Students' career exploration: A meta-analysis

Relationship between metacognitive skills and career exploration outcome expectations: mediating role of parental and peer attachment styles

BACKGROUND

Early career development-the first stage of an individual's journey to get to know themselves and their profession-is very important in the career choice process. The correct identification of the variables that influence this process is valuable for the healthy continuation of the developmental process. This study examined whether maternal, paternal, and peer attachment styles play a mediating role in explaining career exploration outcome expectations of metacognitive skills.

METHODS

The hypotheses created for this purpose were examined within the framework of the correlational/relational design of quantitative research models. The target population comprised students studying in secondary schools in Turkey in 2023, and the sample comprised 318 individuals-168 boys and 150 girls-selected using convenience sampling method. SPSS 25.0 Process Macro 4.1 version "Model 6," developed by Hayes, was used for multiple mediation analysis.

RESULTS

Metacognitive skills positively and significantly predicted career exploration outcome expectations and maternal and paternal attachment styles, but not peer attachment style. Maternal, paternal, and peer attachment styles did not significantly explain career exploration outcome expectations. Finally, maternal, paternal, and peer attachment styles did not significantly mediate the relationship between metacognitive skills and career exploration outcome expectations.

CONCLUSION

These results show that individuals' metacognitive skills play an important role in the process of career exploration and goal setting. Moreover, individuals' metacognitive skills have a stronger association with family ties than with peer relationships. However, individuals' ties to their mothers, fathers, and peers are not a determining factor in the formation of individuals' expectations about their careers. Additionally, the relationship between metacognitive skills and career exploration outcome expectations occurs directly, independent of maternal, paternal, and peer attachment styles. Thus, individual characteristics, rather than social factors, such as family or peer relationships, play a significant role in shaping individuals' expectations about career exploration.

Career coaching to support medical student career decision-making: a randomized controlled trial

This study investigated whether career coaching can reduce medical students' career decision-making stress through clarifying students' self-concept, increasing career decision self-efficacy, and lowering perceived time pressure to make a career decision. We evaluated the effectiveness of a coaching intervention (including five individual coaching sessions over eight months) using a randomized-waitlist controlled trial design. Participating medical master's students completed a first survey (T1). The intervention condition (n = 94) started the coaching program right away. The waitlist-control condition (n = 130) started after 8.5 months. Participants in the intervention condition completed a second (T2) survey three weeks after their last coaching session. Participants in the waitlist-control condition received the second survey 8.5 months after registration. Data were analyzed using multilevel path modelling. The total effect of coaching on career decision-making stress was significantly negative (-0.17; 95% CI [-0.31, -0.06]), reflecting a small to moderate effect size. This total effect was partially mediated (i.e., explained) by career decision self-efficacy (-0.02; 95% CI [-0.06, -0.00]). Exploratory analyses suggested that coaching only clarified the self-concept of students with a relatively negative coaching attitude at T1. Moreover, coaching resulted in more changes in career choices and an increase in students' career choice certainty. This study demonstrates that coaching is effective in reducing medical students' career decision-making stress and increasing their career decision self-efficacy and career choice certainty. High-quality career decision-making is important because it is associated with higher job satisfaction, well-being, and performance. Medical schools may consider providing coaching to students to support their career decision-making.

Children from the poor families seem to grow up earlier: An examination of how family economy stress links to career exploration

Career exploration, a critical antecedent to college students' career choices and employment, offers essential guidance for their career development. However, existing research has not explored how changes in family economic stress impact career exploration. Drawing on social cognitive career theory, this study aims to deepen our understanding of the complex interplay between family economic stress and career exploration among vocational school students. We tested our hypotheses using three-time lagged data collected from 600 vocational school students studying in mainland China. As expected, family economic stress positively predicts career exploration via love of money. Additionally, both students' effective part-time behavior and teacher support were found to positively moderate the indirect relationship between family economic stress and career exploration through love of money. We attempt to highlight the broader implications of understanding the nuanced ways in which economic background shapes career exploration. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Approaching Temporal Dynamics in the Dimension-Level Associations Between Career Adaptability/Ambivalence and Internalizing Symptoms Among Chinese Adolescents Throughout Their High Middle School Years

Despite the well-established associations between adolescents' internalizing symptoms and career development, it still remains unclear whether adolescents' internalizing symptoms are precursors or consequences of their career adaptability/ambivalence. Subtler nuance inherent within such association also await to be revealed, because internalizing symptoms and career development have been primarily treated as broad constructs, despite the multifaceted nature of both. To narrow such gaps, this study examined the potentially dynamic associations among career adaptability, career ambivalence, and internalizing symptoms using three-wave longitudinal data. The study collected data from 3196 Chinese adolescents (52.72% girls, mean age = 15.56 years, SD = 0.58) at Wave 1, with 2820 (attrition rate = 11.76%) participating in Wave 2 and 2568 (attrition rate = 8.93%) in Wave 3. The measurement invariance suggested that there were no significant differences across both waves and genders. This study approached associations at both broader construct levels and subtler dimension levels. Results of cross-lagged path models at broader construct levels demonstrated a unidirectional association between internalizing symptoms and career adaptability. Results of models at subtler dimension levels indicated a series of transactional links over time between career adaptability dimensions/ambivalence and depressive symptoms in particular. Career adaptability dimensions and career ambivalence predicted later anxiety symptoms rather than the reverse. Group model comparisons showed no difference across waves and genders. These findings shed light on the dynamic nature of the associations during adolescence between career adaptability/ambivalence and internalizing symptoms, particularly at subtler dimensional levels, which should be considered in relevant clinical and educational practices.

Effect of purpose-based career coaching on career decision-making

To enhance coaching experiences in career development, diverse approaches must be developed and tested. This study’s objective was to determine the effectiveness of a purpose-based career coaching framework on career decision-making difficulties. In this study, randomized experimental conditions and interviews were combined. A theoretical sampling procedure was used for a period of two years to generate samples for the study. A total of 187 youths were recruited, but 78 did not meet the study criteria, while 29 declined to take part. A sample of 80 youths met the study criteria and completed all phases of the study. Twelve one-to-one sessions, aligning with the Pb-CC framework, covered core techniques such as reimagining, spiritualizing, self-discovery, career exploration, identifying, and matching. Qualitative data was collected using a researcher-developed interview protocol, consisting of three open-ended questions such as: “How would you describe the meaning or purpose of your life?; What is the category of career that relates to your purpose?; and What do you believe about purpose and career?” In addition, Career Decision-Making Scale (CDDS) was used to collect data. Quantitative data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance, while qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis, which includes the organization of data, the identification and development of themes, the saturation of themes, and the presentation of themes. At the end of the intervention, participants successfully identified their purpose and skillfully matched it with suitable careers. The effect of purpose-based career coaching has been found to be significant on career decision making. These findings bear practical significance for career counselling, policy implementation, industrialization, research and career development.

Career exploration and its influence on the relationship between self-efficacy and career choice: The moderating role of social support

Career choice is a highly complex process. The growth in the number, nature, and overlap between occupations creates a more multifaceted career landscape, especially for young people. This study expands the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) by developing a model that includes additional factors influencing career choices, such as self-efficacy, career exploration, and social support. A convenient sampling method was applied, with 340 Vietnamese students responding to the questionnaire on Google Forms between August and October 2022. The results supported the research hypotheses, with environmental exploration emerging as the most decisive factor influencing career choice. The most exciting finding of this article is the negative impact of social support on the relationship between environmental exploration and career choice. Finally, the results underscore the significance of implementing career guidance and providing career experiences for university students at educational institutions.

Examining the relationship between self-efficacy, career development, and subjective wellbeing in physical education students

We investigated the relationship between self-efficacy and career development via subjective well-being of students majoring in physical education. Life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect were the componennts of subjective well-being. Participants were the 1381 adolescents with major in physical education with an age range of 18-22 years (Mage = 19.5 ± 1; females = 34.76%). Hayes PROCESS model was used to develop a multiple mediation model. The results suggest that higher self-efficacy leads to better career development. Further, a significant mediating role was played by negative and positive affect in case of the relationship between self-efficacy and career exploration, but life-satisfaction is not significant mediator. Conversely, life satisfaction and positive affect are significant mediators between self-efficacy and career adaptability but negative affect is not. The findings suggest that self-efficacy and subjective well-being benefit career development of adolescents in the physical education field.

Career coach preferences of medical students: coaching specialist or specialistic coach?

BACKGROUND

Medical students' demand for career coaching is growing. However, little is known about what type of career coach they prefer. Using the Warmth-Competence Framework, we investigated if and why medical students prefer physician coaches compared to career psychologist coaches. We also examined whether students' coach choice related to coaches' amount of experience with medical students.

METHODS

In a two-by-two between participants vignette study (n = 147), we manipulated coach occupational background (physician vs. psychologist) and experience with coaching medical students (limited vs. considerable). Participants read one coach description, rated the likelihood that they would choose the coach, and rated the coach on dimensions of warmth and competence.

RESULTS

Students who evaluated a physician career coach were more likely to choose the coach than students who evaluated a psychologist career coach. Students expected that a physician career coach would better understand their situation and be better able to provide career information, while they expected a psychologist career coach to have better conversation skills, all of which were relevant to choosing a coach. Coaches' experience with coaching medical students was unrelated to students' coach choice and their assessment of the coach's warmth and competence.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings highlight the relevance of coaches' occupational background and have implications for the implementation of career coach interventions. Medical schools could help students choose a career coach by providing information about the coach qualities that students value. Future studies could investigate whether career coaches with different occupational backgrounds differ in coach behaviors and coaching effectiveness.

Relationship between career maturity, psychological separation, and occupational self-efficacy of postgraduates: moderating effect of registered residence type

BACKGROUND

With the slowdown of economic growth and the increasing pressure of employment competition worldwide during the normalized epidemic prevention and control, the job-hunting intention and behavior of college graduates deserve in-depth study. This study explores the relationship between the career maturity, psychological separation and occupational self-efficacy of postgraduates, and provides a theoretical basis for improving their career maturity.

METHODS

A questionnaire survey was carried out on postgraduates with 584 valid data in China by using the Career Maturity Scale, Psychological Separation Scale and the Occupational Self-efficacy Scale. A structural equation model and bias-corrected self-sampling method were adopted to explore their relationship. The moderating effect of registered residence type was tested.

RESULTS

The results show that: (1) The higher the level of psychological separation of postgraduates, the higher their career maturity. (2) Occupational self-efficacy plays a mediating role in the process of psychological separation promoting career maturity. (3) The registered residence type moderates the latter half of the mediating process of psychological separation, occupational self-efficacy, and career maturity. Moreover, occupational self-efficacy plays a more significant role in promoting the career maturity of postgraduates with rural registered residence.

CONCLUSIONS

This study reveals the relationship between the career maturity, psychological separation and occupational self-efficacy of postgraduates. At the same time, it also verifies the mediating role of occupational self-efficacy and the moderating role of registered residence type. The result is helpful for postgraduates to understand the level of their career maturity and improve their career decision-making level and career development ability.

Moderated Mediation Model for the Association of Educational Identity and Career Identity Development of Physical Education Students

Introduction

Education and vocation are crucial to one's identity. The current study aimed to see the association between educational identity and career identity development among Chinese PE students. The mediating effect of self-efficacy on educational identity and career identity was explored. Further, the study intended to see the moderating role of gender for the mediating effect of self-efficacy between educational identity and career identity development.

Methods

A total of 369 (age range= 16-22) Chinese PE students were recruited as participants in the study. There were 180 (48.8%) males and 189 (51.2%) females in the sample. Hayes process model 58 was applied to develop a moderated mediation model.

Results

The results reported that there was a significant positive association between educational identity with self-efficacy and career identity. However, self-efficacy was not related to career identity. Further, self-efficacy did not play a mediating role between educational identity and career identity development. On the other hand, gender significantly moderated the mediating effect of self-efficacy between educational identity and career identity development.

Discussion

The study suggests that individuals who have a strong sense of educational identity are more likely to possess higher levels of self-efficacy and a clearer understanding of their career goals. However, it is notable that self-efficacy did not directly impact career identity, suggesting the presence of other factors influencing this aspect of identity formation. Interestingly, moderating role of gender suggests that the influence of self-efficacy on career identity development may vary depending on one's gender, highlighting the importance of considering gender-specific factors in career-related interventions and counseling programs. The practical and theoretical implications of the study are discussed.

Implications

The practical implications of this study suggest the importance of educational identity, the need for comprehensive career counseling interventions, and the consideration of gender-specific factors. The theoretical implications contribute to identity development theory, mediation and moderation frameworks, and cross-cultural research on career identity.

The Relationship between Self-Esteem, Self-Efficacy, and Career Decision-Making Difficulties: Psychological Flourishing as a Mediator

Well-being associated with optimism, social support, and self-esteem is positively correlated with career decision. In this perspective, a rather recent concept of flourishing as an integrative notion incorporating these different resources, positive affect, and positive experience is particularly relevant to better understand the relations and correlations between self-evaluation, well-being, and career decision-making difficulties. The present study then examines the relationship between these possible difficulties, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and flourishing. One hundred and seventy-two higher education students participated in the study and completed a four-part questionnaire with the Career Decision-Making Difficulties Questionnaire, the Flourishing Scale, the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, and the General Self-Efficacy Scale. The results highlight the mediation of psychological flourishing between personality dimensions-self-esteem and self-efficacy-and career decision difficulties and the fact that those who are most flourishing in their lives will also have the least difficulty in making a career decision. As for the practical implications, guidance counselors for students and young adults need to identify resources and difficulties they have to cope with. This study emphasizes the importance of guiding students in three areas: self-esteem, the perceived quality of social relations, and the meaning attributed to one's existence. Finally, the contribution of positive psychology to career development will be discussed.

Linking Career Exploration, Self-Reflection, Career Calling, Career Adaptability and Subjective Well-Being: A Self-Regulation Theory Perspective

Introduction

In the post-pandemic era, the cultivation of vocational adaptability among college students holds equal significance to fostering subjective well-being in the face of an increasingly daunting professional landscape. This intricate process can be influenced by exploratory expeditions into potential career paths, sincere introspection, and a profound sense of vocation.

Methods

Drawing upon Bandura's self-regulation theory, this research project employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to scrutinize the interconnectedness between career exploration, self-reflection, vocational calling, vocational adaptability, and subjective well-being within a sample of 1077 Chinese undergraduates.

Results

The findings demonstrated that career exploration and self-reflection positively predicted career adaptability and subjective well-being. In addition, career calling had a significant mediating effect in this model.

Conclusion

The findings of this study shed light on the significance of career exploration and self-reflection in fostering both adolescent career adaptability and subjective well-being. And are expected to provide a reference for the career construction and development of college students and career education in colleges and universities.

How over-parenting impedes individual career exploration: a goal disengagement perspective

Individuals' early experiences can shape their lifelong development. Notably, healthy parenting experiences will build a good foundation for successful development, whereas inappropriate parenting experiences hinder healthy development. From the goal disengagement perspective, we propose that over-parenting can elicit individual goal disengagement in the development process, which hinders goal-pursuit behaviors. Data collected from 536 university students from China at three time points supported our hypotheses. Specifically, over-parenting promotes more career-exploration goal disengagement, inhibiting career-exploration behavior. In addition, the process mentioned above is more salient for individuals with a high need for parental approval. The theoretical and practical implications of this research are also discussed.

Career Intentions and the Determining Factors among Health Science Students: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Health systemsneed adequate personnelin order to function; improvements in health-care services delivery, and coverage and the enjoyment of standard healthcare as a right, depend on the availability, mixture, quality, and accessibility of the health-care workforce.

PURPOSE

This review aimed to synthesize reliable evidence ondetermining factors among health science students' career choices to enhance policy advocacy for better health-care delivery.

METHOD

We sourced empirical studies from Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar. From a total of 9,056 researcharticlesfrom 2010 to 2022, 27 studies with a total of 45,832 respondents met the inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

The majority of the studies were of medical students; internal medicine was the commonest choice (64.3%), with psychiatry and public health receiving lesser attention. In the four available studies of nursing students, midwifery was not chosen at all. There is a paucity of studies on this all-important concept for nursing students. The determining factors of choice of specialty were in four themes: personal, socioeconomic, professional, and educational/policy. Among the barriers to choosing particular specialties were low prestige among colleagues, stigma, long working hours, and poor public recognition.

CONCLUSION

The career choices of health science students do not reflect an adequate mix of health-care team members to meet the health-care needs of the world. Reforms of policy and educational training are needed.

Career Planning and Self-Efficacy as Predictors of Students’ Career-Related Worry: Direct and Mediated Pathways

The current study seeks to shed light on social-cognitive resources that mitigate master students’ experience of dysfunctional career-related worry before graduation. Based on the career self-management model (CSM; Lent & Brown, 2013 ), we investigate concurrent and time-lagged direct and mediated relationships between career planning, career-related self-efficacy, and career-related worry among a sample of 482 students shortly before graduation. Using data collected at three time points, a negative relationship was found between career planning (T1) and career-related worry (T3) via career-related self-efficacy (T2). Our findings shed light on the role of career planning and career-related self-efficacy as malleable social-cognitive resources that diminish dysfunctional thinking before graduation in sequential order. These findings imply that career planning and career-related self-efficacy are relevant predictors of affective states and can be incorporated into the CSM.