Assessing Postsecondary Barriers for Rural Appalachian High School Students

Area of Science:

• Social cognitive career theory
• Educational psychology
• Rural sociology

Background:

• Social cognitive career theory (SCCT) posits that perceived barriers negatively impact career and educational self-efficacy.
• Previous research on measuring barriers has yielded inconsistent results.
• Limited quantitative research exists on the perceived barriers faced by rural Appalachian students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify perceived educational and career barriers among rural Appalachian high school students.
• To investigate methods for measuring these perceived barriers.
• To explore the influence of culture on how rural Appalachian students report barriers.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-method approach combining qualitative and quantitative data collection.
• Exploration of perceived barriers in rural Appalachian high school students.
• Analysis of how cultural values and beliefs may affect the reporting of contextual influences.

Main Results:

• Identified specific perceived educational and career barriers relevant to rural Appalachian students.
• Highlighted challenges in accurately measuring perceived barriers in this population.
• Revealed that cultural values and beliefs can significantly skew the reporting of barriers.

Conclusions:

• Understanding the unique cultural context of rural Appalachian students is crucial for accurate barrier assessment.
• Existing measurement tools may not adequately capture the nuances of perceived barriers in this demographic.
• Future research should consider cultural factors when examining educational and career development in rural populations.