Career Choice and Development

Career Choice and Development: Opportunities, Challenges and Gender Differences opens with a study with the goal of examining the learning experiences and outcomes of Twinkling Star Program students in their freshmen year by employing a national survey study. The Twinkling Star Program was implemented to recruit students from underprivileged schools in disadvantaged regions into top universities in Taiwan. The results showed that these students came from lower family backgrounds and experienced more learning difficulties; however, as they had a stronger motivation for academic achievement, they were able to perform better than their non-Twinkling Star peers. Next, the authors examine the relationship between measured intelligence and self-report vocational interest factors, through a small a sample of adult twins, in order to assess if future large scale behavioural genetic studies should be conducted in this field. A subsequent chapter provides a review of international literature on gender differences in vocational interests and in Brazil, as well as a review of topical findings. Brazilian and worldwide findings are analyzed and implications for research are outlined. The authors go on to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of dual-earner households, which affect not only the couple but also the children. Suggestions are provided for making a dual-earner relationship work.