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Career decision-making self-efficacy in relation to career aspirations among junior college one students
Author
Ng, Soo Kok
Supervisor
Khor, Peter Sinn Yeou
Abstract
The present study investigated the utility of the career decision-making self-efficacy (CDMSE) construct to the understanding and treatment of two important components of career aspiration namely, certainty of career choice and career self-efficacy. The study was applied to Junior College students because they were at the threshold of specifying their career aspirations prior to entering tertiary education. A total of 372 Year One (11th grade) students from three Junior Colleges responded to the Career Decision-Aspiration Questionnaire. The extent and degree of indecision among the student sample with respect to specifying an academic major and occupation were examined through the use of a three-level classification according to self-declared status i.e. students who have decided, who have made tentative selections and who were undecided. Results of ANOVAS and post-hoc analysis on these three groups of students showed that CDMSE scores validly discriminated them ; CDMSE scores were highest among students who had decided on their academic major or occupation, followed by those who had made tentative selection. CDMSE scores were lowest among those who were undecided.
In addition, CDMSE scores were found to correlate moderately and positively with two important components of career aspiration : certainty of career choice and career self-efficacy. Results of a stepwise regression analysis revealed that the CDMSE construct was strongly predictive of the strength of students' career aspirations as operationalised by the above two components. Thus, it was inferred that students who were more confident of accomplishing career decision-making tasks were also more certain of their career aspirations as well as more confident in successfully meeting the educational and job requirements of the aspired occupations. The findings suggests that career decision-making self-efficacy expectations had substantive value in explaining the strength of students' career aspirations while providing a conceptual framework for which career development interventions can be facilitated.
The study also revealed that career decision-making self-efficacy expectations were not associated with the students' academic achievements and gender. The usefulness of the self-efficacy construct with regard to career decision-making in the practice of career guidance in schools was discussed.
Chapter 1 discussed the rationale and the theoretical framework of the study. Chapter 2 served to introduce the concept of career decision-making self-efficacy as well as supply some background knowledge to this relatively new construct. Related studies pertaining to career decision-making self-efficacy were reviewed here. Chapter 3 discussed the instrumentation and hypothesis made while Chapter 4 presented the results of the studies. Chapter 5 discussed the limitations of the studies and its implications for career guidance programmes in schools. Recommendations for future research were also discussed.
In addition, CDMSE scores were found to correlate moderately and positively with two important components of career aspiration : certainty of career choice and career self-efficacy. Results of a stepwise regression analysis revealed that the CDMSE construct was strongly predictive of the strength of students' career aspirations as operationalised by the above two components. Thus, it was inferred that students who were more confident of accomplishing career decision-making tasks were also more certain of their career aspirations as well as more confident in successfully meeting the educational and job requirements of the aspired occupations. The findings suggests that career decision-making self-efficacy expectations had substantive value in explaining the strength of students' career aspirations while providing a conceptual framework for which career development interventions can be facilitated.
The study also revealed that career decision-making self-efficacy expectations were not associated with the students' academic achievements and gender. The usefulness of the self-efficacy construct with regard to career decision-making in the practice of career guidance in schools was discussed.
Chapter 1 discussed the rationale and the theoretical framework of the study. Chapter 2 served to introduce the concept of career decision-making self-efficacy as well as supply some background knowledge to this relatively new construct. Related studies pertaining to career decision-making self-efficacy were reviewed here. Chapter 3 discussed the instrumentation and hypothesis made while Chapter 4 presented the results of the studies. Chapter 5 discussed the limitations of the studies and its implications for career guidance programmes in schools. Recommendations for future research were also discussed.
Date Issued
1996
Call Number
HF5382.5.S55 Ng
Date Submitted
1996