Career Theory Research Articles

Developing Students’ STEM Career Identity and Sense of Belonging in a Biology Class

Undergraduate career courses impact students’ STEM self-effcacy and identity, helping to close opportunity gaps by promoting retention and reducing the time to graduation. However, these courses are generally separate from students’ disciplinary courses, which allows students to see this work as important, but separate. In addition, this siloed approach means that only students who take these classes or engage with career services support individually have access to these opportunities. This opportunity gap is likely compounded for students from underrepresented and minoritized groups, creating a structural barrier where these students are expected to recognize the value and seek these opportunities in unfamiliar and often exclusionary environments. By integrating career exploration, skill development, and reflection into a student-centered biology classroom, we aim to engage students in purpose-driven exploration, planning, and skill development within the context of their disciplinary learning experiences. Drawing on the Social Cognitive Career Theory and Marcia’s Identity Formation Model we designed and assessed the IRL (In Real Life) lab curriculum, which was implemented in a student-centered introductory biology class that includes lecture and lab components. Through the IRL lab, students engaged in activities that helped in (a) Identifying and articulating their purpose, which we define as the intersection of their values, interests, skills, and the societal impact they prioritize in their work (b) Purpose-driven exploration and planning and (c) Making meaning of their experiences by building and articulating career-related skills, and building professional networks. We evaluated the outcomes using a qualitative coding approach, triangulating data from class assignments, focus groups, and semi-structured interviews to assess the impacts of the IRL lab on students’ STEM career identity and sense of belonging. We find that engaging with the IRL lab: (a) Increases students’ career-related self-effcacy and outcome expectations, thus impacting their STEM career identity (b) Shifts their focus from a destination-driven approach (specific job or career) to a purpose-driven approach, thus impacting their identity formation process and (c) Increases access and students’ sense of belonging by engaging them in making meaning of their disciplinary experiences and reflecting on how their academic goals align with their career goals. To summarize, STEM higher education is a choose your own adventure challenge where only some participants are equipped with the tools needed to navigate this new world. Engaging in career-related exploration and reflection in a disciplinary, student-centered class breaks down this structural barrier by equipping all students with the tools and strategies needed for success, thus empowering ALL students to choose their own adventure. This work was supported by the Lyman Briggs College AD Innovation Fund and the AACU Curriculum to Careers Institute. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

"Connecting the Dots” for Recruiting Secondary Science Teachers in Urban Schools: An Exploration of Career Choice for Undergraduate Science Majors

Despite critical shortages of secondary science teachers in urban schools, relatively little research has focused on the recruitment of undergraduate science majors to teach in urban contexts. This study utilized a retrospective narrative inquiry methodology to explore the career pathways of 14 undergraduate science majors into secondary science teaching. The primary data source was interviews that were conducted at the beginning of an urban teacher education program. Interviews were analyzed through the framework of social cognitive career theory (SCCT) to identify the characteristics, beliefs, and experiences that featured prominently in their narrativizations of their career pathway into urban science education. Findings highlight a non-linear process of career choice characterized by three themes: rejecting traditional science careers, reevaluating their interests and skills for teaching, and prioritizing socially oriented career goals. Implications for enhancing the recruitment of undergraduate science majors into urban science teaching include transforming undergraduate science majors to value teaching careers and taking a more community-based approach to science teacher recruitment.

Physician educators' perceptions of experiences contributing to teaching.

Physician educators are essential in training the next generation of physicians. However, physician educators' perspectives about what experiences they find beneficial to their teaching and the prevalence of these experiences remain unknown. Guided by social cognitive career theory (SCCT) and communities of practice (CoP), we explored what experiences physician educators perceive as beneficial in preparing them to teach. In 2019, the Uniformed Services University School of Medicine in the United States surveyed its physician alumni to understand their education experiences during medical school, their current career path and what has contributed to their teaching role. Content analysis was applied to extract themes across the text response. Chi-square analysis was applied to examine if perceived contributing factors vary based on physician educators' gender, specialty and academic ranks. The five most prevalent contributing factors participants (n = 781) identified are (1) experiences gained during residency and fellowship (29.8%), (2) teaching as faculty member (28.9%) and (3) class experiences and peer interaction during medical school (26%). We organised three themes that reflected major avenues of how physician educators acquire teaching skills: reflection about quality teaching, journey as learners and learning by doing. Gender and clinical specialty were differentially associated with contributing factors such as faculty development and meta-reflection. The results are in line with theories of SCCT and CoP, in which we identified self-directed learning and regulation in shaping physician educators' teaching. The findings also revealed gaps and potential contexts for more formalised teaching practices to develop physician educators.

Women’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Persistence After University Graduation: Insights From Kazakhstan

Women’s persistence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has been widely researched in educational settings, whereas less is known about their STEM persistence after graduation. Drawing on social cognitive career theory and in-depth semi-structured interviews with twenty women graduates majoring in STEM fields, this article explores women’s persistence in STEM fields in Kazakhstan within four years after university graduation. The findings of the study are mapped around four themes—STEM self-efficacy beliefs, STEM career outcome expectations, organizational factors, and socio-structural factors—that are found important in shaping STEM women’s post-graduation career choices. The study also reveals factors accounting for disparities in women’s STEM persistence across different STEM fields. Implications highlight the need for more work at organizational and socio-structural levels to develop favorable conditions motivating and enabling women to persist in STEM careers within a patriarchal context.

Awareness of Women's Inclusion in STEM: Twitter Data in Italy

This paper focuses on assessing public awareness of women in STEM disciplines. The underrepresentation of women in STEM has garnered recent attention, and this study is grounded in Social Cognitive Career Theory, which examines how individual, contextual, and experiential factors impact interests and goals in STEM. Individual factors, such as self-efficacy beliefs and outcome expectations, play a crucial role in shaping career choices. Contextual factors influence women's leadership roles, particularly in male-dominated environments, and may differ in female-majority settings. Additionally, social modelling, where individuals learn from observing others, contributes to self-efficacy. Our study focuses on contextual factors that influence awareness of women in STEM. We employ a panel-type econometric model spanning 2014-2022 and analyse 29,985 tweets to explore the influence of socioeconomic factors on public opinions in various Italian regions. Italy's significant regional disparities make it an ideal setting for this research, considering factors like human capital, industry, and government. The managerial implications underscore the importance of understanding public opinion to inform decisions that promote women's inclusion in STEM fields for policymakers and corporate management. This study's unique use of geolocated data on Twitter adds a novel dimension to the intersection of STEM and women.

Exploring Primary School Pupils’ Career Aspirations in Ibadan, Nigeria: A Qualitative Approach

Aspiration constitutes a significant social construct, encapsulating the forward-looking mental framework of an individual. Adapting the Social Cognitive Career Theory, this research aimed to delineate the factors influencing the career aspirations of primary school students in their final and penultimate years in Ibadan. Data were amassed via unstructured yet in-depth interviews with 48 pupils, who were chosen using a multi-stage sampling method from two distinct local government areas within Ibadan. Subsequent to collection, the data underwent transcription, coding, and thematic analysis. The study highlighted the prevalence of gender-stereotyped career choices. The research identified that environmental factors exert varying degrees of influence on the pupils' career aspirations, whereas perceived academic capabilities play a pivotal role in shaping these aspirations. Based on these findings, it is recommended to incorporate comprehensive career guidance and development programs within the primary education curriculum in Ibadan.

Social Identities and Cognitive Information Processing Theory: A Qualitative Analysis

Social identities impact the way individuals see themselves and their career options but career theories have been slow to the call in exploring how social identities interface with theoretical assumptions. The purpose of this study was to examine how social identities affect and inform specific dimensions identified by cognitive information processing (CIP) theory as being essential for effective career decision-making, that is, self-knowledge, options knowledge, decision-making process and skills, career beliefs, and overall career decision. Seventy-six students across ten sections of an undergraduate CIP-based career development course answered questions on an anonymous survey related to how their social identities impacted aspects of their career decision-making. Frequencies for social identities were calculated for each CIP dimension, and 11 categories identified for open-ended responses using the consensual qualitative research-modified approach accompanied pre-determined domains based on CIP theory. Across each component, the most common SI was age and generational differences. While students expressed the influence of social identities as occurring in each CIP dimension, statements related to the self-concept category occurred most often and were present in each domain. Our findings support previous work that the presence and impact of SIs on career decision-making components is undeniable, but also not universal. CIP theory provides a structure and avenues for discussing the role of social identities in career decision-making.

The Interplay of Motivation, Skills, and Promotions: A Bootstrapped Analysis of MBA Graduates through the Lens of Intelligent Career Theory

This tracer study investigates the relationship between the reasons for enrolling in an MBA program (Know-Why), competencies learned during the program (Know-How), and subsequent career promotions (Know-Who) among MBA graduates, guided by the Intelligent Career Theory Framework. The data the respondents furnished is bootstrapped, and the Phi coefficient revealed a statistically significant positive correlation between motivation to enroll and reported acquisition of relevant competencies (Φ = 0.620), supporting the ICTF motion that clear career goals (Knowing-Why) lead to a more strategic approach to learning (Knowing-How) within the MBA program. However, the link between competencies and promotion after graduation (Φ = 0.451) was weaker and not definitively significant. This conveys that while skills gained through the MBA are valuable (Knowing-How), promotions likely depend on a broader range of factors potentially encompassed by the “Knowing-Whom” aspect of ICTF, such as networking and relationships. These findings highlight the importance of motivation and skill development for MBA graduates while acknowledging the complex interplay of factors influencing career advancement. Recommendations are offered to enhance career development outcomes and inform future research.

Perceptions of formal career achievements in public relations by students, professionals, and employers: Certificate, accreditation, and College of Fellows

Various professional organizations in the public relations field have created opportunities for formal professional achievement. Among participating professional organizations, there is the Certificate in Principles of Public Relations for students near graduation time, and professionals may pursue Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) or Accreditation in Public Relations + Military Communication (APR+M). For advanced professionals, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) offers the College of Fellows to its members. However, perceptions of and participation in these achievement opportunities are varied. This study uses the lens of the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) to explore why people do or do not seek to attain these professional milestones. Mean responses on intrinsic social cognitive response variables (confidence, self-efficacy, goal-setting) did not show a significant relationship to motivation, but the extrinsic value expectation was significant. In addition, awareness and perception of these professional achievements among human resources and hiring managers were studied. Results show students and professionals who have earned career achievements have higher mean responses on social cognitive responses than those who do not. Hiring managers value professional development indicators as positive to have but not necessary if candidates have proven experience. Qualitative responses further indicated many respondents were not familiar with the Certificate in Principles of Public Relations, APR, or College of Fellows. Those who had earned these achievements were generally positive. Few students, professionals, or educators reported reaping no benefit once achieved. Those who chose not to pursue or who provided negative responses cited lack of necessity, lacks value, requires too much (e.g. time, money), or process as reasons why.

Psychological empowerment an antecedent to career satisfaction: modeling affective commitment as a mediator and resilience as a moderator

PurposeThe study, grounded on the social cognitive career theory, seeks to analyze the upshot of psychological empowerment on career satisfaction via affective commitment. The study also aims to examine the impact of the interplay among affective commitment and resilience on the career satisfaction of Indian service industry professionals.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, the data has been collected from 277 employees using standardized measures from the North Indian service industry. To test the proposed model, Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) (Hayes, 2013) was utilized.FindingsThe outcomes of the study offered substantial support for the theorized link between psychological empowerment, affective commitment, resilience and career satisfaction. The outcomes confirmed an affirmative association concerning psychological empowerment and career satisfaction through affective commitment as a mediator and resilience as a moderator. The study concludes that the workforce with extraordinary resilience will perceive a stronger influence of psychological empowerment on career satisfaction.Practical implicationsThe study offers a few pertinent inputs for the organizations operating in high-power distance culture to comprehend the role of psychological empowerment and “resilient attributes” of personality in developing a sense of career satisfaction amongst Indian service sector employees.Originality/valueThe present research examines the association between psychological empowerment, affective commitment, resilience and career satisfaction for the first time as mediated moderation model and the same has neither been examined theoretically or empirically.

An investigation into accounting and business students’ employability beliefs

ABSTRACT The accounting profession is challenged by professional shortages, declining university enrolments, and uncertainty about the profile of future accountants regarding technological advancements. It is thus timely to investigate the employability beliefs of accounting students in higher education throughout Australia. This study employed a multi-factor self-assessment of perceived employability (PE) grounded in social cognitive career theory to investigate the PE of accounting students (n = 3116) relative to other business students (n = 4973), and across degree progression. Compared with their business peers, accounting students reported greater program awareness, but their perceived communication skills, emotional intelligence, and ethical and responsible behaviour were lower than their business peers. Accounting students became more likely to reconsider their choice of program as they progressed, with accounting students in their third year or later less confident in terms of self-awareness, program awareness, the perceived relevance of their program, and their perceived ethical and responsible behaviour. The discipline-specific comparisons extend previous research and indicate that employability initiatives should be embedded early in accounting curricula to enhance students’ PE, career understanding, and related skillsets. The potential to enhance accounting students’ PE, and thus improve academic achievement, persistence, and employment outcomes is relevant to educators, curriculum managers and accreditation bodies.

THE APPLICATION OF SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY IN PREDICTING THE ANTECEDENTS OF SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTION

This study analyzes the influence of self-efficacy, role models, and attitudes toward social entrepreneurship on social entrepreneurial intention. It also examines the moderating role of role models in the relationship between self-efficacy and social entrepreneurial intention. This study uses a structural equation model to test five hypotheses. It relies on primary data collected through questionnaires distributed to 114 students from various Indonesian universities. These respondents, identified through convenience sampling, had all learned social entrepreneurship at their university. This study found that self-efficacy positively affects social entrepreneurial intention; role models also positively influence social entrepreneurial intention and attitude toward social entrepreneurship; and attitude toward social entrepreneurship positively impacts social entrepreneurial intention. Role models do not moderate the relationship between self-efficacy and social entrepreneurial intention. The originality of this research lies in its novel adaptation of social learning theory and social cognitive career theory to understand social entrepreneurial intention. As such, this study adds to the theoretical understanding of social entrepreneurial intention, which has been intensively studied using the theory of planned behavior.

A proposed framework for reviewing and revising musical theatre curricula

Careers in musical theatre necessarily require not only a set of discipline-specific skills but also a range of supplementary, supporting skills. Curricula also must adapt to current industry needs and conventions. To address the breadth of requisite skills and maintain currency, a process of regular curriculum review is implemented by universities and conservatoires offering musical theatre degree programmes. In this article, I offer a framework based on concepts from creative career theory and field research as a possible approach to curriculum renewal and development in musical theatre degree programmes.

Antecedents of digital entrepreneurial intention among engineering students

The study aims to investigate the factors shape digital entrepreneurial intention based on the application of the Social Cognitive Career theory. A sample of 345 engineering students and the structural equation modeling method are used to provides a better understanding of the factors (attitude toward digital entrepreneurship, digital entrepreneurial self-efficacy, digital entrepreneurial knowledge, and digital entrepreneurial education) that motivate engineering students to engage in digital entrepreneurship. The results indicate that attitude toward digital entrepreneurship significantly and positively impacts the digital entrepreneurship intention. Additionally, digital entrepreneurial self-efficacy plays a crucial role in fostering a positive attitude toward digital entrepreneurship. The study highlights the importance of digital entrepreneurial knowledge, which positively affects both self-efficacy and attitude toward digital entrepreneurship. The finding emphasizes the significance of digital entrepreneurial education in enhancing knowledge and digital entrepreneurial self-efficacy. The results are anticipated to offer both theoretical and practical insights into the factors encouraging digital entrepreneurial intentions.

Knowing How, Knowing Why, Knowing Whom: Examining the Alignment of the MBA Programs with the Intelligent Career Theory Framework (ICTF)

This study explored the relationship between the Intelligent Career Theory framework (ICTF) and the MBA’s Program Educational Objectives (PEO). Employing a self-reported questionnaire survey with 11 MBA graduates from the past five years, the research examined graduates’ perceptions of the program’s effectiveness in fostering skills and knowledge aligned with the core ICTF components: Knowing Why (Intrinsic motivation and career goals), Knowing How (Knowledge & skills), and Knowing Whom (professional networks & mentors). Pearson’s correlation coefficients were utilized to analyze the relationship between these ICTF components and the program’s PEOs. The Permutations were employed to deal with the limitations of a small sample. The significant correlation between the ICTF components and PEOs with the relative strength of know-why and weakness of know-whom provide insight into the program’s alignment with career intelligence development. Recommendations for curriculum improvement and ongoing program evaluation based on the ICTF framework are presented. This study highlights the value of ICTF as a tool for enhancing MBA programs and empowering graduates for successful careers.

Application of Social Cognitive Career Theory in Various Studies

Application of Social Cognitive Career Theory in Various Studies

Exploring the impact of serious leisure on well-being and self-perceived employability: the mediating role of career adaptability amongst Chinese undergraduates

PurposeThis study aims to explore the impact of engaging in serious leisure (SL) on the well-being (WB) and self-perceived employability (PE) of university students while also considering the role of career adaptability (CA) as a mediator.Design/methodology/approachA total of 905 domestic undergraduate students from China completed an online survey.FindingsThe findings reveal that participation in SL positively influences WB and PE. Additionally, the results indicate that CA mediates the SL-WB relationship but not the SL-PE relationship.Originality/valueThe theoretical contribution of this research comes from advancing our understanding of sustainable career theory through empirical testing of SL, PE, and CA on WB outcomes within a higher education setting. The practical implications of this study involve providing universities with strategies to support domestic Chinese undergraduate students in enhancing their WB and PE through active engagement in SL pursuits and the development of CA. Moreover, our findings serve as a foundation for future research investigating whether insights gained from domestic Chinese undergraduate students can provide solutions on a global scale to address the persistent challenges of improving student WB and PE.

Do STEM women feel ethically and emotionally better prepared for their careers than men?

Despite a growing imperative for graduates to possess STEM skills, both to boost their employability prospects and their perceived economic value, it is critical to also consider the professional or ‘soft skills’ that will enable these graduates to thrive in their careers. Ironically, gender differences in personality and occupational choice are larger, not smaller, in more gender-equal countries. This is known as the gender equality paradox and in STEM it highlights the importance of purposeful initiatives throughout the educational trajectory, even in countries with higher levels of gender equality. This study employed an online self-assessment of perceived employability (PE) using a validated instrument and analyzed the data from 2493 STEM students studying at multiple Australian universities. The findings, underpinned by Social Cognitive Careers Theory, indicate that female report greater confidence than their male peers in ethical literacy and in some emotional literacy skills; these are understood to be critical soft skills for STEM graduates. This distinction is more pronounced in the natural and physical sciences and within information technology fields. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed.

Skill Development in Current and Future Workers to Thrive in the Digital Aquaculture Industry

The digitisation of the agriculture industry provides an opportune context for accelerating sustainable food production. Aquaculture is among the fastest-growing agriculture sectors and is well placed to help address food supply shortages, directly contributing to the achievement of UN Sustainable Development Goal 2. However, the sector currently has inadequate digital capability and enabling conditions to thrive. Social cognitive career theory asserts that career choices and persistence are directly influenced by a person’s thoughts, including their self-efficacy; therefore, the upskilling and reskilling of labour is required to build confidence in their digital capabilities and reduce turnover intentions. Consequently, this study sought to identify the key skills and needs for this workforce to transition to digitally driven ways of working. The results indicated that a range of skills and abilities that enable people to improve their digital capabilities were required. The findings are presented and discussed.

The Effect of Openness to Experience on Students’ Readiness for School-To-Work Transition

This study examines how and whether the constructs of openness to experience in the work placement learning setting (openness to learning in a new environment, openness to supervisor feedback, and openness to diversity) might influence students’ readiness for school-to-work transition. Also, it builds upon the assumptions of the social cognitive career theory – model of self-career management to examine the mediating effect of self-efficacy in the proposed relationships. Analysis of 543 responses from undergraduate students undertaking work placement learning in 221 Nigerian firms using the structural equation modelling revealed positive effects of the constructs of openness to experience on students’ readiness for school-to-work transition. Also, self-efficacy was a significant mediator in the positive relationships. Our findings make important theoretical and practical contributions by offering highlights into the crucial role of openness to experience in enhancing students’ readiness for school-to-work transition via self-efficacy in the work placement learning setting.