https://doi.org/10.35290/rcui.v11n1.2023.1058
Importance of vocational guidance prior to access to
higher education
Importancia de la orientación profesional previa al acceso a la
enseñanza superior
Fecha de recepción: 2023-08-24 • Fecha de aceptación: 2023-11-09 • Fecha de publicación: 2024-01-10
Rocío Alejandra Duque Granados1
Instituto Superior Tecnológico ITCA, Ecuador
raduque@itca.edu.ec
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5373-7490
Ismenia de Carmen Araujo Vílchez2
Instituto Superior Tecnológico ITCA, Ecuador
idaraujo@itca.edu.ec
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9867-5246
Cristina Nataly Cadena-Palacios3
Instituto Superior Tecnológico ITCA, Ecuador
cncadena@itca.edu.ec
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3679-7958
Bryan Andrés Fuertes Cualchi4
Instituto Superior Tecnológico ITCA, Ecuador
bafuertes07@tecnologicoitca.edu.ec
https://orcid.org/0009-0002-2016-446X
Abstract
Vocational and professional guidance for higher education students is essential to
ensure success in learning and professional practice. This research aims to compare self-
reported careers and vocational and professional orientation test results by types of
vocational guidance. Using descriptive, documentary, and field research with a mixed
approach, we explore the vocational orientation test of 3,692 students in 13 public
schools in the city of Ibarra in Ecuador. The test consisted of 98 dichotomous items
identifying vocational interests and aptitudes using a computer-based questionnaire in
Kobotoolbox. The instrument's validity was evaluated using Cronbach's Alpha, and
reliability was estimated using McDonald's Omega coefficients. The Chi-square test
was used to compare self-reported careers and the CHASIDE test results by vocational
and professional guidance of the students using the R-studio software. Results showed
significant differences between students' self-reported careers and the CHASIDE.
Indeed, the correspondence between the two showed values lower than 50% since a
family member mainly did vocational guidance processes, and professional guidance
needed to be more present. Results suggest the importance of vocational guidance done
by a professional before entering higher education institutions to minimize the risk of
dropouts among students after mistakenly choosing a career.
Keywords: CHASIDE Test, Vocational Guidance, Generation Z
Resumen
La orientación vocacional y profesional de los estudiantes de educación superior es
esencial para garantizar el éxito en el aprendizaje y la práctica profesional. El objetivo
de esta investigación es comparar las carreras autodeclaradas y los resultados del test de
orientación vocacional y profesional según los tipos de orientación vocacional.
Utilizando investigación descriptiva, documental y de campo con un enfoque mixto,
exploramos el test de orientación vocacional de 3.692 estudiantes de 13 colegios
públicos de la ciudad de Ibarra en Ecuador. La prueba consistió en 98 ítems dicotómicos
que identificaron intereses y aptitudes vocacionales mediante un cuestionario
computarizado en Kobotoolbox. La validez del instrumento se evaluó mediante el Alfa
de Cronbach y la fiabilidad se estimó mediante los coeficientes Omega de McDonald.
Se utilizó la prueba de Chi-cuadrado para comparar las carreras autoinformadas y los
resultados de la prueba CHASIDE por orientación vocacional y profesional de los
estudiantes mediante el software R-studio. Los resultados mostraron diferencias
significativas entre las carreras autoinformadas por los estudiantes y el CHASIDE. De
hecho, la correspondencia entre ambas mostró valores inferiores al 50% ya que un
miembro de la familia realizaba principalmente procesos de orientación vocacional, y la
orientación profesional debía estar más presente. Los resultados sugieren la importancia
de la orientación vocacional realizada por un profesional antes de ingresar a las
instituciones de educación superior para minimizar el riesgo de deserción entre los
estudiantes después de elegir erróneamente una carrera.
Palabras Clave: Test CHASIDE, Orientación profesional, Generación Z
Introduction
Vocational guidance is a process in which support is offered to discover abilities,
interests, values and personality before making informed decisions about possible career
choices for higher education and future professions. Vocational and professional
guidance can be carried out through various methods and techniques, the most common
being psychometric tests, interviews, questionnaires and self-assessment activities
(García, 2018). In this sense, the orientation also seeks to investigate the educational
offer and the labor market and develop an action plan to achieve professional goals
(Espinal, 2022; Gualteros, 2021).
Work activities require the student to comply with specific requirements that demand
innumerable challenges, commitments, and obligations that require the decision-making
process to be carried out prior to a reflective analysis of multiple aspects and factors
called vocational maturity. For adolescents, young people, or adults, the choice of a
profession is one of the most significant challenges because it must be done from self-
knowledge and analysis of its possibilities, which encompasses not only the deliberation
of activity but also a lifestyle and a way of contributing to the construction of society
through the work that they will develop throughout their lives (Bálsamo, 2023).
Accessing vocational guidance is considered essential since choosing a career is one of
the most significant decisions with a lasting impact on a person's life, which can
increase their satisfaction with study activities and subsequent professional success
(Badel y Doria, 2022). These activities can positively impact society by increasing job
satisfaction, productivity, and stability (García y Loor, 2021).
Vocational guidance should serve as support for professional projection, provide
information regarding the characteristics of personal interests, the family environment
that sometimes influences the profession to choose, the characteristics of the social
environment in cases where the preferred careers of the student do not exist in the local
universities, or the university of their choice is in another environment.
In addition, the vocational orientation of the student can contribute to the exploration of
interests, abilities, aptitudes, and values and to the acquisition of a clearer understanding
of the career options available in their environment, which could be adapted to their
characteristics, thus allowing them to feel fulfilled in the execution of their studies and
the exercise of their professions. It can also provide them with relevant information
about the labor market, higher study opportunities, and development (Lema, 2020).
Reliable vocational guidance services should be accessed before choosing a higher
education career so students can express their concerns and reflect on their interests and
goals, facilitating the process reasonably and consciously so that the selection is in line
with their personality (Espinal, 2022).
Vocational and professional guidance services should be available to high school
students who are part of Generation Z, post-millennials, Centennials, or Snowflake
Generation since they were born from 1995-2010. This group comprises students
between 16 and 18 who enter higher Education (Ortega, s.f.).
Vocational guidance for people belonging to Generation Z represents a significant
challenge given their characteristics, such as their social media usage, self-taught
capacity, curiosity, and the necessity for learning through digital media. They are also
collaborators since they are used to creating links with unknown people and have a high
capacity for cooperation and communication, especially within the virtual environment
(Toledo-Vita, 2020).
These young people are creative, overexposed to information, innovative, and
enterprising; they prefer a learning style that demands responsibility, high social value,
flexibility, and participation, with essential and positive commitments towards society
and the planet. In addition, they feel motivated in educational and work environments
that meet the characteristics of immediacy, flexibility, the balance between personal and
work life, digital fluency, practicality, and the ability to perform multiple tasks (Gómez
y Montero, 2003).
Technological innovation and the changing environment have resulted in new
professions, such as influencers. Influencers are people who, with their publications on
YouTube (YouTubers), Instagram (Instagrammers), and other social networks,
influence the way of thinking and acting of young people, turning them into their
referents and models to imitate (Gutiérrez et al., 2022). Therefore, the profession of
influencers is the most desired profession today in Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia,
Ecuador, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras (Flores, 2023).
The effectiveness of vocational guidance can vary depending on various factors, such as
the quality of guidance services, training and experience of the professionals who
provide it, the receptivity and participation of students, and other contextual elements
such as the generational characteristics (Céspedes et al.,2020). The absence or
ineffectiveness of vocational guidance may drive young people to face various
challenges and potential consequences, such as inappropriate career choices, frequent
career changes, stress, anxiety, academic difficulties, lack of direction, purpose, and
lack of motivation in their daily activities (Cabrera et al., 2006).
Lack of self-knowledge, inadequate perception of their abilities and aptitudes, lack of
financial resources, motivation, and lack of academic or emotional support influence
university dropouts. Educational institutions and governments often work on policies
and programs to reduce college dropouts and improve student retention to ensure
academic completion and achieve educational and professional goals (Ulloa y Ulloa,
2022).
Dropping out of university can have significant consequences in a student's academic,
professional, and personal life; among the most common are the loss of time and
resources for the student himself, his family, and the State. In addition, the lack of a
university degree can limit career options and generate financial consequences, such as
acquiring student loans or other debts to finance studies. Likewise, dropping out of
university can negatively affect the self-esteem and confidence of the student and
generate a competitive disadvantage in the labor market compared to those who
complete their higher Education (Sotomayor y Rodríguez, 2020).
Career counseling cannot guarantee student retention. However, it can help reduce the
dropout rate by allowing students to make informed and conscious decisions about their
career choices. According to data from the Secretaría de Educación Superior, Ciencia,
Tecnología e Innovación (SENESCYT) the dropout rate in 2019-2020 was 28%. If this
same trend continues, the Ecuadorian State could save $2,097,811.88 in 2023 to
$2,104,989.77 in 2025 (SENESCYT, s.f.).
In Ecuador, vocational guidance is recognized as an integral part of the educational and
labor system. The Ministry of Education promotes the implementation of vocational
guidance services in the country's educational institutions by using workshops, talks,
aptitude, and interest tests, and individual or group counseling (Ministerio de Educación
del Ecuador, 2021).
The CHASIDE test has been considered an appropriate tool for predicting interests and
vocations in Ecuador; however, in most of the publications, that has been incorrectly
attributed to the researcher John Holland, who has developed other vocational guidance
tests, such as the Self-Directed Search, Environmental Typology RIASEC, and the
Inventory to the Sixteen Personality Factor (Holland, 1962; Holland, Daiger, y
Power,1980; Holland, 1985; Holland, 1994). It is worth noting that the real author of the
CHASIDE test is Juan Lázara, who developed the test in 1994 based on Holland's
Environmental Typology RIASEC; and considers the constructs that relate interests and
aptitudes for a particular vocation with specific occupational areas (Lázara, 2007).
The importance of Vocational Guidance is specified by the Ministry of Education of
Ecuador in the educational research agenda for 2022-2026, including the role of
vocational and professional orientation research in high schools in the Education and
Work research line (Ponterotto & Ruckdeschel, 2007). In response to this national
interest in Education, this research aims to compare self-reported careers and vocational
and professional orientation test results by types of vocational guidance.
Methodology
This paper is a descriptive, documentary, and field research, with a mixed approach,
carried out with a sample of 3,692 students. The students selected to participate in the
study belong to the second and third years from 13 public High Schools in Ibarra,
Ecuador. This sample represents 56% of students enrolled in Ibarra's second and third
years of High School. Participants were asked to complete the CHASIDE Vocational
and Professional Guidance Test, which consists of 98 dichotomous response items
focused on identifying interests and aptitudes for selecting a profession (Lázara, 2007)
and a questionnaire to characterize the sample.
Data was collected through a computer-based questionnaire implemented in
KoboToolbox. Subsequently, individual reports were delivered to each student, and
group reports to the Student Counseling Departments were generated using a system
developed in the PHP programming language with a MySQL database.
The data obtained from the CHASIDE test were analyzed together (Interests and
Aptitudes) to establish career options, selecting those areas where students obtained the
highest score in both interest and aptitude; in cases where students have identical
aptitudes and interests, in three or more areas they have been determined as undefined.
The reliability of the instrument was evaluated using Cronbach’s Alpha (α=0.911) and
the Omega coefficient (ω=0.92). The CHASIDE results were contrasted with the self-
reported preference of the students by types of vocational guidance included in a
questionnaire before answering the battery of items of the instrument. The comparative
analysis was performed using the Chi-square (χ2) test. All statistical analysis was
performed using the R-studio software.
Results
3.1 Sample characterization
The characteristics of the participants that have directly influenced the findings. A total
of 3,692 students participated in this study, of which 48.35% were women and 51.65%
were men; the average age of men was 16.85 years, and 16.84 years for women. In
addition, it was found that only 5.34% of the participants received some vocational
guidance from a professional (psychologist or teacher), 43.31% received guidance from
a family member, and 51.35 % reported not having received any guidance or support
regarding the career choice they are about to make. Regarding the need to receive
guidance on vocations, the majority of young people (68.26%) indicate that they would
have a favorable attitude if someone could help them choose their professional career as
long as it is done through personalized meetings or meetings group sessions in schools
(76.21%) since it seems to them the best option to receive this type of guidance
compared to the option of being guided through interactions on websites or mobile
applications. It is important to note that the results show that most students surveyed
have not received any vocational guidance (94.66%) in educational institutions, and
43.31% stated that they had received guidance from their families. Even though the
Ministry of Education defines the application of a Vocational Guidance Guide to high
school students in its regulations, it is worrying that the results of this research show
that only 5.34% have received such guidance.
This paper is relevant to vocational research in Ecuador since it has the most significant
sample studied. Indeed, the CHASIDE test is widely used in the country for individual
assessment, and the aggregated reports consist mainly of small samples that may
influence the results found in this paper.
The reliability and consistency of the scale are presented in Table 1. As seen in the
table, the analysis of the overall scale has excellent reliability and consistency scores
with values closer to 1 (Reise et al., 2013). However, when the statistics are estimated
separately, problems in aptitude-related items can be observed, suggesting limitations in
analyzing interest and aptitudes independently.
Table 1
Validity and Consistency of the CHASIDE Test
Test
Items
Cronbach’s Alpha
McDonald’s Omega
All
98
0.911
0.92
Interest
70
0.900
0.91
Aptitudes
28
0.647
0.67
Morales and Gálvez (2018) found similar results considering Cronbach’s alpha in the
overall scale (α=0.980) in a study of 350 students. However, differences appear when
considering interest (α=0.905) and attitudes (α=0.824) as separate constructs since the
authors reported excellent results. These differences in interests and aptitudes may be
due to the sample size differences or the implementation strategy since the authors used
a paper-based questionnaire. This research did not present other indicators, such as the
Omega coefficient, so the studies are not entirely comparable. Even though previous
studies present different results of interest and aptitudes, only the overall score is
considered in this paper to ensure inferences based on the data obtained.
Figure 1 shows the CHASIDE vocational guidance test results, considering that the
process involved identifying the professional areas in which students obtained the
highest interest and aptitude for career choice. In addition, students with identical
aptitudes and interests in three or more areas were considered inconclusive career
options.
Figure 1
CHASIDE Test Results
Exact, Administrative & Accounting 10.18%
Defense & Security 12.05%
Engineering & Computing 6.53%
Health Sciences & Medicine 23.08%
Artistic
Humanistic & Social Sciences 23.13%
Agrarian & Natural Science 5.53%
Inconclusive
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
Percentage
The highest percentages of student preference were obtained from the Humanities and
social areas (23.13%) and Medical and health sciences (23.08%), followed by defense
and security (12.05%), and exact and agricultural sciences (10,18); there are extremely
low percentages in careers related to the arts, engineering and computing, and
administrative and accounting sciences; in addition to 10.40% of students who have
more than three career options according to the criteria used in this study.
In recent years, numerous studies have been carried out in Latin America that use the
CHASIDE test to assess the interests and aptitudes of Generation Z. In Bolivia,
preferences have been found in areas such as administration and accounting,
humanities, social sciences, medicine, and health sciences (Cruz, 2021). In Colombia,
interests in engineering, computing, and art have been identified (Vélez et al., 2022). In
Ecuador, interest in areas such as art, defense, and security has stood out, as well as a
61.5% aptitude toward medical and health sciences (Solis, 2023). In other studies,
carried out in Ecuador, interests towards art and aptitudes towards medicine and health
sciences have been evidenced, and secondly, interests towards defense and security and
aptitudes towards administration and accounting sciences (Ruperti et al., 2020).
According to data from SENESCYT, the current academic offer updated as of February
20, 2022, includes the areas of administration, agriculture, forestry, fishing and
veterinary medicine, arts and humanities, natural sciences, mathematics and statistics,
social sciences, business education and law, journalism and information, education,
engineering, industry and construction, health and welfare, health and social services,
and information and communication technologies; The areas with the most significant
number of careers offered by higher education institutions are the areas of
administration, education, social sciences, commercial education and law and
engineering, industry and construction. However, according to data from the same
entity, the four areas in which the highest number of students enrolled in 2022 are
registered are engineering, industry, and construction; social sciences, journalism,
information, and law; Social sciences and business education and education
(SENESCYT, s.f.).
10.4%
9.1%
CHASIDE Test Results
The areas of student preference in this study and those carried out at the Latin American
level show the students' preference for the administrative, humanistic, and health
sciences areas. These data could be in line with the personality characteristics of the
students of Generation Z, such as altruism, responsibility, a high value of the social,
flexibility, participation, and the need to assume essential and positive commitments
with society; however, significant divergences can be found in terms of student
preferences with the existing academic offer and the enrollment rate at the national
level.
When proposing vocational guidance, based on the options of professional areas
proposed by the CHASIDE test, a multiplicity of emerging professions and those linked
to the appearance of artificial intelligence, which has emerged in recent years, are
excluded so that a vocational and professional reductionism that could later affect the
professional and occupational life of this generation and those to come.
Figure 2 shows the results obtained from the analysis of the relationship between self-
reported interests and the CHASIDE vocational and professional guidance test results in
students who have received some guidance or vocational and professional guidance
from a professional, be it a teacher, psychologist, or institutional counselor. The
variables are statistically significantly different (χ2 = 97.1922, p<0.001).
Figure 2
Comparison of CHASIDE Test Results and the Self-Reported Career Preference of Students with Professional
Guidance
Exact,
Administrative &
Accounting
Humanistic &
Social
Sciences
Artistic
Health
Sciences &
Medicine
Engineering &
Computing
Pct. (%)
50
40
30
20
10
Defense &
Security
Agrarian &
Natural
Science
Inconclusive
Exact, Humanistic Artistic Health Engineering Defense Agrarian
Administrative
&
Accounting
&
Social
Sciences
Sciences
&
Medicine
&
Computing &
Security &
Natural
Science
Self-reported career preferences
14.29 12.50 4.76
(3) (2) (1)
2.99
(2)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
19.05 43.75 14.29 16.42 18.18 7.14 36.36
(4) (7) (3) (11) (6) (2) (4)
14.29 12.50 38.10 2.99
(3) (2) (8) (2)
9.09 10.71
(3) (3)
0
(0)
19.05 18.75 9.52 47.76 12.12 17.86 18.18
(4) (3) (2) (32) (4) (5) (2)
4.76
(1)
0
(0)
4.76
(1)
1.49 21.21 7.14
(1) (7) (2)
0
(0)
4.76
(1)
0
(0)
4.76
(1)
5.97 15.15 32.14 9.09
(4) (5) (9) (1)
4.76
(1)
6.25
(1)
9.52 10.45 6.06
(2) (7) (2)
7.14 18.18
(2) (2)
19.05 6.25 14.29 11.94 18.18 17.86 18.18
(4) (1) (3) (8) (6) (5) (2)
CHASIDE Test Results
The percentages of correspondence between self-reported interests and those obtained
from the CHASIDE test do not exceed 50% in any of the areas studied, which denotes
little correspondence between what students intend their higher education career to be
and the results of their answers to the vocational guidance test. However, the areas with
the highest percentage of correspondence are Medicine and health sciences (47.76%),
the Humanities area (43.75%), and Administrative and accounting Sciences (38.1%).
These results reflect a high probability that the vocational guidance received by the
students needed to be adequate and the expected effect needed to be obtained.
Gómez and Palma consider in their study of vocational orientation that the indicators of
social behavior also reveal a significant discrepancy between interests and actions based
on vocational choice. Therefore, the authors consider it necessary to consolidate, in the
vocational guidance processes, other axes such as personal satisfaction, social behavior,
variables associated with the study, the correlation between interests and aptitudes, and
social behaviors, aimed at improving the processes and that can guide young people to
make better choices and professional actions (Gómez y Palma, 2019).
Similar results were obtained in another study with high school students belonging to
Generation Z in the city of Triunfo in Ecuador, where it was possible to show greater
interest in Art and aptitudes in Medicine and Health Sciences and, in the second
instance, interests directed toward the area of defense and security and aptitudes
towards administration and accounting sciences (Ruperti et al., 2020). There is a
significant discrepancy between students’ reported interests and the CHASIDE career
guidance test results, suggesting that students may have the wrong idea of what they
want to study in higher education.
In addition, other factors, such as personal satisfaction and social behavior, must also be
considered in vocational guidance processes to improve decision-making among young
people. Importantly, these results highlight the need for effective career guidance
services with quality processes and qualified professionals to help students make
informed decisions about their educational and professional future. Educational
institutions and government agencies must improve career guidance services to help
young people make more informed and satisfying decisions regarding their interests,
aptitudes, and career goals; this can positively impact student performance and career
satisfaction.
The national educational offer must adapt to the current era of globalization and
technology, considering professions that align with current and future labor market
trends and allowing students to acquire skills and knowledge relevant to the modern
world. In this sense, it is essential to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) as a central
aspect in training new generations. AI has become a vital tool in many sectors, and its
use will continue to grow, so students must become familiar with it early and learn to
use it effectively and ethically. In this way, future generations will be prepared to face
challenges and take advantage of the opportunities offered by the current and future
world.
The results obtained from the analysis of the correlation between the interests reported
by the students and the results of the CHASIDE test in those students whom a relative
has mentored are presented in Figure 3. The variables are statistically significantly
different (χ2 = 396.8240, p<0.001).
Figure 3
Comparison of CHASIDE Test Results and the Self-Reported Career Preference of Students with Family Counseling.
Exact,
Administrative &
Accounting
Humanistic &
Social
Sciences
Artistic
Health
Sciences &
Medicine
Engineering &
Computing
Defense &
Security
Agrarian &
Natural
Science
Inconclusive
Figure 2 and Figure 3 do not show percentages more significant than 50%
correspondence in terms of personal perceptions and the results of the vocational test. In
Figure 3, those who received vocational guidance from the family reached a relationship
percentage lower than those presented in Figure 2, which presents the students who
received vocational guidance from a professional. The areas with the highest percentage
of relationships are the humanities (45.45%), medicine and health sciences (42.86), and
administrative and accounting sciences (23.08%). These results coincide with those
presented in students who have received vocational guidance from professionals.
When choosing a career, the family directs the student mainly with four criteria: the
social prestige of the profession, which gives rise to interest in specific fields that are
considered prestigious; the spirit of the times (fashion), which consists in the choice of a
relevant and prestigious career for the time. The coefficient of family traditionality
relates to the interests of the child and the profession of the father/mother. Finally, the
profession is the adequate means to meet vital needs such as food, clothing, and housing
(Balleza et al., 2021).
Students must receive personalized and quality vocational and professional guidance to
make informed decisions according to their interests and abilities, regardless of family
and social expectations that may affect their choice, without neglecting the family
environment when designing vocational guidance processes so that systemic
interventions can be proposed in addressing this moment in the life of an adolescent.
Figure 4 shows the results of the analysis of the relationship between the self-reported
interests of students who have not received vocational guidance and the results of the
CHASIDE test. The variables are statistically significantly different (χ2 = 453.2343,
p<0.001).
15.75 3.79 4.27 1.92 6.45 4.79 7.69
(23) (5) (5) (9) (20) (16) (7)
24.66 45.45 28.21 18.98 25.16 21.26 19.78
(36) (60) (33) (89) (78) (71) (18
7.53 9.09 23.08 7.46 5.48 6.89
(11) (12) (27) (35) (17) (2
10.96 15.15 8.55 42.86 11.29
(16) (20) (10) (201) (3
10.27 3.79
(15) (5)
6.84
(8)
1.92
8.90
(13)
7.58
(10)
7.69
8.90 4.55
(13)
13.0
CHASIDE Test Results
Figure 4
Comparison of CHASIDE Test Results and the Self-Reported Career Preference of Students Without Vocational
Counseling.
Exact,
Administrative &
Accounting
Humanistic &
Social
Sciences
Sciences &
Medicine
Engineering &
Computing
Pct. (%)
50
40
30
20
10
Defense &
Security
Agrarian &
Natural
Science
Inconclusive
Exact, Humanistic Artistic Health Engineering Defense Agrarian
Administrative
&
Accounting
&
Social
Sciences
Sciences
&
Medicine
&
Computing &
Security &
Natural
Science
Self-reported career preferences
It can be seen in Figure 4 that the percentage of relationships for students without
vocational guidance is 41.99% in the health area and 37.43% in the Humanities; the rest
of the professional areas presented values between 16 04% for careers in the exact and
agrarian areas and 28.31 in defense and security.
Choosing a university major is crucial in any person's life since it can influence their
academic, professional, and personal future. It is essential to have the support and
guidance of professionals trained in vocational guidance, who can guide young people
in decision-making. Vocational guidance seeks to provide tools and resources to help
students choose the most appropriate career based on their interests, abilities, and
aptitudes and understand the socioeconomic and academic factors related to their
choice. In addition, this orientation aims to improve student retention, especially for
students who have yet to decide on their career, do not know the procedures, or need
better preparation to act on their criteria (Erazo y Rosero, 2021).
It is important to note that career guidance should not be limited to choosing a career
but should also be present during and after choosing a profession; career guidance
professionals can help students improve their study skills, develop their self-knowledge,
and to establish clear and achievable professional goals (Casillas, 2021).
In Ecuador, university dropout is a problem that affects many young people, and the
lack of adequate guidance in choosing a career may be one of the factors that contribute
to this situation; therefore, young people must receive specialized guidance to avoid
deficient or lacking practice in decision-making and thus avoid career changes, dropouts
19.87 9.63 6.45 1.85 6.18 4.22 4.72
(30) (18) (10) (11) (23) (14) (5)
17.22 37.43 34.19 20.40 20.97 18.67 20.75
(26) (70) (53) (121) (78) (62) (22)
9.93 11.23 17.42 8.09 9.14 6.93 11.32
(21) (24) (12) (249) (54) (50) (21)
5.96 2.67 4.52 2.19 16.13 6.33 6.60
(9) (5) (7) (13) (60) (21) (7)
9.93 6.95 9.03 6.58 9.95 28.31 8.49
(15) (13) (14) (39) (37) (94) (9)
9.93 10.16 12.26 11.47 11.02 9.94 16.04
(15) (19) (19) (68) (41) (33) (17)
13.25 9.09 8.39 7.42 12.10 10.54 12.26
(20) (17) (13) (44) (45) (35) (13)
CHASIDE Test Results
Artistic
(15)
(21)
(27)
(48)
(34)
(23)
(12)
Health
13.91
12.83
7.74
41.99
14.52
15.06
19.81
and other problems that may arise from not having the information and the necessary
support (Erazo y Rosero, 2021).
The choice of a university major is crucial and can have a significant impact on a
person's future life. Therefore, it is essential to have guidance and support from
professionals trained in vocational guidance to guide young people in decision-making.
Vocational guidance provides tools and resources to help students choose the right
career based on their interests, abilities, and aptitudes and understand the socioeconomic
and academic factors related to their choice. Career guidance can also help students
improve their study skills, develop self-awareness, and set clear and achievable career
goals. The lack of adequate guidance in choosing a career may be one factor
contributing to university educational dropout, which further emphasizes the need to
guide young people to avoid problems in the future.
The correlation coefficients are significantly higher in the counseling group, suggesting
that counseling is relevant in translating an individual's interests into a successful career
choice. The results clearly show the tendency of students to choose the area of medicine
and health sciences in the three circumstances raised, whether they have a vocational
orientation or not, since these are the ones that present the highest percentages of
correspondence between the results. Of the vocational orientation test and their self-
reported preferences before taking it.
Of the number of students surveyed, the results obtained for the group that did not
receive vocational guidance were higher than the rest of the participating population
(1,896 students), while 197 students only represented the group that received vocational
guidance from a professional. It can also be observed that the result for the group that
received family guidance had almost the same effectiveness as guidance by
professionals; This allows us to infer that vocational guidance is essential for the career
selection of every student and that therefore vocational and professional guidance
should be promoted, fostered, and guaranteed for students entering Higher Education
Institutions.
Conclusions
Vocational guidance is crucial for any student seeking to enter higher education and
choose their future profession based on self-knowledge, skills, interests, and values.
This research showed that vocational and professional guidance is essential so that
students entering the university can successfully acquire the training corresponding to
their careers, which guarantees them better and more effective professional
performance.
Career guidance services must be offered by professionals who are qualified in the use
of individualized and group approaches to explore career preferences and aptitudes and
are available to support high school students, especially those belonging to Generation
Z, who have unique characteristics that must be taken into account in order to provide
them with a good orientation that is following the needs and conditions of the present
and future world of work.
Although career guidance cannot guarantee that a student will not drop out, it can help
reduce the dropout rate by allowing students to make informed and conscious decisions
about their career choices. Investment in student retention policies and programs
benefits students and has significant economic implications for governments and
educational institutions.
The significant divergences between interests and aptitudes could not only be caused by
the lack of vocational guidance in students or the ineffectiveness of existing processes.
Reducing the student dropout rate can avoid significant costs in terms of financial and
human resources and, in turn, can positively impact the country’s economy.
The importance of having reliable and updated evaluation tools and promoting research
and development of vocational guidance programs in the educational field.
The psychological community needs to keep updated with available career guidance
tools and techniques and ensure that the tests used are accurate and supported by
scientific research.
The significant divergences between interests and aptitudes could not only be caused by
the lack of vocational guidance in the students or the ineffectiveness of the existing
processes but rather by the efficiency of the instrument in question since, in the present
study, it has been mathematically evidenced that it is a good predictor of interests but
not of aptitudes.
Finally, regarding existing public policies in Ecuador, until recently, for admission to
higher education, it could be concluded that the main drawback was not the exam as
such but a problem of ineffective vocational guidance, for which reason It is
recommended that new vocational guidance processes be developed that make it
possible to address the aptitude characteristics of students in a better way.
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