Research & Evaluation in Career Counseling Flashcards
7 cards from real CCC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Research & Evaluation in Career Counseling flashcards as text
A career counselor evaluates a college career center's services by measuring student employment rates before and after program participation. This is an example of:
Answer: A pre-post program evaluation design
Measuring outcomes before and after an intervention describes a pre-post program evaluation design, commonly used in career services accountability.
Which statistical concept indicates the probability that a study's result occurred by chance alone?
Answer: p-value
The p-value indicates the probability that the observed result is due to chance; typically, p < .05 is considered statistically significant.
Construct validity of a career interest inventory is best demonstrated by:
Answer: The instrument's ability to measure the theoretical construct it purports to assess
Construct validity confirms that an instrument actually measures the theoretical construct (e.g., career interest) it is designed to assess.
In a career counseling outcome study, an effect size of d = 0.80 is generally interpreted as:
Answer: A large, practically meaningful effect
Cohen's d = 0.80 is conventionally classified as a large effect size, indicating a strong practical difference between groups.
Which program evaluation model emphasizes stakeholder input and the practical utility of evaluation findings for decision-making?
Answer: Utilization-focused evaluation
Utilization-focused evaluation, developed by Patton, centers on ensuring evaluation findings are actively used by stakeholders for decisions.
When a career program's evaluation data show statistically significant improvement but a very small effect size, the counselor should conclude:
Answer: The improvement is real but may have limited practical importance
Statistical significance indicates a real effect exists, but a small effect size means the practical magnitude of that improvement may be minimal.
Accountability in career services programs most directly involves:
Answer: Documenting and demonstrating program outcomes and the value of services provided
Accountability requires systematically documenting program outcomes and communicating the value and impact of career services to stakeholders.