Author ORCID Identifier
0000-0003-1726-2827
Abstract
Career development is increasingly recognized as a lifelong process beginning in early childhood. While elementary students are developmentally ready to explore careers, few resources and strategies exist to support this age group. This qualitative, exploratory study investigates how Extension can support elementary career education by examining practices and perspectives of public-school teachers and administrators. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with educators in two urban elementary schools. Grounded theory methods revealed three key themes: barriers, facilitators, and supports/resources needed. Participants viewed career education as essential for helping students make meaningful connections between school and work. However, time constraints, state-mandated standards, and a lack of instructional resources were noted as significant barriers. Educators emphasized the need for standards-aligned materials and advocated for integrating career exploration across subjects. Community involvement and guest speakers were highlighted as effective facilitators. Findings point to a clear opportunity for Extension to engage a new audience by creating age-appropriate, standards-integrated career-readiness tools and by leveraging its community networks to support early workforce development. By responding to educators’ needs, Extension can expand its role in the career development ecosystem and help equip young learners with the knowledge and aspirations to pursue meaningful educational and career pathways.
Recommended Citation
Sneed, C.,
Franck, K. L.,
&
Berry, A. A.
(2026). From Crayons to Career Education: Practices and Perspectives of Elementary Educators.
Journal of Human Sciences and Extension, 14(1), 18.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55533/2325-5226.1614
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
