Career Theory Research Articles

How offering a free introductory AI computing course at a hispanic-serving community college influences computing interests for enrolled students?

ABSTRACT Background and Context Hispanic-serving community colleges represent promising sites for broadening participation and enhancing computing interests around AI. Objectives This study investigated how students enrolled in an introductory AI computing course at an HSCC made meaning of their course experiences and how they described their interest in computing during the course. Methods Using Social Cognitive Career Theory, this study employed a qualitative, phenomenological approach with participants who took the freely offered introductory AI computing. Findings Offering a free, credit-bearing introductory AI computing course nurtured interests in computing, despite varying previous coding backgrounds. The course’s implicit prerequisite coding knowledge requirement challenged computing interests. Faculty members played a pivotal role in supporting student interests by adjusting supportive learning environments. Implications This study informs the development of introductory AI computing courses at Hispanic-serving community colleges and demonstrates how free course offerings can create interest in computing courses to increase overall interest in computing..

Building a valuable professional development course: instructor effort vs. perceived student value of activities in an online biotechnology course

Providing undergraduate and graduate students with the appropriate preparation for transitioning to careers in their field after graduation is a key goal of higher education institutions, with many programs employing professional development workshops or courses to assist students and provide hands-on skills in this area. Although a wide variety of activities could benefit students, instructor and career specialist time is limited. Here, we describe an online biotechnology professional development course for undergraduate and graduate students, covering career exploration and the job search process, and the students’ perceptions of the activities offered based on survey data. Overall response to the course was positive, with students at various stages of their education indicating appreciation of most of the course assignments. Interestingly, students ranked the activities that took the most instructor time, namely review of application materials, mock interviews, and career panels, as the most valuable for their personal development. The career exploration aspects of the course influenced students to be open to new possibilities. However, students struggled to make time to complete the assignments for a fully online, largely asynchronous course. Discussion of the value of the course activities, their relevance to social cognitive career theory and cognitive information processing, and suggestions for smooth implementation are provided.

From gamers to players: Chinese Generation Z's perspectives on minors dropping out of school to become professional esports players

The research selected responses from Generation Z users on a Chinese question-and-answer website Zhihu, regarding the question ‘My younger brother wants to quit high school to pursue a career as an esports player, should I support him?’ as the primary research data. Utilizing the Social Cognitive Career Theory, the study delved into Generation Z's perspectives on abandoning academic pursuits to become professional esports players, from the aspects of self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and personal goals as a reflection of Generation Z's career outlook. Generation Z generally finds esports players extremely attractive, but fierce competition, uncertainty about career prospects, and pressure from societal perceptions and family expectations form a challenging career choice. Most Generation Z believe minors should remain rational, but a few Generation Z still think it's okay to give it a try. The study found that Generation Z's view of careers is a combination of romanticism and pragmatism; they cannot completely escape from considerations of career stability and social expectations, but they also value the pursuit of personal interests and the fulfilment of their passions. This duality reflects the inherent contradictions and struggles of Generation Z when confronted with traditional career concepts and modern values. This contradiction is particularly prominent in an emerging and uncertain field such as esports. This study provides profound insights into the underlying motivations of Generation Z's career choices and offers valuable implications for the evolution of societal norms and reforms in employment systems in the future.

Enhancing the sustainability of careers in disruptive times

Our current world is putting to the test the resilience of many workers when dealing with uncertainty and adjusting to changing ways of working, rapid digitization, combined with a pressure to perform and stay employable. In these uncertain times, it has become even more clear that careers cannot be seen as a linear sequence of predictable work experiences one has full control over, and that individuals cannot just rely on others to take care of their career security. At the same time, it provokes questions regarding the role of different stakeholders involved. This article summarizes the key elements of sustainable careers theory and discusses the relevance of this framework for understanding and addressing contemporary career challenges and implications for career counseling. It is a summary of my keynote address at the NICEC conference in Birmingham, July 2024.

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.

Novice clinician educator professional identity formation through a longitudinal mentorship: a qualitative study

BackgroundThe professional identity of doctors is evolving with physicians now required to be ‘scholars’, facilitating the education of students and healthcare teammates as educators. Mentoring is widely practiced and is postulated to facilitate professional identity formation (PIF) through socialization.Preliminary literature review suggested few studies looking into how formal mentoring programmes affect PIF of novice clinician educators, particularly an Asian context. I hope to understand the perceived professional identity of such educators, and what changes in professional identity are observed after longitudinal mentorship, using the social cognitive career theory (SCCT) as an underpinning framework.MethodsA qualitative study explored perspectives of mentees with less than two years teaching experience and participating in a formal mentoring programme. Semi-structured interviews were conducted at the beginning and end of the programme. Thematic analysis and coding of these taped and transcribed interviews was performed and triangulated with an elite interview. Mind maps were constructed to appreciate the inter-relatedness of themes and evaluated using the SCCT framework. Methodology was anchored to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist.ResultsSeven mentees were recruited. All were Chinese except for two Indians. All had less than six months experience with educational activities. None had formal training in medical education. Median duration postgraduate was six years. One was from a surgical discipline, others were from a range of medical disciplines. Themes identified included background influences, learning experiences and outcome expectations which affected self-efficacy, leading to mentees attaining goals and performing actions which effected their professional identity development, which was in-turn affected by contextual influences. Most perceived themselves as clinicians rather than medical educators. Concepts underpinning PIF included socialisation (role modelling and mentorship, communities of practice, sense of belonging), experiential learning, the hidden curriculum and reflective practice.ConclusionsNovice clinician educators mostly have a hierarchical identity. Role modelling and mentorship, active participation in communities of practice, promotion of a sense-of-belonging, experiential learning combined with reflective practice are important components for socialisation, synergistically facilitating PIF in novice clinician educators. Overcoming contextual barriers, being cognisant of cultural practices and addressing concerns in the hidden curriculum can assist educators in development of their professional identity.

Undergraduate Research Science Capital: Measuring capacity to engage in research.

Undergraduate research has been identified as a high-impact educational practice. However, despite the body of evidence on the outcomes of undergraduate research, few studies have focused on the influences students face regarding participation. Developed using Science Capital and Social Cognitive Career Theory, a survey comprised of potential influences to undergraduate science research participation was disseminated to science majors at four R1 institutions in the Southeastern United States. Participation rates across several demographic factors and effect of participation influences were analysed. Results reveal a significantly greater proportion of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Plus (LGBTQ+) and disability communities indicating participating in research than their peers. Additionally, fourteen participation influences were identified as having a significant difference in their level of influence to the ability to participate in research between researchers and non-researchers. These include professor influence, interest in research, interest in science, coursework in the major, and major all being rated as opportunities with a significant difference of effect between researchers and those who have not yet participated in research. The results of this study will be beneficial for science departments and their respective institutions to improve the equity of access to their undergraduate research experiences.

Navigating protean career paths in medical education: insights from outstanding medical educators in South Korea

BackgroundThis study explored the career development experiences of Korean medical educators who have forged their paths amid dynamic medical education landscapes. Additionally, it explored their career development process by introducing a protean career theoretical framework, that is, an individual-led career development theory.MethodsThis study employed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to gather in-depth insights regarding the experiences of medical educators who have successfully built their careers in Korea. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine medical educators to investigate the significance of these experiences. The emerging themes were categorised based on the protean career theory during data analysis.ResultsThe findings revealed that medical educators navigated their careers in line with the protean career development model, characterised by protean career orientation, process and outcomes. Their experiences in the medical education domain were aligned with eight factors of the protean career model – self-direction, intrinsic work values, awareness, adaptability, agency, subjective career success, objective career success and organisational commitment.ConclusionIn the context of less structured career pathways and a rapidly evolving regional environment, medical educators have developed individual-driven careers with self-direction and intrinsic values, formed their identities and demonstrated flexibility and proactive strategies. Hence, the protean career model successfully explains the characteristics of self-directed career development for medical educators, while emphasising the need for organisational support.

CAREER TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION INFLUENCE ON CAREER DECISION MAKING SELF-EFFICACY AMONG STUDENTS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KIAMBU COUNTY, KENYA

Career decision-making is crucial among people all over the world, and choosing a career is challenging to those who do not have a wide life experience. Students who make irrational career choices run the risk of experiencing severe consequences, such as low job performance, stress and anxiety relating to the job, and a lack of job satisfaction and happiness. The purpose of this study was to determine the career teachers’ perception influence on career decision-making self-efficacy among students in public secondary schools in Kiambu County, Kenya. The objective of the study was to establish the career teachers’ perception influence on career decision-making self-efficacy among students in public secondary schools in Kiambu County, Kenya. The study was guided by the Social Cognitive Career theory and Systems theory. This study used a cross-sectional survey research design. The data was collected using self-administered questionnaires. The target population consisted of 29,682 from three students in Kiambu County. The sample size consisted of 380 form three students who were selected using stratified sampling techniques from the 285 secondary schools in Kiambu County, Kenya. Questionnaires were used for data collection. The questionnaires were pilot-tested with 30 students from three secondary schools (a boys’ school, a girls’ school and a mixed school), comprising 10 students from each category in Nairobi County, Kenya. Reliability was enhanced by the test-retest method, where a Cronbach coefficient alpha of 0.79 was established. The content validity of the instruments was guided by the objectives and the experts in the Department of Psychology, Counselling and Educational Foundations of Laikipia University. Data analysis was aided by SPSS (Version 26). The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics which include percentages, means, and frequencies. Hypotheses were tested using a t-test, Simple Regression and Analysis of Variance at a .05 level of significance. The research found out that career teachers’ perception (F=34.45, p=000) has a statistically significant influence on students’ career decision-making self-efficacy of students in public secondary schools in Kiambu County, Kenya. Findings from the study might inform the Ministry of Education, policymakers, career teachers, and parents about students’ capacity to make the right career decisions. Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that career teachers’ perception had a statistically significant influence on career decision-making self-efficacy among students in public secondary schools in Kiambu County, Kenya. The study recommended that career teachers should take precautions while undertaking career guidance and counselling to students since their perception has an influence on career decision-making self-efficacy.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0722/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Development of an integrated conceptual framework for the entrepreneurial intention and nascent entrepreneurial behavior

PurposeThis study aims to identify the themes of entrepreneurial intention and develop an integrated conceptual framework for the antecedents and outcomes of entrepreneurial intention.Design/methodology/approachA Systematic Literature Review (SLR) is conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses approach (PRISMA). In total, 185 articles from six databases between 2010 and 2023 are included. A bibliometric analysis is performed using VOSviewer.FindingsUnearthed are five pivotal themes, namely, personality traits, educational, contextual and cognitive factors, that profoundly influence entrepreneurial intention to deepen the understanding of nascent entrepreneurial behavior and illuminate new avenues for research in this domain.Research limitations/implicationsThis study relied on six databases and 185 papers from scholarly journals written in English. Articles published before 2010 and after 2023 are not considered. It proposes an integrated conceptual framework incorporating personality traits and educational, contextual and cognitive factors for intention formation. The incremental aspect of augmenting Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) theory is also explained.Practical implicationsArms practitioners with the crucial insights needed to embark on nascent entrepreneurs’ entrepreneurial journey early in crafting effective policies, empowering them to spearhead economic growth and innovation at both the firm and national levels.Originality/valueThis study shows the nexus among personality traits, educational, contextual and cognitive factors, entrepreneurial intention and nascent entrepreneurial behavior with a solid theoretical foundation under one integrated conceptual framework while augmenting SCCT, offering a fresh and innovative perspective on nascent entrepreneurial behavior.

The double-edged sword of shame: hindrance and catalyst for immigrant teachers’ career development

ABSTRACT This international study offers a groundbreaking examination of the role of shame in the career development of immigrant teachers. Despite existing research on the challenges immigrant teachers face, such as language barriers and accreditation, limited focus has been placed on understanding the emotional aspects of their career progression. Utilizing the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) in exploring the interplay between self-efficacy, outcome expectations and performance outcomes, the study delves into the complexities of shame experienced by 45 immigrant teachers from Australia, Hong Kong, and South Korea, and how it impacts their career decisions and actions. The researchers have conducted three semi-structured one-on-one interviews and one focus group discussion with each immigrant teacher. Using the general inductive approach, the findings demonstrate that shame serves as a dual-faced influencer, acting as both a hindrance and a catalyst for career development. Moreover, the study raises concerns about the effects of emotional well-being on immigrant teacher retention and offers insights for policy and practice aimed at fostering emotional resilience among immigrant teachers. Though limited by its qualitative nature, the study represents a significant step towards a nuanced understanding of immigrant teachers’ emotional experiences, inviting further exploration into the field.

A journey into women's managerial career development through the social cognitive career lens

This article presents a computational literature review that aims to disentangle the themes that have marked the academic debate on women's career development in management positions through the lens of social cognitive career theory. Relying on the novel methodology of topic modeling, the research inductively conceptualizes 12 topic-based themes that have contributed to academic debate in the last decades. In interpreting the landscape that emerged, the topics have been aggregated into three main categories: individual characteristics and learning experiences, contextual factors, cognitive mechanisms, and regulation of behavior. The fine-grained conceptualization of the topics and the derived framework contribute to systematizing the literature and to emphasizing the different facets of women's career journeys in attaining leadership positions. Through a discussion of the contributions and limitations identified in each category, the study provides recommendations for future research.

From green entrepreneurial intention to behaviour: The role of environmental knowledge, subjective norms, and external institutional support

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals have been gaining traction. Green entrepreneurship has emerged as an appealing strategy for governments and educators to address environmental problems. This study examines the determinants affecting the transformation of green entrepreneurial intention into behaviour, a previously unexplored area. Specifically, the moderating roles of sustainability orientation, environmental knowledge, subjective norms, and external institutional support on the effect of green entrepreneurial intention on behaviour are examined. A quantitative survey of 663 Taiwanese individuals was conducted between November and December 2022. The factor structure was evaluated using exploratory factor analyses. The positive relationship between green entrepreneurial intention and behaviour was validated using multiple regression analysis. Environmental knowledge, subjective norms, and external institutional support, but not sustainability orientation, had positive moderating roles. These findings enrich existing theories, including the theory of planned behaviour and social cognitive career theory, and provide practical guidance to educators and policy makers promoting green entrepreneurial action.

대학생의 객관적 사회경제적 지위, 경제적 어려움, 주관적 사회경제적 지위와 진로 결과기대의 관계 : 진로결정 학습경험과 진로결정 자기효능감의 매개효과 검증

This study, grounded in Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), aims to examine the roles of career decision-making learning experiences and career decision-making self-efficacy in mediating the relationships between both objective and subjective socioeconomic status, economic hardship, and career outcome expectations among university students. A sample of 255 students from various four-year universities across South Korea participated in this research. The results from structural equation modeling(SEM) indicate that the final model demonstrated a good fit to the data, explaining approximately 73% of the variance in career outcome expectations. The analysis of direct paths revealed significant effects for all hypothesized pathways. Furthermore, the study found that subjective socioeconomic status, career decision-making learning experiences, and career decision-making self-efficacy significantly mediated the relationship between objective socioeconomic status and career outcome expectations. Similarly, these variables also mediated the relationship between economic hardship and career outcome expectations. This research contributes to the literature by highlighting the importance of socioeconomic factors and career decision-making processes in shaping career expectations. Additionally, it underscores the relevance of subjective socioeconomic status and career-related learning experiences in career counseling interventions. The study concludes with recommendations for future research, suggesting the need for a more diverse sample and the inclusion of longitudinal studies to further explore these relationships.

Bibliometric analysis of career decidedness studies using a visual mapping technique

This study aims to provide an overview of "career decidedness" and identifies related study trends and gaps. Analyzing 104 works published between 1995 and 2024 in the Web of Science (WoS) database using VOSviewer includes 93 journal articles, 12 papers, and two early appearance studies. Most research was in social psychology (88) and management (5). The most cited authors were Lent-Robert (519), Penn, Lee (464), and Ireland Gleen (460), while the most co-cited authors were Lent-Robert (144), Hirschi Andreas (63), and Savickas (63). The USA (1676 citations), Germany (258 citations), and The USA (1676 citations), Germany (258 citations), and Australia (252 citations) were the top cited countries. Leading institutions included the University of Maryland (749 citations), the University of Tennessee (235 citations), and the Leuphana University of Lüneburg (181 citations). Common keywords were career decidedness, self-management model, career decision-making, social career theory, and career development. The top publications were by Duffy (2007), with 203 citations; Lent (2016), with 168 citations; and Lent (2017) with 164 citations.

A narrative inquiry into EFL tutors’ career trajectories through social cognitive career theory

Despite the prevalence of English private tutoring (EPT) in EFL contexts, scant literature has focused on its tutors’ career experiences. This narrative study, underpinned by social cognitive career theory (SCCT), inquiries into the career trajectories of three EFL tutors in Mainland China. Data were mainly collected through three rounds of narrative interviews. Tutors’ photos representing significant career moments supplemented the interview data. Based on their narratives, these participants experienced ‘zigzag’ career trajectories that featured frequent turnovers, lengthy work gaps, and identity shifts from institutional tutors to start-up owners. Informed by SCCT, this study unveils that tutors’ career trajectories were shaped by their self-efficacy beliefs associated with personal attributes and prior experiences. Tutors’ trajectories were also shaped by their outcome expectations from material and social perspectives, and contextual influences, including personal opportunities and barriers, institutional management, and socio-political factors like the ongoing ‘Double Reduction’ policy. These findings are discussed in order to inform other tutors to visualize and organize their career development within the context of policy constraints and, furthermore, offer implications for tutorial institutions to retain tutors for instructional consistency. This inquiry also demonstrates the potential to apply the SCCT model to understanding teachers’ career development in the ‘shadow education’ context.

“Integrated model perspective of capital theory, TPB and SCCT towards determining business students' digital entrepreneurial intention in developing country context”

The current research studies aim to investigate antecedents that influence business graduate students' digital entrepreneurial intention (DEI) to establish digital start-up ventures by employing the capital theory, theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and social cognitive career theory (SCCT) model. Using quantitative and convenience sampling methods, 564 self-reported primary survey data were collected through an online questionnaire from business graduates in Karnataka, India. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to analyse survey data and empirically test the hypothesis. Findings suggest that digital entrepreneurial competence, digital entrepreneurial knowledge, digital entrepreneurial self-efficacy, digital innovative cognition, subjective norms, information technology culture, perceived behaviour control and social media influence antecedents significantly influence digital entrepreneurial attitudes towards DEI. Hence, digital entrepreneurial education and digital entrepreneurial role models are insignificant in influencing digital entrepreneurial attitudes towards DEI. Furthermore, business students' digital entrepreneurial attitudes significantly influence digital entrepreneurial intention towards creating digital-based start-up ventures. These research findings and results will contribute to governments, collegiate education departments, universities, and societal supporting systems to develop a framework and policies regarding technical and entrepreneurial education systems and create digital start-up ecosystems in the Indian context.

Social Cognitive Career Theory on Entrepreneurial Intention of Vocational Students

This study aims to examine the mediating role of outcome expectation and self-efficacy in the relationship between entrepreneurial knowledge and entrepreneurial intention among vocational students. Using a sample of 150 SMK students, data was collected via questionnaires and analyzed using the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique in Smart PLS 3.0, with Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) as the theoretical framework. The results show that 1) entrepreneurial knowledge positively influences entrepreneurial intention, 2) self-efficacy mediates the relationship between entrepreneurial knowledge and entrepreneurial intention, and 3) outcome expectation also mediates this relationship. These findings contribute to the literature by validating SCCT in understanding entrepreneurial intention. The practical implications suggest the need for fostering an entrepreneurial ecosystem within the school environment as a strategy to increase entrepreneurial interest among vocational students.

Enhancement of Tourism Students’ Well-Being via Online Education: A Framework for Exploration in the Great Bay Area of China

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted tourism education worldwide. In the Great Bay Area of China, where tourism is a key industry, the effects on tourism education directly influence the sector’s development. This study aims to enhance tourism students’ well-being in online education by developing a framework based on social cognitive career theory. This framework explores the antecedents affecting students’ academic performance and life satisfaction during this unprecedented period. Using survey data from tourism students in the Great Bay Area and employing Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) for analysis, the findings confirm a nomological network. This network elucidates the roles of personal affective traits and external environmental factors on both academic and life satisfaction, mediated by personal dispositional factors such as self-efficacy, expectations, and goal progress.

The role of teachers’ direct and emotional mentoring in shaping undergraduates’ research aspirations: a social cognitive career theory perspective

PurposeThis study investigated the influence of teachers on undergraduate students’ development of research aspirations and the mechanisms behind this process.Design/methodology/approachEmploying social cognitive career theory, the study gathered data from 232 undergraduates, developed a structural equation model via the maximum likelihood method and executed empirical testing.FindingsThe findings reveal that neither direct nor emotional mentoring independently satisfies students’ needs for self-efficacy and aspiration in research nor significantly influences research interest. Specifically, the study demonstrates that (1) research self-efficacy, outcome expectations and research interest significantly shape research aspirations; (2) an overemphasis on direct mentoring might impede research aspiration development and (3) a focus on emotional mentoring, while overlooking direct mentoring, could result in diminished research self-efficacy.Originality/valueThis research pioneers a comprehensive analysis of the role of teachers in shaping undergraduate research aspirations through the lens of social cognitive career theory. It underscores the critical need to both balance mentoring approaches and foster intrinsic research motivation.