Hello everyone. This is Kohei Ozaki.

I would like to introduce the paper I read for this week’s English seminar and share my thoughts on it.

Paper Title: New Frontiers in Computer-Assisted Career Guidance Systems (CACGS)- Implications From Career Construction Theory-

Author: Leung, S. A.

Journal: Frontiers in Psychology

Volume/Issue: 13:786232

Year of Publication: 2022

 

Career Counseling on a PC? What is CACGS?

CACGS (Computer-Assisted Career Guidance Systems) refers to career support mechanisms that use computers or apps to provide a combination of “diagnostics,” such as aptitude tests, and “information provision,” such as career and higher education details. Well-known examples include systems for university admissions in the United States and information websites linked to vocational interest tests.

However, the following challenges have been pointed out regarding these conventional systems:

・They tend to end with “taking an aptitude test and receiving the results,” which does not fit the complex and unpredictable career paths of today.

・They often treat students as “passive recipients of a diagnosis,” making it difficult to foster the agency needed to think about career paths as a personal matter.

・They lack engaging elements (such as gamification), providing few incentives for continued use.

・They easily become “independent tools” disconnected from the support provided by schools, homeroom teachers, or career guidance counselors.

The author of this paper focuses on “Career Construction Theory (CCT)” as a key to overcoming these challenges.

 

The Perspective of Career Construction Theory (CCT)

CCT was proposed by career psychologist Mark Savickas. The key points of this theory are as follows:

① Interests and strengths are “narrated,” not “diagnosed.”

In CCT, interests, strengths, and values are not considered fixed traits determined at birth, but rather things that are gradually shaped through past experiences and interactions with others. Aptitude test results are not “correct answers,” but are positioned as “triggers” or “materials” for talking about oneself. A “career story,” woven by connecting past events, current experiences, and future prospects, is considered essential for thinking about career paths.

② The ability to adapt to change = Career Adaptability

In CCT, the ability to successfully navigate career concerns and transitions is called “career adaptability,” which consists of the following four psychological resources (the 4Cs):

・Concern: The feeling of looking toward the future.

・Control: The will to make choices for oneself.

・Curiosity: The attitude of exploring various possibilities.

・Confidence: The feeling that one can succeed if they try.

③ Re-authoring one’s own story with a supporter

Career support based on CCT (Life Design Intervention) follows a process where students begin by telling small episodes of their lives, re-authoring them into a meaningful whole (identity), and working with a supporter to develop them into a better story.

In other words, CCT provides a hint for CACGS: “Instead of ending with the delivery of test results, the system should incorporate mechanisms that allow students to weave their own stories and use those stories to connect to their next actions.”

 

Case Study: The Hong Kong Career Support App “Infinity”

This paper introduces “CLAP Portfolio Infinity,” a system for middle and high school students in Hong Kong that was developed by incorporating CCT concepts (it was later deployed by the Education Bureau of Hong Kong as a career support tool for all secondary schools in Hong Kong).

Infinity is designed to allow users to move back and forth between four steps—”Passion,” “Voices,” “World,” and “Purpose & Actions”—as many times as needed. Within these four steps, the following 10 types of functions are incorporated:

⒈ A dashboard to view aptitude tests and their results collectively.

⒉ A “Work Values Game” to discover values one considers important by sorting cards.

⌂ “My Gallery” to express feelings through photos, collages, videos, etc.

⒋ A 12-session career learning curriculum based on CCT.

⒌ Over 200 vocational introduction videos and information.

⒍ A database for searching higher education and employment information.

⒎ A schedule management calendar.

⒏ A simple profile summarizing interests, strengths, and goals.

⒐ A function to manage tasks via a checklist.

⒑ A file function to share with teachers, parents, and friends.

The feature is that it allows users to cycle through expressing themselves, searching for information, and recording actions within a single app, rather than ending with just a test.

Infinity was not created as a finished product from the start. It began by investigating the needs of the field, discussing “what kind of mechanism is needed” with teachers from five schools, and following a process of designing, testing, and improving the system, gradually expanding to partner schools. A characteristic of this case is that it was shaped not only by theory but also through dialogue with the field of career guidance.

 

Research Methodology

The study targeted 2,935 high school graduates in Hong Kong (844 Infinity users, 2,091 non-users, across 49 schools) to examine whether there were differences in the following points based on usage:

・Ability to face career paths (Questionnaire: Adaptability including the 4Cs)

・Lack of difficulty in making career decisions and satisfaction with the chosen path (Questionnaire: various scales)

・Motivation to pursue higher education (Questionnaire: selection)

 

Research Results

Analyzing the differences in group means using system usage, gender, and school academic level (high, middle, low) as variables, the following results were obtained:

・Lack of difficulty in making career decisions and satisfaction: Students who used Infinity showed significantly better results.

・Sense of having organized thoughts about career paths: A trend toward higher scores was observed in students who used Infinity.

・Ability to face career paths (Adaptability including the 4Cs): Significant differences were seen only in students at high-achieving schools, with little difference in middle- or low-achieving schools.

・Motivation to pursue higher education: Conversely, a significant increase in motivation was seen in students at low-achieving schools. No notable changes were seen in middle-achieving schools.

Overall, the results are interesting: rather than “the same effect for everyone if used,” the manifestation of effects differs depending on “what outcomes are focused on” and “the student’s academic level.”

 

Discussion

・Students at high-achieving schools may have experienced stronger effects from Infinity because they already had a foundation of confidence and approaches to learning.

・For students at low-achieving schools, the experience of reflecting on themselves may have served as a trigger to look at options (such as pursuing higher education) that they had not previously considered.

・Students at middle-achieving schools may be in a “sandwiched” position—less confident than those at high-achieving schools, yet not as open to alternative paths as those at low-achieving schools—suggesting they may require more intensive support.

The paper concludes that having both functions for collecting data, like tests, and functions for narrating and expressing oneself likely contributed to these multi-faceted effects.

 

Implications for Practice

・Career support mechanisms centered on “narrating oneself” can be realized in practice, not just in theory.

・Platforms that allow students to continue at their own pace, even without constant supervision by teachers or school counselors, can supplement areas where support tends to be thin.

・It is important to provide means for students who are not good at verbal expression, such as photos and videos.

・Data collected at the class or grade level can also serve as material for grasping overall student trends and reviewing career guidance programs.

・Ultimately, this is not a replacement for existing career counseling or classes, but rather something that becomes more effective when combined with teacher support.

 

Future Challenges

This survey was limited to comparing user and non-user groups. More rigorous verification, such as comparing the same students before and after use, and analysis to isolate which of the 10 app functions were effective, are cited as future challenges.

 

 

Reason for Selection and Reflections

I chose this paper based on the question: “Can we create a learning mechanism where students can continuously deepen their thoughts on their career paths while reflecting on their own experiences and feelings,” rather than one-off gimmicks like games or workshops.

This case, which is designed while maintaining a long-term dialogue with the school site while being grounded in theory, was very informative for me. In particular, regarding the unique development of a system that comprehensively supports career construction based on CCT, I would like to be conscious of setting necessary measures for individuals while viewing challenges from a broad perspective.

On the other hand, as the author mentioned, this paper alone does not sufficiently explain which of the 10 functions each student used and how they changed as a result. I felt that if I could look more closely at which app features were effective for which students and how, it would provide concrete hints for designing systems and worksheets in my own classes and career guidance.

Additionally, I felt it is necessary to look at qualitative aspects, such as what words each student uses to describe their experiences and how that changes, in addition to quantitative analysis. I believe that only by capturing both the numerical effects and the satisfaction and sense of progress felt by the students themselves can we see whether the system is truly useful to them. I would like to keep this perspective in mind as I think about learning support mechanisms in the future.

 

Text by: Kohei Ozaki