An investigation of vocational interests and noctcaelador.
This study explored the relationship between vocational interests and noctcaelador, defined as strong interest in, and psychological attachment to, the night sky. University students (N = 134) completed the Vocational Preference Inventory (Form C) and the Noctcaelador Inventory. The results indicated that students scoring higher on noctcaelador also tended to score higher on realistic, investigative, artistic, and social vocational interests. Regression analyses suggested that artistic and investigative were the only vocational preferences which shared unique variance with noctcaelador. The results are discussed in the context of using learner interests in the night-sky as a teaching strategy.**********
Research suggests that students learn class material better when it is consistent with their interests (Woolfolk, 1993). Therefore, it is perhaps important for educators to understand students' interests and their respective correlates. One potential student interest recently identified as an area of psychological research is interest in watching the night-sky.
While various societies have watched the night-sky for thousands of years (Brecher & Feirtag, 1979; Hawkins, 1983), night-sky watching as an individual differences variable has only recently become a focus of scientific study. Kelly (2003) and Kelly and Kelly (2003) identified a latent construct which accounted for a majority of the variance in night-sky watching attitudes and behaviors. Kelly (2003) termed this construct noctcaelador and defined it as a strong interest in, and psychological attachment to, the night-sky.
Recent research has found that individuals who scored higher on noctcaelador also scored higher on the openness to experience factor of the five-factor model of personality (Kelly, 2004a), were more likely to allow opportunities to watch the night-sky to influence some basic life decisions, such as sacrificing sleep and choosing living accommodations (Kelly, 2004b), and had a preference for spending time outdoors (Kelly & Kelly, in press).
Holland (1997) articulated a model of students' vocational interests which included six dimensions, or interest types: Realistic (R: practical, enjoys working with mechanical devices and working outdoors), Investigative (1: enjoys scientific pursuits, working with abstract ideas, researching and analyzing), Artistic (A: values aesthetics, enjoys using imagination and creativity), Social (S: concern for human welfare, enjoys teaching, helping, and working with people), Enterprising (E: enjoys directing, organizing, and leading), and Conventional (C: prefers structured tasks, enjoys practical pursuits and clerical activities). The existence and validity of these six interest patterns have been supported by numerous research studies (Holland, 1985). The purpose of the current study was to understand students' interests better by exploring the relationship between noctcaelador and vocational interest patterns. Because of the exploratory nature of the study, no hypotheses were formed.
Method
Participants and Procedure
After obtaining informed consent, 134 students (97 females) enrolled in undergraduate psychology courses were administered the self-report measures described below. The average age of the sample as 28.8 years (S/)= 10.6). The majority of the sample (83%) identified themselves as White/Caucasian.
Measures
Vocational Preference Inventory. Vocational interests were measured using the 30-item Vocational Preference Inventory, Form C (VPI-C: Holland, 1985; Lowman & Schurman, 1982). The VPI-C includes a list of 30 occupational titles, five for each of Holland's six vocational clusters. Participants in this study responded to VPI-C items using a 7-point Likert scale (1 = "strongly disinterested," 7 = "strongly interested"). Higher scores indicated greater interest in occupational clusters, internal consistencies have been reported between .65 and .84 (Holland, 1985).
Noctcaelador Inventory. The Noctcaelador Inventory (NI: Kelly, 2004b) is a 10-item self-report scale designed to measure psychological attachment to the night-sky. Participants responded to items using a 5point Likert scale ranging from 1 = "strongly disagree" to 5 = "strongly agree." Responses to items were summed to produce a total score. Higher scores indicated higher levels of noctcaelador. Kelly reported that the NI possessed adequate reliability (alpha = .92, test-retest = .88 - one month) and validity.
Results and Discussion
Descriptive statistics of the NI in this sample were as follows: M=28.0, SD=9.5, x=.94. Descriptive statistics of the VPI-C scales were: R - M=11.3, SD=6.3, [alpha]=.81; 1 - M=15.1, SD=7.7, [alpha] = .83: A - M=16.7, SD=7.8, [alpha]=.79; S - M- 15.1, SD=6.9, [alpha=.74; E - M=14.0, SD=6.8, [alpha]=.84; C - M=12.4, SD=6.7, [alpha]=.84. The NI significantly correlated with Realistic, r=.20,p<.05, Investigative, r=.31, p<.001, Artistic, r=.37, p<.001, and Social, r=.24, p<.01 factors. The NI did not significantly correlate (p>.05) with the Enterprising, r=.09, or Conventional, r=-.02 factors.
To identify which of Holland's types best predict unique variance in noctcaelador, a stepwise multiple regression was calculated using NI scores as the criterion and the six VPI-C factors as predictors. Artistic entered on Step 1 and accounted for 13.6% (p<.001) of the variance in NI scores. On Step 2, Investigative entered and accounted lot an additional 4% (p<.05) of NI variance. No other VPI-C factors entered on steps. Finally, to determine the three-letter "Holland code" (Holland, 1997) associated with higher noctcaelador, a median split on NI scores was used to create a high noctcaelador group. Subsequently, the high noctcaelador group's average VPI-C scores for each factor were ranked from highest to lowest. Using this approach the Holland code associated with higher noctcaelador in this sample was AIS (A-M= 18.8: I- M=17.2; S - M=16.4).
The results of this study characterize students scoring higher on noctcaelador as being primarily interested in artistic and investigative pursuits. These results are consistent with previous findings that higher noctcaelador is associated with higher scores on openness to experience (Kelly, 2004a), which includes elements of artistic and intellectual interests as well as an interest in examining one's environment.
Limitations of this study include a relatively small, homogeneous sample of college students and reliance on self-report instruments. Future research should use larger, more diverse samples and attempt to use a combination of instrumentation and methodology. The results of the present study might be helpful to instructors attempting to plan teaching lessons for students with artistic and scientific interests. For these students the use of astronomy, night-sky constellations, or related topics as an instructional device might be useful as a means of eliciting students' attention and interest.
References
Brecher, K., & Feirtag. M. (Eds.) (1979). Astronomy of the ancients. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Hawkins, G. S. (1983). Mindsteps to the cosmos. New York: Harper and Row.
Holland, J. L. (1985). Vocational Preference Inventory professional manual. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.
Holland, J. L. (1997). Making vocational choices: A theory of vocation-personalities and work environments (3rd ed) Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.
Kelly, W. E. (2003). Night-sky watching attitudes among college students: A preliminary investigation. College Student Journal, 37, 194-196.
Kelly, W. E. (2004a). The "OCEAN" and the night-sky: Relations between the five-factor model of personality and noctcaelador. College Student Journal, 3& 406-408.
Kelly, W. E. (2004b). Development of an instrument to measure noetcaelador: Psychological attachment to the night-sky. College Student Journal. 38, 1011-102.
Kelly, W. E., & Kelly, K. E. (2003). Further identification of noctcaelador: An underlying factor influencing night-sky watching behaviors. Psychology and Education, 40, 26-27.
Kelly, W. E., & Kelly, K. E. (in press). Noctcaelador and preference for spending time outdoors. Psychology aim Education.
Lowman, R, L., & Schurman, S. J. (1982). Psychometric characteristics of a Vocational Preference Inventory short form. Educational and Psychological Measurement. 42, 601-613.
Wool folk, A. E. (1993). Educational psychology (5th ed). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
William E. Kelly, Department of Psychlogy and Sociology. Texas A&M Unversity--Kingsville.
Correspondence concerning this article shoul be addressed to William E. Kelly. Texas A&M University--Kingsville, Department of Psychology and Sociology, 700 University Blvd, MSC 177, Kingsville, TX 78363: Email: william. [email protected]
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| Author: | Kelly, William E. |
|---|---|
| Publication: | Journal of Instructional Psychology |
| Geographic Code: | 1USA |
| Date: | Jun 1, 2005 |
| Words: | 1277 |
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