Life beyond pregnancy : career guidance through the eyes of teenage mothers : a qualitative study

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation is to see career guidance through the eyes of mothers who experienced pregnancy during their teenage years. Eight mothers, who got pregnant when they were from fifteen to eighteen years of age and who attended or are still attending Servizz Għożża, participated in one-to-one, semi-structured interviews. The three main theories that were used for this research were Super’s Lifespan Theory, Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development and Lent, Brown and Hackett’s Social Cognitive Career Theory. A qualitative approach was used to gain insight into how these women’s experiences have influenced their career paths. Thematic Analysis revealed three main themes, namely the challenges experienced by teenage mothers in their day-to-day lives, the coping strategies they adopted to be able to deal with their various roles, and their experience of career guidance or lack thereof. The findings revealed that these teenage mothers benefited from tailor-made career guidance as well as continuous support and encouragement. Indeed, for some teenage mothers, the incessant support provided by Servizz Għożża changed the course of their lives.