Abstract
M.Ed. (Educational Psychology)
This study explores how Grade 9 learners can engage in career exploration
through group creative and expressive arts activities. This study focuses on the
experiences of a Grade 9 Life Orientation class as they engage in creating their
own identity newspapers. The objective of this was to enable the learners to
explore their personalities, values, interests and talents with the facilitation of the
Life Orientation educator, and to identify possible career paths that would
subsequently influence their subject choice. Framed by the sociocultural theory a
case study format was used as research design, with 27 Grade 9 participants and
one educator selected purposively. The data was collected by means of
observations with field notes, informal interviews, open-ended interviews, a focus
group and artefacts created during career exploration day. Data was analysed
through means of thematic content analysis. A constructivist-interpretivist
paradigm allowed me to consider the multiple and socially co-constructed realities
of the participants from which five themes emerged: (1) working freely within
structure; (2) group interaction; (3) sensory involvement; (4) engaging activities;
and (5) identity exploration pertaining to possible career paths. It was found that
Grade 9 learners can engage in career exploration through group creative and
expressive arts activities as participants were able to actively engage, by
themselves as well as with each other, in their meaning-making process. This
allowed for them to gain a deeper knowledge of their personalities, values,
interests and talents as possible influences on future career decisions.