help not only to specific individuals (school students, university students), in order to realize their abilities and enter smoothly the social and labor world, but to larger teams as well (school units, students, parents, teachers etc).

School Career Guidance provides help to students through the various stages of development.

Career Guidance is useful in developing abilities/skills and the way of thinking that are necessary, in order to make an appropriate choice of education and career path and create an image of life as adult.

KESYP have as an objective to enrich young men/women's knowledge, to help them develop skills, experience communication, cooperation and social participation and to develop their personality through mutual trust and cooperation.

They help young men/women expand their personality, interests, abilities, values, in order to be able to confront with responsibility the various problems and make the right choices.
They help young men/women attain a better understanding of themselves and increase their self-confidence.
They help young men/women set goals and make the right decisions.

Career counselors help students and young people achieve self-knowledge and:

Make accurate estimates of his personality traits.
Identify their thinking, reacting and behavior style.
Identify their (abilities, dispositions and interests.
Understand their personal, educational and professional values.
Acquire correct information.

All the above, along with effective counseling, will help students to make the right choice.

Acceptance of all students:
Counseling and Career Guidance officers accept every student as a special human being, without limitations, through an atmosphere of honesty and trust, because our goal is his/her personal, educational and vocational development.
Support and preparation about education and labor market issues are provided to people that belong to groups in social risk.
Various activities are being developed:
- Programs of mutual acceptance and of development relationships between handicapped students and students of Unified Lyceum.
- Programs of having a service office for school and university students from foreign countries.
- Collaboration with associations of people with special needs.
- Support (counseling-educational-vocational) of students with restricted abilities.
- Collaboration with parents.

Under the editorship of Stelios Krassas
Athens 2003

The Hellenic Educational System

During the last decades, important reformatory initiatives broadened the horizons of our educational system: the linguistic issue was resolved, democratic procedures were consolidated in Universities, the Institutions of Technological Education were established, a nine-year compulsory education as well as vocational education and training were institutionalised.

The structure of the system in brief

Attendance at Primary Education (Dimotiko) lasts for six years, and children are admitted at the age of 6. Along with the regular kindergartens (Nipiagogeia) and the Dimotika, All-day primary schools are in operation, with an extended timetable and an enriched Curriculum.

Post-compulsory Secondary Education, according to the reform of 1997, consists of two school types: Eniaia Lykeia (Unified Upper Secondary Schools) and the Technical Vocational Educational Schools (TEE). The duration of studies in Eniaia Lykeia (EL) is three years and two years (a' level) or three years (b' level) in the Technical Vocational Educational Schools (TEE). Mutual student transfer from one type of school to the other is possible.

Along with the mainstream schools of Primary and Secondary Education, Special Nipiagogeia (kindergartens), Dimotika, Gymnasia, Lykeia and upper secondary classes are in operation, which admit students with special educational needs. Musical, Ecclesiastical and Physical Education Gymnasia and Lykeia are also in operation.

Post-compulsory Secondary Education also includes the Vocational Training Institutes (IEK), which provide formal but unclassified level of education. These Institutes are not classified as an educational level, because they accept both Gymnasio (lower secondary school) and Lykeio (upper secondary school) graduates according to the relevant specializations they provide.

Public higher education is divided into Universities (AEI) and Technological Educational Institutes (TEI). Students are admitted to these Institutes according to their performance at national level examinations taking place at the second and third grade of Lykeio. Additionally, students are admitted to the Hellenic Open University (EAP) upon the completion of the 22-year of age by drawing lots.

Formal education is characterized by the fixed length of study, the possibility of repetition and the award of a formal school-leaving certificate which is the official authorization.

As a consequence of the classification of the education institutions, a title (school-leaving certificate, degree etc.) is compulsory for students at each education level in order to continue to the next.

It should be outlined that the graph offers a general overview of the education system with its main aspects being supervised by the Ministry of Education and which form the major part of it. However, a broader analysis shows that the total of the education services provided for in Greece form a much more complex, multilevel and differentiated infrastructure. Moreover, many other educational services, classified or unclassified, are provided for in the formal education system, either in co-operation with it or completely independently.

A detailed description of the Greek Education System is offered in EURYBASE (http://www.eurydice.org) , the EURYDICE database of the European Education Systems. More information is offered in Ministryís of National Education and Religious Affairs web site: http://www.ypepth.gr .

The following graph presents concisely the structure of the Hellenic (Greek) Educational System, as it consists of institutions of the formal, classified or unclassified education.

The influence of school and family to the formation of career development of primary and secondary education students?

D. Sidiropoulou - Dimakakou, S. K. Krassas and A. K. Touloumakos

Most of the parents consider that one of their key responsibilities is to help their children plan and attain their careers. Studies show that parents have a lead role to their children career planning (Amatea & Cross, 1980) and that they impinge on the way that young people see both world and professions (Isaacson & Brown, 1995). At the same time parents exposing their children to a number of different experiences also help the latter's career development (Sidiropoulou, Mylonas & Argyropoulou, 2003) and affect their attitudes with respect to the content of their career choices. The interference of parents to their children's career development may:

Encourage and help children analyse and comprehend their interests, abilities and difficulties,
Provide children with career related information,
Provide information about the career values that parents experience,
Create the conditions for career decision making,
Help children explore, design, prepare for the professional role that he / she will have in the future,
Help children become responsible through working within the house (Herr & Cramer, 1992 & 1996).

However, the career development of a young person does not solely depend upon the family within which the young person is raised, but connects to a great extent with the educational context. The time a young person spends in school is a period of constant development and change for him / her. This is the time where children attain the bases for their future academic and social achievement and establish their attitudes that will have a permanent influence on their career development. Those same attitudes affect as well the way a person plans his / her educational and professional career (Drummond & Ryan, 1995 . Gysbers, et.al, 1998). One of the main goals of education and of the structure of educational system affect the attitudes, values and goals of young people, while at the same time shape the criteria for their life choices and therefore their school and career guidance.

The years in primary education consist the period of life when a child's goals, achievement motivation, and perceptions of self as worthy or inferior begin to be formulated. The concepts children acquire during this life stage directly influence later school success, career identity, adult interests, and general perspectives on life. Elementary school children, in the school framework, are concerned with individual differences, work, adult life patterns, and personal feelings of competence, which they translate into self-perspectives and preferences for some work or educational activities to the exclusion of others. Frequently, unrealistic career plans are made at this level perhaps because of the school textbooks, which present the occupations reinforced by sex - typing (÷Ò·„ÍÔı‰‹ÍÁ, 1985 . ”È‰ÁÒÔÔ˝ÎÔı, 1995 . Golombok & Fivush, 1996). Far too often, large segments of the student population have no systematic models of effective behavior, which could display a consistent vocational identity that provides a stable base for the child's self and occupational explorations. Furthermore the absence of career guidance activities in primary education does not provide the opportunity to many children to have access to adequate behaviors or correct information about them or their opportunities ( Ò·ÛÛ‹Ú, 2001).

Junior high school students are not the same creatures who inhabited the elementary schools a year or two earlier. As a result of experience and growth, their horizons have widened. They need time and space to gain new experiences and to contemplate the meaning of these experiences for their lives. They seek opportunities to use their skills and to participate meaningfully. Due to being near entering senior high school, their sensitivity towards work environments and their relevance to their characteristics is accentuated. Educational decisions made in the junior high school are obviously not benign, although they may be reversible. It is a period when such career development concepts as compromise and congruence or incongruence between aspirations and expectations become operational as realities, and when idealistic fervor or naivete get their initial temperings in the reality - testing of curricular and school activities. It is also a time when values emerge with enough continuity to be measurable. This is a time, then, when change in the self and the world can be used as a focal point for planning, and when student responsibilities through participation in planning can be related to the consequences of decisions. The research of Campbell and Parsons (1972) has shown that the majority of junior high students exhibit a readiness for vocational planning. The question is, are schools and counselors prepared to help in this process?

Senior high school premises the transition from school to work. At this period high school students vary in the status of their career development and the most of them profess major needs for help with their career planning. However, their interests are more adult; they are more aware of the significant characteristics of occupations and have more information about occupations that interest them. They have more specific plans for obtaining the required training, education, and on-the-job experience. In other words that awareness of concern with present and future decisions, awareness of factors to consider in making decisions, occupational information, and planning are important aspects of vocational maturity in adolescents.

Sample

The sample of study was comprised of 326 students of primary and secondary education of the municipality of Attica. 45,4% (148 of them) are male and 54,6% (178 of them) are female. 42,1% (135 of them) are in primary and 57,9% (191 of them) are in secondary education.

Primary education:

51,1% (69) of those coming from primary education are males and 48,9% (66) of those are females. 80,6% (108) of them are 12 years old, 14,9% (20) of them are 11 years old and 4,5% (6) of them are 13 years old. 43,1% (56) reside in Athens, 31,5% (41) are residences at West Attica, 3,1% (4) are residences of North Attica and finally 22,3% ( 29) reside in East Attica.

Secondary Education:

41,4% (79) of those coming from secondary education are males and 58,6% (112) are females. 9,9% (19) of them are 14 years old, 38,7% (74) of them are 15 years old, 24,6% (47) of them are 16 years old, 24,6% (47) of them are 17 years old, 1,6% (3) of them are 18 years old and, 5% (1) is 20 years old. 41,4% (79) resides in Athens, 12,6% (24) are residences at Piraeus, and 41,6% (88) are residences of West Attica.

In terms of their preferences 39,6% (74) seem to have a preference of pursuing graduate studies in a university level, a 13,9% (26) want to pursue technical education, 1,1% (2) want to pursue some sort of advanced yet not higher education and finally most of them 45,5% (85) would like to pursue something different from all aforementioned (without clarifying exactly what that is).

Instrumentation

In order to explore the attitudes of primary and secondary education students with respect to their role as career guidance counselors and draw some solid and valid conclusions, two questionnaires (with forms A and B) were developed (one for primary and one for secondary education). Each of the two questionnaires was comprised by exactly the same questions for forms A and some common and different questions for forms B. In form A for both primary and secondary education, 30 questions were constructed. It was our intention to gather information from students with regard to their viewpoint and their parents' viewpoint. Therefore every question asks for the students' opinion, his or her mother's opinion, and his or her father's opinion. In form B there were constructed 25 and 28 items for primary and secondary education respectively sampling student's attitudes towards the role of school. All items incorporated were interval leveled with a 5 point Likert- type response scale from ëstrongly disagree' to 'strongly agree'.

Research Question

What are the differences between primary and secondary education students in terms of the groups of variables that hold together based on the questionnaires administered.

Reliability and Validity

The internal consistency (or otherwise known as) Alpha Coefficient for the primary education form A is .87 and form B is .75

The exploratory factor analysis conducted yielded 10 and 8 major factors respectively:

Form A
Variance Explained: 56,04%
Principal component analysis. Orthogonal Rotation (Varimax).

Form B
Variance Explained: 58,62%
Principal component analysis. Orthogonal Rotation (Varimax).

The internal consistency (or otherwise known as) Alpha Coefficient for the secondary education form A is .84 and form B is .87

The exploratory factor analysis conducted yielded 13 and 7 major factors respectively:

Form A
Variance Explained: 51,86%
Principal component analysis. Orthogonal Rotation (Varimax).

Form B
Variance Explained: 57,97%
Principal component analysis. Orthogonal Rotation (Varimax).

Analyses
Comparisons among primary and secondary education in terms of the factors yielded

Primary Education Form A

Factor 1. Conservative Pattern Financial aspect Job socially acknowledged Gender roles	Factor 2. Current / Progressive Pattern Gender equality of opportunities Being well-informed Career development Secure future Parental support
Factor 3. Parental Support and Trust Pattern Decision based on the child Trust that the child is well informed Trust that the child can practice and given profession	Factor 4. Career values relating to social aspects Pattern Environment that enables collaboration among people Environment that enables people getting in touch Children financially help and support their parents
Factor 5. Social Stereotype Pattern Women- Child raising Men - Financial aspect	Factor 6. Opportunistic Pattern Everything about a job is a matter of: Chance Money
Factor 7. Independency and Power Pattern Child has his/her own job Child is able to help others	Factor 8. Career Security Pattern Child should choose studies that will provide him with future stability and security Child should pursue a career in the public sector
Factor 9. Quality of life Pattern Child should study an art Children's career decision should allow for some quality free time	Factor 10. Indecision Pattern Everybody but the child knows better what the child should do with his/her life

Two items were excluded from the analysis due to low loadings:
* The child needs his parents' advices in order to make a career decision
** The child needs to decide about his/her future career

Secondary Education Form A

Factor 1. Financial Aspect Pattern Financial aspect of a job Job equals making money	Factor 2. Social Stereotype Pattern Women- Child raising Men - Financial aspect Men- Career
Factor 3. Freedom of Choice/ Parental Trust Pattern Trust that the child can make the decision Trust that the child is well informed Trust that the child can practice and given profession Factor	4. Directive / Indecision Pattern Everybody but the child knows better what the child should do with his/her life Everybody believes that the children should follow their lead with regard to his/her career decision
Factor 5. Parental Support and Trust Pattern Decision based on the child Trust that the child is well informed Trust that the child can practice and given profession	Factor 6. Career values relating to social aspects Pattern Children financially help and support their parents
Factor 7. Combination (social related values) Pattern Job happiness for child equals helping people Discuss with parents career decisions Environment that enables collaboration among people Environment that enables people getting in touch	Factor 8. Survival- Quality of life Pattern Everything about a job is a matter of Chance It is preferable that the child will study an art Children's career decision should allow for some quality free time
Factor 9. Career Stability Pattern Child should pursue a job that will provide him with future stability and security Child should pursue a career in the public sector	Factor 10. Independency Pattern Child has his/her own job Parents support their children
Factor 11. Career Development Pattern Decision based on the child Being well-informed Job should offer professional development	Factor 12. Conditions of professional success Pattern Gender equality of opportunities Child should choose studies that will offer him a good professional future
Factor 13. Traditional Pattern Everybody believe that the child needs their advice to make a career decision Job socially acknowledged

The present exploration helped draw some conclusions, and led to some more empirical questions.

The central conclusion is that both parents and school affect children's career development and shape to great extent children's educational and career choices. Another conclusion is that in all instances students seem to be in a relative accordance with their parents, and that is based on their answers to the questions. In factor analyses conducted, in all cases the answers of a student on his behalf and on behalf of their parents hold together.

The view of students in secondary education is more extended when compared to students of primary education. A practical way to see that is only by looking at the structure of factors yielded (in combination with the factors) in any of those two analyses. Using the same volume of information, in primary education the information is gathered together in 10 distinct dimensions, whereas in secondary education the dimensions are 13. In an initial analysis one might think that students in secondary education have the ability to do more complex and sophisticated dis-tinctions and to organise the information in a more advanced and detailed way.

Following that interpretation there are of course common themes in they way that items hold together when compare answers to the very same questions of students in primary and secondary education. The following constitute the similarities:

Social Stereotypes: that translates to the professional roles that all students assign to males and females (i.e. males bring the money home and females raise their children).
Parental trust and support: translates to the fact that parents need to support in any possible way their children. A main difference between primary and secondary education students is that in secondary education trust is a separate construct and in the analysis a separate factor. (That is a good example of the advanced distinctions that students is secondary education can make when compared to students of primary education).
Career Stability - Career Security: incorporates items that underline the need for stable and well rewarded employment as well as a sense of being tenured.
Indecision- Directive/ indecision: is the factor that in both instances incorporates the notion of ëeverybody but the child knows better than the child what the latter should do with his life' in the case of secondary education students that is accompanied by a notion that the ëchild should follow their parent's lead'.
Social Related Values Pattern: that translates to professions that offer for socialisation. In the case of secondary education that is combined with happiness and asking for parents' opinion in a more combined view of ways that a child should make career decisions. In that case we pinpoint the complexity and the ability of synthesis that children in secondary education have when compared with children in primary education.
Quality of life- Survival pattern: where the child should study arts and make sure that his/her career choice provide with some free quality time and in the case of secondary education students keep in mind that a job is always a matter of chance.

In primary education we see that children consider that a work related decision should offer good, compensation, while being social acknowledged and compatible with gender roles (conservative pattern). There is also the progressive pattern where, the child should be offered equal opportunities with a child of the opposite sex, should be well informed, the lob should offer for career development and secure future, and the parents should provide their support. Another pattern is the opportunistic one where everything about a job is a matter of money and chance. There is also the Independency pattern where the child should have his/her own job and be able to help others.

In secondary education the financial aspect pattern is the one that stresses the compensation of the job.

Career values relating to the social aspects pattern is the one that stresses the ability of children to support their parents when necessary.

Independency pattern: translates to something different for secondary education students when compared with primary education students. That is in secondary education, a child should have his/her own job and even though parents should help their children until the latter reach that level.

Career development pattern: is an additional factor where the decision should be made by a well informed child and choice should grant him/her with the opportunity to professionally develop.

Conditions to professional success pattern: provides with some criteria of professional support such as gender equality of opportunities and a choice of studies that will offer a good professional future.

Traditional pattern: reminds us a bit of the conservative pattern in primary education where a job should be socially acknowledged and parents should advise their children with respect to their decision making.

Primary Education Form B

Factor 1. Curriculum School activities Books-courses lead to abilities exploration Books-courses lead information seeking School network helps me acquire work knowledge and skills	Factor 2. Educators Discuss with them about diverse professions Advice on career decision making Help on defining the best profession for me Help on what is more important to me Help to narrow down my choices
Factor 3. School and steps of career decision making Good career information predisposes a good education School activities and career decision Books and courses and career plans School activities and activities that the child would want his/her future job incorporate	Factor 4. Stereotypes and Career Development Better students have better careers Student's diversity affect career guidance in schools
Factor 5. Curriculum and Students' Needs Books and courses help me pursue a job relating to math or humans Career guidance should be taught in the two last classes of primary education School material should be updated to provide students with knowledge in order for them to make better career decision	Factor 6. School and self-knowledge Books and courses help students develop career interests Books and courses help students acquire self-knowledge Educators may help clarify the courses that a student is strong
Factor 7. Multi-leveled school and professional information Educator may provide students with the information they need School activities help gather information about professions of interest Visits help make good career decisions	Factor 8. Career Security Pattern Child should choose studies that will provide him with future stability and security Child should pursue a career in the public sector

An item was excluded from the analysis due to low loading:
* Gender equality in school

Secondary Education Form B

Factor 1. Curriculum and career development Books and courses help students develop career interests Books and courses help students acquire self-knowledge Books-courses lead to abilities exploration Books-courses lead information seeking Books and courses and career plans Books and courses lead to good career decisions	Factor 2. Educators and career decisions Discuss with them about diverse professions Advice on career decision making Educators can provide with professional information Help on defining the best profession for me Help to narrow down my choices Help children shape their professional values
Factor 3. School activities and career decision making School activities and career information School activities and career decision School activities and activities that the child would want his/her future job incorporate School activities and information on professions of interest School activities and good career decisions	Factor 4. Multi-leveled school and professional development School network helps me acquire work knowledge and skills Books and courses help plan extra training Educators may help prioritize professions of interest
Factor 5. Curriculum and Students' Needs Good career information predisposes a good education Career guidance should be throughout all years of secondary education School material should be updated to provide students with knowledge in order for them to make better career decision	Factor 6. Social stereotypes Better students have better career future Books and courses help decide whether a child should pursue university education or another form of formal or informal education Student's diversity affects career guidance
Factor 7. Intra-school factors and professional potentials Student's diversity affect career guidance in schools Gender equal opportunities

Similarities for form B

Curriculum: incorporates book material, school activities (in secondary education is restricted to book material and career development of students).
Educators: refers to the role of educator as a career counsellor that provides with information about diverse professions, helps children decide on which profession they should pursue, helps students narrow down their choices, and shape their career values.
School activities or steps and career decision: relates to school activities and how those help students make their career decisions (information about professions, decision making skills development etc).
Curriculum and students' needs: relates to when career guidance should be offered throughout the course of school years and how the material should be in order to serve their needs.
Social Stereotypes and career development: is about the better children's belief that the better the student the better career will have and that student's diversity should affect career guidance in schools.

In terms of the differences:
In primary education there are 3 separate factors yielded:

School and self-knowledge: where school material and courses along with educators may help students explore and discover themselves.
Multi-leveled school and professional information: school books, courses and educators may provide students with information and skills in order to make the right decisions.
Career security: where the child should make the decision based on the security and stability a profession provide him with.

In secondary education:

Multi-leveled school and professional information: has a different meaning than it had before, school can help students plan their future extra training, books and courses can help students acquire new skills and knowledge
Intra-school factors and professional potentials: relates with diversity in schools and gender equal opportunities.

Limitations - Need for further investigation:

Non statistical comparisons were possible due to different questionnaires' structures.
Are the differences due to underlying phenomena or due to the perception of constructs by students in primary as compared to students of secondary education? The matter of equality of forms.
Why is it that in both primary and secondary education the same question when asking about the child, the mother and the father holds always together in factor analysis? Is it a matter of common viewpoints or is it due to the fact that the child needs to believe that he/she has the same opinion with their parents? If that is the case what that means with respect to matters of career decision making?

Model of action to be taken in order to exploit the professional
development of students
Actions for educators and parents ?
S. K. Krassas, G. Boubousis, and P. Lianos

Department of Psychology, University of Athens

Technology plays an increasingly greater role in the modern society and eventually contributes to its progress. The development of digital technology and the technology of optical fibers leads us fast towards a future society, where all kinds of information and service are available to all people and our capabilities for communication are unlimited (Tiffin & Rajasinghaum, 1995).

Teaching experience is expected to change drastically in the coming years. These changes will cover the whole of the educational function. First of all, its context will change. Knowledge will not be delivered only at school any more. With the existence of the Internet and a computer terminal, all houses will become libraries and information receivers.

The form of teaching will change, also. The book, the paradise of paper and letters, will not be sufficient enough. Technology provides us with the possibility not only to imagine images and sounds described in it, but to feel them, also. This development is bound to place the limits of imagination sky-high, boosting altogether the pleasure of reading.

The style and way of presentation will change. The possibility of interaction between those involved in the procedure of learning opens a new road of opportunities. Time, space, climate, mood donít play any longÂÒ a part in learning. The student will be able to receive knowledge whenever he desires, wherever finds it fit. The development of multimedia promotes the interactive relationship between teacher and student with constant computer support.

Finally, the skills will change. Students will learn how to learn, not just how to seek knowledge. Teachers will be able to acquire easily the content of their subject, and present it with equally simple and easy to understand manner. However, their responsibilities will enhance. They will have to teach their students how to use their judgment and analyze the information that they will easily acquire. Obviously, knowledge of technology will became a skill, that will be taught primarily (Dierker, 1995).

Undoubtedly, New Technologies lead to better services of School Career Guidance. However, reality nowadays shows us that the use of NTs by the School Career Counselors is limited and concerns only the use of the webpage / website of the SCG Sector of the Pedagogic Institute and the use of the Intranet e-mail service (Tzepoglou et al., 1998 & 1999).

New Technologies are widely implemented in consultation, especially in evaluation (Gyspers Í.‹., 1998). What is important is that the New Technologies improve the efficiency of the consultation procedure through the use of probing instruments in Personal Computer [PC]. Thus the Counselor is enabled to focus more on the interpersonal level, helping the student to know him/herself and plan his/her career (Seligman, 1994).

Up to this moment, the choices that exist in Career Counseling with the help of NT are:

Feeding a program with data concerning the client, with the use of a keyboard or special devices for people with Special Needs,
Feeding via scanner the profile of a client that has come out of the answers of a test,
Taking a test directly in the computer instead of using pencil and paper,
Getting the results of a test immediately,
Creating a profile (personality or skills) of the consultee via the PC,
Creating a database with all the information concerning the consultation procedure,
Using CD-ROMs including tests and other material for Career Counseling.

Especially, the benefits of administering and processing tests in electronic form are significant. A test in electronic form can be administered, standardized or explained without the need of the physical presence of the counselor.

In the last decade, the implementation of the Internet and multimedia technology has flourished, boosted by socioeconomic demands and by huge technological progress (Isaacson & Brown, 1997). Such implementations can be seen as:

Remote learning, which involves storing and upgrading the content of a lesson in electronic form, managed by a central server. The students have access to the lesson through Internet, from their houses or their school. They can, also communicate with their teacher through the Net, who can direct the lesson via a special account in the Web, providing the opportunity to access multimedia databases with educational material, browsing through electronic libraries and visiting virtual laboratories.

Multimedia - video conferencing, which involves the teacher delivering the lesson from a classroom equipped with audiovisual means, cameras and appropriate direction. The remote learners "watch" the lesson through central monitors or multimedia PCs. During the lesson they can communicate with the teacher and with each other via a two-way communication network. Every lesson is stored in a video server, which is accessible from the Internet.

Use of educational CD-ROM & DVD, the making of which is done with multimedia tools, such as Macromedia Authorware, Director, Asymetrix Toolbook, etc. The students could be given a DVD, where many stored videos of professionals are talking about their jobs, giving the advantages and the disadvantages from their point of view. Moreover, vignettes describing jobs could be included in this DVD. This disc could easily be complementary to the school book or replace it altogether.

Internet telelearning Services, which could support: a) seeking from databases information and educational material concerning SCC and job recovery, b) presentation of available material, c) recovery of information, on the grounds that it is available on-line. The realization of such services depends on Interactive WEB Pages (combination of HTML, JAVA, Javascript), and Video & Audio Streaming Technologies (Real Media, ASF). Inside the classroom the students could sit by twos in front of a PC and browse for information in the Internet (in specific pages and databases). They could, also, fill free questionnaires of career guidance, with or without the help of the teacher. The profile that each of them gets, can be used in future career planning.

In order to take real advantage of the possibilities opened by the New Technologies, cooperation must exist between: a) professional groups (teachers, counselors, psychologists, directors etc), b) educational structures (schools, education districts, ministry), c) research institutes-public and private research teams.

In Greece the development of complete systems of remote information, learning and guidance in SCG is limited, despite the fact that there exists a great and growing knowledge in the areas of multimedia and Internet technologies. Up to now there isn't any organized attempt to study, design and implement a complete program of School Career Guidance through the New Technologies, apart from the efforts of SCG Sector of the Pedagogic Institute (Tzepoglou et al., 1998 & 1999).

? 27th International School Psychology Colloquium 2005: Promoting the well - being of children and youth: A challenge for the school, the family and school psychologist, Athens, July 13 - 17, 2005

REFERENCES

Dierker, Robert A. (1995). The Future of Electronic Education. ”ÙÔ Erwin Boschmann (ÂÍ‰.), The electronic classroom : a handbook for education in the electronic environment. Medford: Learned Information.
Gyspers, N. C., Heppner, M. J., Johnston, J. A., (1998). Career Counseling. Process, Issues and Techniques. USA: Allyn & Bacon.
Isaacson, L. E., & Brown, D. (1997). Career Information, Career Counseling, and Career Development. (6th ed.). USA: Allyn & Bacon.
Seligman, L. (1994). Developmental Career Counseling and Assessment. (2nd Edition). USA: Sage Publications, Inc.
Tiffin, John & Rajasinghaum, Lalita (1995). In Search of the Virtual Class: Education in an Information Society. London: Routledge.
Tzepoglou, S. et al. (1998). Deltio Epikoinonias, Vol. 1. Athens: SCG Sector: Pedagogic Institute.
Tzepoglou, S. et al. (1999). Deltio Epikoinonias, Vol. 3. Athens: SCG Sector: Pedagogic Institute.

EDUCATIONAL & CAREER COUNSELLING IN GREECE

By STELIOS K. KRASSAS

Educational and Career Counselling (SEP) philosophy

In today's knowledge and information society, a combination of both general and specific knowledge that will lead our youths to their vocational success is becoming a sine qua non necessity. Educational and Career Counselling (SEP) is encouraging and supporting to the students, so that they will be able to plan their career easily form their path through today's complex educational crossroads.

The Pedagogical Institute, through its SEP Sector, aims in providing the necessary support and aid to the student's educational and vocational choices, through emphasising counselling as a SEP function, but also by providing students and counsellors with all available information regarding educational and occupational choices in our country. That way, it enriches educational process parameters and the education provided in our country.

Educational and Career Counselling implementation - Greece

The implementation of Educational & Career Counseling (SEP) in education is founded by Law 1566/85, in which the main principles of its implementation are stated. In particular, this institution is implemented in the 3rd grade of Junior High School and the 1st grade of Senior High School and "it's main target is the development of the students' personality, as well as informing them about career choices open to them, about the transitional stages of establish-ing a career and a harmonious entry into life and society". The student is supported throughout his/her career choice development so that educational and professional development through out the life span, from school to employment can be successfully facilitated.

The institution of SEP gains particular importance by Law 2525/97, article 10.1, as it contributes to the upgrading of its educational role according to modern social and economic situations. In particular, it is stated "Educational & Career Counseling aims to provide students with assistance during the various stages of their development so that they are aware of their inclinations, develop their skills and seek their role in society". An innovation in the function of SEP has been achieved, according to Law 2525/97, constituted to the establishment of:

68 Regional Educational and Career Counseling Center's (called KeSyP) at every one of the 58 regions of the country, under the authority of the relevant Secondary Education Headquarters,
200 Offices of Educational and Career Counseling (called GraSEP) in 200 school units of Secondary Education,
1 Educational and Career Counseling Center (KeSyP) at the Ministry of National Education and Religions (YpEPTh), which functions as a model Center, under the supervision of the Directorate of Secondary Educational and Career Counseling Affairs of the Ministry,
1 Educational and Career Counseling Center (KeSyP) at the Pedagogical Institute, which functions as a supportive, coordinating Center.

The staff in each Educational and Career Counseling Center is:

one (or more -according to the area population) Educational and Career Counselor who is a teacher, specialized in a one-year-long course in Counseling and Career Guidance, and
one Information Expert who is a teacher with six months training in Information and Documentation on issues of Educational and Career Counseling.

One teacher who has been trained in issues of Counseling and Career Guidance on a six-month course staffs every Office of Educational and Career Counselling. The above SEP framework provides counseling and guidance for students and young people under 25, while at the same time support their parents and teachers so as to be able to help them in turn, on matters related to their educational and career choices, and generally to their career development. Further, this framework promotes the cooperation of relevant services of education with other social partners (such as local authorities, parents or workers associations).

At the Educational and Career Counseling Canter's young people not only have the opportunity of full counseling support by the Counselors on matters of educational and professional choices, but also to search for information with the help of the Information Expert. Further, the Educational and Career Counseling Centers organize training programs for the support of teachers who are involved with the implementation of SEP in schools, as well as day-conferences and meetings on Counseling and Guidance topics. Finally, the Regional Centers are involved with the publication of informative leaflets, e.g. on the job market and the main professions of the residents of that area, and organize events to inform students, to which representatives of corporations and individual business professionals are invited.

The Offices of Educational and Career Counseling offer direct support students in matters related to Career Guidance. The students, who are already puzzled about their future, have the opportunity of full information on matters of education and employment through the implementation of SEP at class level. Further, the students can be supported in their inquiries, which involve them personally and are related to their educational and professional future. The Offices constitute the next immediate stage of support, which students need after the implementation of SEP in class, so that they can take decisions regarding their educational and professional future.

More generally, the Offices are where the initial search for information and the contact with the Educational and Career Counseling Regional Centers for a counseling intervene. Finally, the fact that the Offices of Educational and Career Counseling are situated within the schools themselves is beneficial to students who want to search, to be informed, to be advised and to discuss matters with an expert each time they are confronted by issues concerning their career guidance.

Indeed, the implementation of Educational and Career Counseling at class level (3rd grade of Junior High School and 1st grade of Senior High School) ensures the familiarization of students with the adult world, and more particularly that of employment. Another aim is students' systematic practice of the decision-making process, and the management of educational and professional information, which concerns them directly.

For this purpose the students of the two above-mentioned grades have educational material at their disposal, which actively facilitates and supports the above-mentioned processes. The SEP Sector of the Pedagogical Institute renews this material every year.

Worth noting is that through Law 2525/97 emphasis is given to the psycho-pedagogical guidance of students so they can become capable of handling issues in their personal and professional development (the role of the student is now active), while at the same time, according to the introductory essay of the legislature, Career Guidance is considered to be an evolutionary process, which "begins at school and is completed in the job market".

Further, according to the same law, the National Center for Vocational Guidance (called EKEP) is established, which operates under the joint authority of the Ministries of Education and Employment. It aims to ensure the success of he cooperation and communication of those agents who are involved in Career Guidance in Greece, and the effective support of their functioning.

The implementation of SEP in Secondary Education
(3rd grade of Junior High School and 1st grade of Senior High School)

The two classes - particularly the 3rd year of Junior High School - are prominently guidance classes, because students are invited to take responsible decisions regarding their educational future, and start to plan the course of their professional careers.

To this end, students have educational material at their disposal, which can facilitate and support them to carry out the processes mentioned above. The following books are included in the material:

EDUCATIONAL & CAREER COUNSELING: Getting Prepared for Life (Student's and teacher's book)
EDUCATIONAL & CAREER COUNSELING: Planning my Future (Student's and teacher's book)
STUDIES AFTER JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL: (Information Guide for Junior High School students)
STUDIES AFTER SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL: (Information Guide for Senior and Technical High School students)

Through the Educational and Career Counselling Center of the Ministry of Education, students of Senior and Technical High Schools also have access to the book CAREERS GUIDE that includes information on many of the professions in the current job market in Greece. Secondary Education teachers are responsible for the implementation of SEP in these grades.

Sector of Educational and Career Counselling (SEP)

The SEP Sector was founded within the framework of the Department of Secondary Technical Vocational Education of the Pedagogical Institute.

President: Dr. Stefanos Tzepoglou, PI Counsellor;
Members: Dr. George Voutsinos, PI Counsellor; Dr. Nikos Iliades, PI Counsellor; Dr. Vassiliki Gizelis, PI Counsellor; Dr. Anastassia Kostakis, PI Consultant; Secretary: Dr. Aikaterini Kedraka, Career Counsellor. The work conducted by the SEP Sector, PI's KeSyP and the School Bureau of Educational Orientation for the disabled and socially excluded, is supported by the following teachers, seconded from the regular education to the PI: Stelios Krassas - MSc, Career Counsellor; Niki Paisopoulou - MSc, Career Counsellor, George Papapanagiotou - MSc, Network Administrator, Georgia Pavlou - MSc, Career Counsellor and Miss Heleni Karametou as secretary and collaborator.

Educational and Career Counselling Centre (KeSyP) of the Pedagogical Institute (PI)

The Pedagogical Institute (PI) Educational and Career Counselling Centre (KeSyP) has a unique task; that of collecting educational and vocational information, evaluating it, shaping it, updating it and offering it to the various Regional Educational and Career Counselling Centres (KeSyP) and School Bureaus of Educational and Career Counselling (GraSEP), either in print or in electronic format. Additionally, it produces material regarding the wider European area, since the borderless Europe offers its citizens the possibility of free movement of education, employment and residence. Since March 1999, PI's KeSyP has been moved to a new space, more suitable to its needs. The Educational and Career Counselling (SEP) Bureau for the Disabled and Socially Excluded is also located there.

Bureau for the Disabled and Socially Excluded

"Study, planning and development of a School Career Orientation unit and a SEP Centre for the Disabled and Socially Excluded"

Additionally, the Bureau has the necessary infrastructure to support visits by KeSyP Counsellors, as well as any other interested party (disabled/socially excluded people and their agents; parental groups; teaching professionals; school counsellors etc). The Bureau also has the capacity to offer teleconferencing and electronic information provision to anyone with access to similar systems.

SEP and New Technologies

Operation of the "Nestor" network, the Regional Educational and Career Counselling Centres (KeSyP) and the School Bureaus of Educational and Career Counselling (GraSEP)
Nestor Networks website is a communication and information dissemination network, complementary to the Regional Educational and Career Counselling Centres (KeSyP) and School Bureaus of Educational and Career Counselling (GraSEP). Through it, users may:
- find information regarding educational opportunities after Gymnasium, Unified and Technical Lyceum and Technical Vocational School;
- find career descriptions in the Hellenic work environment, and thus get informed in the contemporary job market;
- be updated in regard to Municipality-based Regional Educational and Career Counselling Centers (KeSyP), School Bureaus of Educational and Career Counselling (GraSEP) and local job markets;
- be advised by online electronic versions of the Educational and Career Counselling (SEP) textbooks and various other information material, available online; find links to a huge number of other websites with additional information material.
Development and maintenance of the SEP Sector website
Management of the KeSyP and GraSEP database
Management of a five-month SEP training seminar database
Management of an educational and vocational information database
Creation of educational information and printed material regarding the support of SEP personnel and structures

KeSyP and GraSEP Support

Training

The training of 120 School SEP professionals, in collaboration with the Philosophy-Pedagogy-Psychology of the Kapodistrian University of Athens, and the Psychology Department of the Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki, in the subjects of Counselling and Career Guidance through a post-graduate study programme;
the training of 78 Secondary Education teachers in Collation of Information Material, in collaboration with the Athens Economics University and the Thessaloniki Librarianship TEI; and
the training of 500 Secondary Education teachers in Counselling and Career Guidance, through collaboration with various University Departments throughout the country.
Finally, the educational reformation and the new books that were published, created an immediate need to cover the gaps in SEP teachers training, as well as in students. Towards this aim, PI's SEP Sector supported a number of training activities that took place throughout the country.

SEP Sector's Collaboration with other Authorities

Collaboration with the Counselling and Career Education Service of Cyprus
The collaboration of PI's SEP Sector with the relevant Cypriot authority was implemented within the Joint Hellenic-Cypriot Educational Mnemonium, after the relevant decision made by PI's Co-ordinating Council. The PI was also active in the successful organisation of the 1st Cypriot-Hellenic Counselling Conference that took place in Cyprus on November 27th and 28th, 1997. Furthermore, PI's SEP Sector was responsible for the organisation of the 2nd Cypriot-Hellenic Counselling Conference that took place in Sparta, on April 22nd and 23rd, 1999.

Collaboration with the Liaison Office of the Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki

This collaboration concerns the production of printed and electronic material relating to educational information.
Collaboration with authorities implementing activities relating to Career Orientation
Communication and collaboration in joint actions relating to Career Orientation with National authorities, such as OAED (Organisation for the Occupation of the Working Population), EIE (National Work Institute) and University and TEI Liaison Offices.

SEP Sector Participation in European Programmes

Socrates
Leonardo da Vinci
Youthstart - Employment

Research

A study of the factors that contribute to the shaping of adolescent attitudes and mentalities during transition into adulthood, regarding their educational and vocational choices.
Mass media influence in information - shaping of vocational attitudes, mentalities and choices made by youngsters, regarding their entrance into the job market.
A study of the influence exerted to Secondary Education students by:
- School factors (teachers, other students);
- Out-of-school factors (parents, social acquaintances); and
- Work experience (visits and temporary placements in various job environments)
Identification of secondary education students' attitudes towards the possibilities offered by Information Technology in regards to:
- computer-aided search for information relating to educational and vocational options after school; and
- changes expected by students in education - occupation, which come as a result of society's increasing use of Information Technology. Also, an analysis of student suggestions relating to the improvements of the information and orientation provided at secondary education schools.
Studies relating to preparing disabled people and the socially excluded and introducing them into occupation.
A study on the use of Information Technology and vocational counselling for the transition of the disabled and the socially excluded into occupation.
A study of the framework relating to the vocational training and introduction into occupation of the disabled and the socially excluded.

Aegeou Pelagous 1-3, EL 153 42 Agia Paraskevi - Tel: +302106013883 - Fax: +3021106017422 - E-mail: tomeasep@pi_schools.gr - Web site: www.sep.pi_schools.gr

Multicultural Education in Greece:Multicultural Education Schools

By Fani Adam-Christopoulou,
School Career Guidance OfficerCounseling and Guidance Center (KESYP) Egaleo

Intercultural Education

In 1996, the Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs set the bases for meeting the educational needs of people with special social, cultural or religious characteristics.

The objective of intercultural education is to organize Primary and Secondary Education school units for young people with special social, cultural or educational characteristics.

Curriculums of "regular" public schools are implemented in intercultural education schools, and adjusted to students' special needs.

Intercultural Education Schools

Since 1996, twenty four (24) school units have been founded in various regions of Greece. These schools guarantee equal opportunities for all students without discrimination. Further, they imbue and enrich the Greek Educational System with contemporary pedagogical ideas.

There are:

13 Primary Education school units
8 Lower Secondary Education school units (Gymnasiums)
3 Upper Secondary Education school units (Lyceums)

These schools are staffed by teachers who attend special training. If there is a need for extra teachers, those teachers are chosen for their experience both in intercultural education and in teaching Greek as a foreign language.

Second (2nd) Intercultural Education Gymnasium, Elliniko

The Second Intercultural Education Gymnasium is a Greek public school. Its students are children of repatriated Greeks and of foreigners. Its objective is to facilitate their integration to the Greek educational and social reality.

School's description

For the past nine years, there have been reception classes (TY) functioning in each grade. These are classes with curriculum specially adapted for students that have no previous knowledge of the Greek language.

So, in each grade, there are the "regular" classes plus:

One TY (reception class) 1 in the first grade of Gymnasium.
One TY1 and one TY2 in the second grade of Gymnasium (Reception Class 2 is for students who attended Reception Class 1 of first grade the previous year).
One TY1 in the third grade of Gymnasium.

While the presentation of the material has been tailored to meet students' language and educational needs, the curriculum itself is the same as that (the one) taught in all other Greek public schools. Students receive Greek books and additional notes free of charge in Greek, English, Russian and Albanian to aid their understanding of the material.

Since the academic year of 1999-2000, all students are taught a second foreign language (French). Additionally, a Counseling Office was founded and staffed by a school psychologist who provides psychological support to students. All grades attend the lesson of Informatics. The school has a full electronic data processing system.

The school offers buses, in the South Athens and Piraeus regions, with escorts thus facilitating students' commute to the school free of charge.

School activities

The Second Intercultural Education Gymnasium participates in both local (eg. the Municipality of Elliniko) and national level activities, in order to facilitate its students' integration to Greek society.

Some of these activities take place on a yearly basis. First, the school's dance group participates in Greek Art Games and has achieved great results. Second, theatrical performances like "Despina and the dove" of Eugenio Tribiza, Peace of Aristophanes, "The Phantom of Notre Dam (in French) etc. take place. Third, an excursion is organized in order to give students the opportunity to get acquainted with our country.

Additionally, the school participated in the Comenius project, is a member of UNESCO program "School Network for World Collaboration and Peace", and of network for Child's Rights. The last seven years it maintains a website on the internet. It is a "brother-school" with various schools in foreign countries and it promotes all activities that help student's socialization.

In April of 2006, a Career Day for artistic professions (theater, music, dance, and drawing) was organized by the school. It took place in the Cultural Center of Municipality of Elliniko.

Today 137 children from 36 countries, speaking 30 languages, are in the same school, the same class and share the same desk. In spite of current society's tendencies, racism, ethnocentricity and various other problems, the school tries to facilitate student's integration to Greek society, a society that is now starting to accept the right to be different.

Table 1. Students from foreign counties (academic year of 2005-06)

The educator as a person who affects the development of career self-awareness of students

A. Argyropoulou, Ch. Papaioannou and A.K. Touloumakos

Department of Psychology University of Athens

Within the context of this announcement our goal is to present the educator of both primary and secondary education as a career counselor, as well as to depict how educators help students reach a satisfying level of self-awareness. When referring to career self-awareness we imply the profound and insightful perception of every person with respect to career guidance, and the underlying mechanisms in the procedure of career decision making. Self-awareness is the initial stage of career development (Akridge, 1985) and consequently the central objective of Career Guidance and Counselling procedure. Self-awareness helps a person shape his/her professional identity, develop and reach his/her full potential and get a positive view of both self and life.

The role of school, inter alia, has been proved to be crucial throughout the procedure of career development and career self-awareness of students. As children enter the educational system, parents along with educators share the responsibility of children's development (Herr & Cramer, 1992).

In the Greek educational system, career guidance and counseling has not had a central role in primary education. However, in a student-centered system, career guidance may be realized via the individualized or group communication between teacher and students within and outside the context of the class. The student -teacher interaction is a multilateral and multileveled one, covering the mental, sentimental, personal and professional modules (Tyler, 1969). Through the activities employed in any given course, abilities, interests, inclinations and preferences are explored while the student is acquainted with the environment and may develop and expand his/her everyday life skills.

Thus, central to career guidance activities in the primary school are those that address a child's awareness of self, feelings of autonomy and control, need for planful behavior, and desire for explanation. Career guidance activities in the elementary school are not intended to force children to make premature choices but instead to avoid premature foreclosure of choices.

In secondary education career guidance is implemented at the third grade of junior high school (gymnaseum) and at the first grade of senior high school (lyceum). The main objective of career guidance is to help students achieve personal development and self-knowledge, use information effectively, develop decision making and problem solving skills and prepare for their transition from educational environment to work environment (–. …., 2000). The methodology engaged in classroom has unfortunately the form of a regular and typical class. The material employed encompasses the exploitation and acquisition of knowledge and skills along the following axes: a) self and b) the surrounding world. The curriculum is drawn from a pool of educational, psychological, sociological, economical and information technologies subjects.

As a consequence, both the goals and philosophy of career guidance in secondary education add value in the globular development of student's personality characteristics while being compatible with the goals and philosophy of modern school. Based on that rational, educators of diverse specializations may serve as career guidance actors, throughout all years in junior and senior high school, given that they will support and foster career guidance in school classrooms, that they will acknowledge the value of each student and provide students with the opportunity to gain knowledge of themselves so as for them to be able to make responsible and successful decisions.

An important emphasis of career guidance and counselling in junior high school has been put in to helping students develop skills in using various sources of self, educational, and occupational information. Since, children grow they face new demands. Thus, they must develop increasingly complex behaviors. Indeed, it is likely that for most students, self and career awareness will continue to be refined as self-and career exploration and planning proceed in middle school and beyond. Educators in the junior high school could help the procedure of student exploration and planning via realizing of the curricular, underlying the consequences and acknowledging the transitional character of this period. The dissemination of the goals of career guidance through the cognitive school subjects in a way that students may access timely, relevant and accurate information will help students in junior high school: a) learn to cope with transition in school and community lives, b) become informed about alternative educational and vocational choices and how they should go about preparing for them, (c) relate personal interests to broad occupational areas, (d) learn how to plan and what are the skills one should have in order to plan effectively and finally appreciate the value of planning in career decision making procedure ( Herr & Cramer, 1992).

Career guidance in senior high school students takes the procedure a step further and incorporates the planning of next steps in education and work; values clarification of life roles; and assuming responsibility for decision-making and its consequences. Students need to analyze current personal competency in skills necessary to career preferences and develop plans to strengthen these skills where necessary. Attention has to be given to assisting students with their decision-making skills. Students are asked to clarify their personal values and explain how their values affect decision-making.

Needs no special reference, the context within which all aforementioned guidelines are meaningful predispose, that there is a solid and mutual school and family collaboration. Children's career self-awareness is determined by the direct and indirect environment. Thus, an efficacious collaboration between school and family could not only encourage career planning and decision making of children but also increase parents' knowledge and interest in careers for their children.

The current research addresses the following issues: 1) the implementation of career guidance through school subjects and activities, 2) the school - family collaboration and 3) the role of educators in students' career development.

Sample

The sample of study was comprised of 307 educators of primary and secondary education of the municipality of Attica. 29,3% (90 0f them) are male and 70,7% (217 of them) are female. The under representation of males is actually taken care by the fact that the educators were selected through random sampling. In fact those percents depict the actual gender synthesis of the primary and secondary educators' body. 54,1% (166 of them ) are in primary and 45,9% (141 of them) are in secondary education. In terms of their age 18 out of 307 and 5,9% are 20-30 years old, 121 and 39,7% are between 31-40 years old, 123 and 40,3% of them are between 41-50 years old and finally 43 and 14,1% are over 50.

Instrumentation

In order to explore the attitudes of educators with respect to their role as career guidance counselors and draw some solid and valid conclusions, two questionnaires were developed (one for primary and one for secondary education). Each of the two questionnaires was comprised by some common and some different questions. The sum of items comprising the questionnaires was in both cases 10. Most of the items incorporated were interval leveled with a 5 point Likert- type response scale from 'strongly disagree' to 'strongly agree'. However in both instances there were a couple of categorical leveled and qualitative items in order to gain a more in depth understanding of the phenomena under consideration.

In order to explore the attitudes of educators the factorial structure of the questionnaires was computed. Orthogonal Rotation (Varimax) was used as the preferred rotation method. The exploratory factor analysis conducted yielded 3 major factors for primary education: 1) Collaborative School and career guidance and counseling, 2) School Curricula and career guidance, 3) Family and career guidance and counseling. The internal consistency (or otherwise known as) Alpha Coefficient for the Primary education form is .719. The exploratory factor analysis with Orthogonal Rotation (Varimax) conducted yielded 3 major factors fort secondary education: 1) School and career guidance and counseling, 2) Ecosystemic and career guidance, 3) School, educators and career guidance and counseling. The internal consistency (or otherwise known as) Alpha Coefficient for the Secondary education form is .68. and the variance explained 63.64%.

Results

Primary education:

27,1% of the participants are men and 72,9% are women.
9,6% are between 21-30, 50% are between 31-40, 30,7% are between 41-50 and finally a good 9,6% are over 50.
66,3% reside at the center of Athens, 27,7% come from West Attica and 6% from Piraeus.

An one-way analysis of variance was carried out so as to explore the extent to which there are some statistically significantly different means among the three factors yielded by the analysis for the primary education questionnaire.

Factors (Primary Education)	Means
Collaborative School and career guidance and counseling	2,99
School Curricula and career guidance	3,62
Family and career guidance and counseling	4,15

Family is considered to be the most crucial factor to student's self-awareness and career development for educators of primary education

Secondary education:

31,9% of the participants are men and 68,1% are women.
1,4% are between 21-30, 27,3% are between 31-40, 51,8% are between 41-50 and finally a good 19,4% are over 50.
55,3% work in junior high schools and 44,7% work in senior high schools.
34,8% reside at the center of Athens, 22,7% come from West Attica and 42,6% from Piraeus.

Factors (Secondary Education)	Means
1. School and career guidance and counseling	2,67
2. Ecosystemic and career guidance	4,06
School, educators and career guidance and counseling	4,44

The mean differences among the factors of secondary education questionnaires are statistically significant, (F(2,419) =208,131, p=.000) and Á= 1,17 School and school educators are considered to be the most crucial factors to student's self-awareness and career development for educators of secondary education. At this point we will present you with some tables summarizing the means and medians of both primary and secondary educators in to those common items incorporated in the two questionnaires developed.

Educators of primary education had higher means and medians in to the following questions:

I believe that the educational experience helps clarifying work environments and professions
I believe that primary/secondary education helps children make future and realistic career choices

Slightly higher means and medians:

I believe that my role as educator in the procedure of students' career development is important
I believe that family plays a role in shaping professional attitudes, perceptions, preferences and choices of students

Educators of secondary education had higher means and medians in to the following items:

I believe that is important that career guidance is present in secondary education
The existing curriculum, school books, material and subjects offer for the materialization of the main goals of career guidance
I believe that school and family collaboration is necessary for students' career guidance

Primary and Secondary educators' answers to questionnaires

Having presenting you with the way (in terms of means) both primary and secondary education teachers respond to questions that are common, we find it useful to present you with the comparisons (using means) among those two groups across these questions. An independent-samples t-test was employed and the results are as follows.

Discussion

Should primary level educators involve parents in to career guidance activities? Students are more impressed with seeing successful role models than by reading about them (Drummond, 1995).
Should secondary level educators infuse career education into their teaching (Drummond, 1995) and achieve a successful transition from being amateur counselors to being professional counselors?
An additional finding is that educators despite the level of education consider career guidance in school to be of a great importance. They also believe that both school curricula and activities promote career guidance through the innovative practices and visits. Secondary level educators assign significance to the organization of conferences and career related events in school as well as to the interconnection of school courses to diverse scientific and professional activities. What that actually means is that educators may utilize school courses as a means for career education and school activities as a tool for multifaceted development of students' personality.
Is it possible that through the quality advancement of educational practice and the better interconnection of school to the outer world will students be able to realize that what they actually learn may help them shape a perception about labor market? Finally, career guidance in schools should be realized through dissemination in primary education. The philosophy that best serves the current demands of labor market (development of skills and self-awareness and being well informed) reflects to the way that secondary level educators deal with the procedure of student's professional development. Primary and secondary level educators offer to students, knowledge and experiences that variously influence the latter's career goals.

Last modified 2007-04-16 11:59 AM
Last cached: 2009-02-25 06:32 PM

European Guidance and Counselling Research Forum

European Guidance and Counselling Research Forum

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Key Issues in Career Counselling and Guidance

Career Guidance & Counseling in Greece: Guidance & Counseling Centers (KESYP) and School Career Guidance Offices (GRASEP)

The Hellenic Educational System

The structure of the system in brief

The influence of school and family to the formation of career development of primary and secondary education students?

D. Sidiropoulou - Dimakakou, S. K. Krassas and A. K. Touloumakos

Primary Education Form A

Secondary Education Form A

Primary Education Form B

Secondary Education Form B

Similarities for form B

Model of action to be taken in order to exploit the professional
development of students
Actions for educators and parents ?
S. K. Krassas, G. Boubousis, and P. Lianos

The implementation of SEP in Secondary Education
(3rd grade of Junior High School and 1st grade of Senior High School)

Bureau for the Disabled and Socially Excluded

SEP and New Technologies

KeSyP and GraSEP Support

Training

SEP Sector's Collaboration with other Authorities

SEP Sector Participation in European Programmes

Research

Multicultural Education in Greece:Multicultural Education Schools

The educator as a person who affects the development of career self-awareness of students

Results

Discussion

European Guidance and Counselling Research Forum

European Guidance and Counselling Research Forum

Sections

Main Navigation

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Section Navigation:

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See Also...

Key Issues in Career Counselling and Guidance

Career Guidance & Counseling in Greece: Guidance & Counseling Centers (KESYP) and School Career Guidance Offices (GRASEP)

The Hellenic Educational System

The structure of the system in brief

The influence of school and family to the formation of career development of primary and secondary education students?

D. Sidiropoulou - Dimakakou, S. K. Krassas and A. K. Touloumakos

Primary Education Form A

Secondary Education Form A

Primary Education Form B

Secondary Education Form B

Similarities for form B

Model of action to be taken in order to exploit the professionaldevelopment of studentsActions for educators and parents ? S. K. Krassas, G. Boubousis, and P. Lianos

The implementation of SEP in Secondary Education(3rd grade of Junior High School and 1st grade of Senior High School)

Bureau for the Disabled and Socially Excluded

SEP and New Technologies

KeSyP and GraSEP Support

Training

SEP Sector's Collaboration with other Authorities

SEP Sector Participation in European Programmes

Research

Multicultural Education in Greece:Multicultural Education Schools

The educator as a person who affects the development of career self-awareness of students

Results

Discussion

Model of action to be taken in order to exploit the professional
development of students
Actions for educators and parents ?
S. K. Krassas, G. Boubousis, and P. Lianos

The implementation of SEP in Secondary Education
(3rd grade of Junior High School and 1st grade of Senior High School)