Career Values Research Articles

The impact of values congruity on underrepresented minority (URM) graduate student psychosocial functioning

ABSTRACT There is growing awareness of a mental health ‘crisis’ among graduate students [Evans, T. M., Bira, L., Gastelum, J. B., Weiss, L. T., & Vanderford, N. L. (2018). Evidence for a mental health crisis in graduate education. Nature Biotechnology, 36(3), 282–284. doi:10.1038/nbt.4089]. Despite a paucity of research exploring potential differences in psychological distress across ethnic and racial groups, there is at least some evidence that students who identify as African American/Black, Hispanic/Latinx, American Indian/Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders, underrepresented minority students (URM), report more depressive symptoms [e.g., Harvard Chan Mental Health Student Alliance. (2017). Mental wellness of students at Harvard Chan. Retrieved from https://cdn1.sph.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1745/2017/05/MHSA-Needs-Assessment-Report-2017.pdf] and a lower sense of belongingness in graduate school [e.g., Clark, C. R., Mercer, S. H., Zeigler-Hill, V., & Dufrene, B. A. (2012). Barriers to the success of ethnic minority students in school psychology graduate programs. School Psychology Review, 41(2), 176–192. doi:10.1080/02796015.2012.12087519] compared to their racial and ethnic majority peers. We explored whether URM students’ opportunities to engage in doctoral work consistent with intrinsic, altruistic or extrinsic career values, and congruity between values importance and affordances would contribute to psychosocial well-being, belongingness, and program satisfaction. URM doctoral students (n = 436) completed an anonymous online survey including the Values Congruity Questionnaire (VC), Campus Connectedness Scale (CCS), and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21). Opportunities to engage in doctoral work consistent with altruistic, intrinsic, and extrinsic values were associated with lower depression and a higher sense of belongingness. Incongruity between the importance of altruistic values and perceived affordances was associated with higher depression and a lower sense of program belongingness and satisfaction. Although URM psychological functioning is determined by multiple factors, providing values consistent opportunities within graduate programs could increase belongingness, program satisfaction and psychosocial wellness.

간호대학생의 직업가치관과 소명의식이 진로태도성숙에 미치는 영향

본 연구는 간호대학생의 진로태도성숙에 직업가치관과 소명의식이 영향을 미치는지를 파악하여 학생들의 진로태도성숙에 도움을 줄 수 있는 근거자료를 제공하고자 수행되었다. 연구대상은 266명의 간호대학생으로 직업가치관검사, 소명의식, 진로태도성숙도검사를 실시하여 분석하였다. 수집된 자료는 SPSS 18로 분석하였고, 대상자의 일반적특성에 따른 진로태도 성숙도의 차이를 파악하기 위해 빈도분석, t-test, One Way ANOVA를 실시, 직업가치관과 소명의식 및 진로태도성숙의 관계분석을 위해 Pearson correlation coefficient를 실시, 직업가치관 및 소명의식이 진로태도성숙에 미치는 영향을 파악하기 위해 regression analysis를 실시하였다. 연구 결과 간호대학생의 직업가치관과 소명의식 및 진로태도성숙에는 정적인 상관관계가 있었고, 직업가치관과 소명의식은 진로태도성숙에 영향을 미쳤으며 하위요인에서 성취, 직업안정, 봉사 및 목적/의미 존재가 유의미하게 영향을 미쳤다. 이러한 연구결과는 직업가치관 및 소명의식을 진로태도 성숙도 향상을 위한 개입 방법으로 활용할 수 있으며, 각 개인의 가치관 및 목적의식 등의 특성을 고려하여 개입 방법을 달리하여야 함을 시사한다.

Assessment of Differential Statement Functioning in Ipsative Tests With Multidimensional Forced-Choice Items.

Ipsative tests with multidimensional forced-choice (MFC) items have been widely used to assess career interest, values, and personality to prevent response biases. Recently, there has been a surge of interest in developing item response theory models for MFC items. In reality, a statement in an MFC item may have different utilities for different groups, which is referred to as differential statement functioning (DSF). However, few studies have been investigated methods for detecting DSF owing to the challenges related to the features of ipsative tests. In this study, three methods were adapted for DSF assessment in MFC items: equal-mean-utility (EMU), all-other-statement (AOS), and constant-statement (CS). Simulation studies were conducted to evaluate the recovery of parameters and the performance of the proposed methods. Results showed that statement parameters and DSF parameters were well recovered for all the three methods when the test did not contain any DSF statement. When the test contained one or more DSF statements, only the CS method yielded accurate estimates. With respect to DSF assessment, both the EMU method using the bootstrap standard error and the AOS method performed appropriately so long as the test did not contain any DSF statement. The CS method performed well in cases where one or more DSF-free statements were chosen as an anchor. The longer the anchor statements, the higher the power of DSF detection.

Expanding and diversifying the pool of undergraduates who study economics: Insights from a new introductory course at Harvard

Economics does not attract as broad or diverse a pool of talent as it could. For example, women comprise less than one-third of economics bachelor’s degree recipients, significantly lower than in math or statistics. The authors present a case study of a new introductory economics course that enrolled 400 students, achieved nearly 50–50 gender balance, and was among the highest-rated courses at Harvard. They summarize the course’s content and pedagogy, illustrate how this approach differs from traditional courses, and identify elements of the approach that appear to underlie its success: personal connection, real-world exposure, scientific inquiry, career value, and social relevance. They conclude by discussing how these ideas for improving economics instruction could be applied in other courses and tested empirically in future research.

Pre-service Teachers’ Career Values as Determinants of Career Choice Satisfaction: A Hierarchical Regression Analysis

This study examined the relationships among pre-service teachers’ demographics, motivational factors, and career choice satisfaction in the Chinese context. A sample of 503 pre-service teachers at three education universities from East China was investigated. Informed by the Fit-Choice framework, a hierarchical multiple regression analysis was implemented. Female pre-service teachers had higher levels of career choice satisfaction than their male counterparts, and pre-service teachers with an associate degree had higher levels of career choice satisfaction than those without such a degree. Motivational factors jointly explained 67% of variance in pre-service teachers’ career choice satisfaction, among which intrinsic career value was the strongest predictor. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Association between Influential Factors and Teaching Profession as Career Choice among Undergraduate Student Teachers: A Structural Equation Study

This study investigated the fitness of the Factors Influencing Teaching (FIT) Choice scale in a Kurdish educational setting among undergraduate teacher-training students (N=1335) encompassing nursery, primary and secondary education. The factors motivating this population to become teachers were examined in the Iraqi-Kurdish educational context. The-FIT-Choice scale was translated into the Kurdish language and its reliability and validity were measured. Intrinsic/altruistic and social utility values were found to be the most important factors behind the choice of the teaching profession as a career. Intrinsic career value, social contribution, the experience of prior learning and teaching were also influential motivational factors in this choice, as were social influences and social status factors compared to similar research conducted in Australian and Turkish educational settings, however, fall back career, job security, time for family, job transferability, the opportunity to shape the future of children and enhance social equity did not demonstrate meaningful value as motivational factors in this survey. One of the most important results differentiating this from other studies was that the addition of moral value factors to the original scale revealed that these values played an important role in students’ perceptions towards the teaching profession as a career.

Reciprocal Relation Between Career Values and Career Goal Progress: A Two-Wave Longitudinal Study

Existing research tends to treat individuals’ career values as relatively stable and independent factors that shape subsequent attitudes and behaviors, yet overlooks reverse causal effects. Employing the self-determination theory and the cognitive dissonance theory, we empirically tested the reciprocal relationship between career values and career goal progress, and the dynamic relations among different dimensions of career values. Data were collected using a time-lagged panel design across one year among a large sample of Chinese college students (N = 2339). Results show that intrinsic fulfillment value (Time 1) positively predicts career goal progress (Time 2); career goal progress (Time 1) is positively related to all three kinds of career values (Time 2). In addition, external compensation value at Time 1 attenuates intrinsic fulfillment value and work-life balance value at Time 2, and work-life balance value at Time 1 is negatively related to intrinsic fulfillment value at Time 2. Theoretical and practical implications of this research are discussed.

Organizational Managers and their Returns from Entrepreneurship on Re-Entry into Paid Employment

Do entrepreneurs benefit post their entrepreneurial careers on re-entry into paid employment? An answer to this question provides a career value of engaging in an entrepreneurial career. Results have so far been inconclusive suggesting that we still do not know whether entrepreneurship pays or not. Using job matching as the main theoretical foundation, this study investigates how the returns from entrepreneurship are likely to be contingent on the re-entry organizational rank (managers versus non-managers) of the entrepreneur re-entering paid employment post a career in entrepreneurship. Additionally, the study investigates how the returns from entrepreneurship are likely to be contingent on the combination of pre-entrepreneurial entry organizational rank and re-entry organizational rank. Matching managers and non-managers from a sample of STLF in Sweden between 1990 and 2008, relative to wage employees with similar observational characteristics, results indicate that upon re-entry into paid employment, entrepreneurs seem to benefit more in managerial ranks suggesting skills from entrepreneurship are likely to provide higher returns in managerial positions.

Career anchors as predictors for organizational commitment of university teachers

The paper presents a pilot study for two phenomena, organizational commitment and career an- chors of university foreign language teachers. Career values were seen as predictors of organizational commitment. Internationalization and multilingualism of higher education entail the demand for foreign language teachers, who often teach, particularly, English in several workplaces. Knowing multi-dimen- sional connections between those phenomena makes it possible to influence organizational commit- ment through career orientations of teachers. Identifying and building organizational commitment is an issue of the university organizational culture and academic policy. The study objects are 66 university teachers for foreign languages from Almaty universities. The components of organizational loyalty and career orientations are the research subject matter. The study aimed at the organizational loyalty of university teachers and their career orientations as predictors. The research question focused on a relationship between organizational loyalty and career orientations of teachers. Conclusions reflect the results of the study. Key words: organizational commitment, loyalty, career anchors, university teacher.

INSIDE AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM IN VIETNAM: STUDENTS’ MOTIVATIONS FOR TEACHING AND THEIR INTENTIONS TO TEACH

Recent years have witnessed a decrease in both the number and quality of students enrolling in English Language Teacher Education (ELTE) programs. Those ELTE graduates also tend to pursue careers other than teaching. Given the great demand for English language learning at the moment, such low motivation for teaching is undesirable. This study was thus conducted to investigate motivations for teaching of senior students at a language teacher education institution in Vietnam as well as the correlations between these motivating factors and their intentions to teach. Data was collected from 114 senior students using questionnaires, and analyzed using SPSS (version 20.0). Findings from the study suggested that (a) participants displayed a positive prospect of pursuing teaching career; (b) prior teaching and learning experience, making social contribution, and shaping future of children/adolescents were the most influential factors while fallback career, job transferability, and time for family were the least endorsed ones; (c) although teaching is perceived to be part of a respected profession that requires expert knowledge and emotional devotion, teachers are generally underpaid; (d) significant relations were observed between intrinsic career value, satisfaction with choice, social utility values, perceived ability, and prior teaching and learning experience and intentions to teach.

Career and professional development services for pharmacy students

IntroductionAs the number of pharmacy programs and graduates continue to rise, pharmacy students are being faced with new challenges in seeking post-graduate positions. A Career Connections program was established as part of the student affairs office to develop, implement, and evaluate career and professional development at the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy. The objective of this paper was to evaluate student perceptions and value of career and professional development services in preparing students for competitive job and residency markets. MethodsAn electronic survey was administered to second-, third-, and fourth-professional year students and 2017 graduates to evaluate all facets of career and professional development services offered by the college of pharmacy. ResultsThe majority of students (76.8%) were satisfied with their access to career development services. Of all the services and events evaluated, students were most satisfied with the internship panel, fourth-year residency seminars, and third-year professional development elective course. Additional services recommended by students included more networking opportunities with alumni, continued exposure to different careers in pharmacy, and more emphasis on the job searching process. ConclusionsCareer development services were generally perceived favorably. The college has implemented several changes based on feedback from students, including splitting students into career-based tracks in the professional development elective and adding additional job-searching seminars. Future initiatives will include increasing outreach to college alumni. Career and professional development services at pharmacy programs should be continuously evaluated in a rapidly changing post-graduate landscape.

Psychological career resources as explanatory mechanisms of employee adaptive career concerns across the career-life period

This study explored employee psychological resources as explanatory mechanisms of their adaptive career concerns. Participants were 315 predominantly black (39%) and female (70%) working adults (mean age = 37 years; SD = 9.77 years) employed in the South African services industry. Participants completed the Psychological Career Resources Inventory and the Psychosocial Career Preoccupations Scale. Multiple regression analysis showed the psychological career resources of career preferences and career values to significantly explain higher levels of preoccupations with person-environment fit and adaptation. Career values also seemed to explain higher levels of career establishment and work/life adjustment concerns. The career drivers and career harmonisers represented career self-management capacities that seemed to significantly explain lower levels of career adaptation and work/life adjustment concerns because of the intrinsic motivation to self-renew. The findings suggest the need for workplace career development practices to help employees capitalise on their psychological career resources when engaging in career adaptive behaviours across the career-life period.

Exploring Employer Perspectives of Community College Career and Technical Programs

This qualitative study explores the efficacy of community college career and technical education programs through employer perspectives. Participants for this study were cultivated from a variety of industries and disciplines. Predominant themes that emerged from this study include education, authentic experience, the value of career and technical education, workplace social structure, apprenticeship, and aptitude. Employers appear to be ambivalent regarding their perspective of community college career and technical programs. Employers are looking for employees who can be integrated into the workplace social structure easily, and they articulate competencies generally gained after completing a two-year degree program. Participants reported that new employees lack employability skills, a higher order of thinking, metacognition, mature nature of competency, social mobility, motivation, and positive self-efficacy. Therefore, this study concludes that the hiring of community college career and technical graduates is contingent on the applicants' job-related skills and social competency.

Professional Skills Development for Undergraduate Students in a Physiology Lab Course

Employers and professional schools published position statements regarding the need for undergraduate training in professional skills such as teamwork, critical thinking, and communication. Developing these non‐technical skills for their interviews, professional school, and career success is essential. At Michigan State University (MSU), the Physiology Department undergraduate lab course has incorporated both formal and informal professional development opportunities, supplementary to the standard science curriculum, in an effort to improve student’s self efficacy. We have dedicated time in the first class period of each semester to address these issues and direct students to reflect on their own experiences. Additionally, we have an activity each week to improve intrapersonal and interpersonal capabilities, for example questionnaires to learn about one’s style for teamwork, leadership or communication and assessments for career values, grit or conflict management. Effective communication skills are developed throughout the semester with capstone research presentations and weekly “Physiology in the News” reports. The Physiology in the News assignment was developed as a chance for students to find a recently published physiological development and translate the findings in a short oral report to the classroom. The students are instructed to communicate in layman’s terms. As a part of their course capstone research projects, students are challenged to engage their critical thinking and problem solving skills to design and carry out their own study including writing a grant through presenting a scientific poster of their results. Additionally, they must learn to work in a team and apply effective time management to complete a research project in six weeks. The last project of the semester is to have their resume reviewed by career services and to have a professional headshot taken in the department studio. Anonymous pre‐ and post‐course professional skills surveys are administered in the first and last weeks of the semester to give students the opportunity to reflect upon their competencies. Students’ self assessment of their professional skills improved on the post‐test over several semesters of cohorts. Percentage of students ranking their overall professional skills as Good or Excellent on the pre and post test are: Fall 2017; 62% pre, 79% post; Spring 2018; 64% pre, 87% post; Fall 2018; 58% pre, 80% post). The lowest ranked skills (i.e., the one that students rated themselves average or poor) were: navigating across boundaries, work/life balance, embracing change, time management, and developing professional competencies. Additionally, on course evaluations students are given a chance to voice their opinion of professional development activities included in class as part of their grade. Of all sections across three semesters surveyed (n=107), there were no negative responses with all students either saying yes it was helpful or maybe (indicating that they already felt fully competent before the course). This shows that not only do students feel that their professional skills improve during the course, but they agree that working on these skills is a vital component of classroom activities.

Who Says “I Do”? Financial Resources and Values on Relationship Choices of Emerging Adults

This study examined potential impacts of financial resources and values on emerging adults' choice in committed relationships (N= 424, 26–35 years). Guided by Deacon and Firebaugh's (1988) Family Resource Management theory, financial self-sufficiency and forming a committed relationship were conceptualized as two salient goals of emerging adulthood. Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine the effects of financial self-sufficiency, values, and personal background factors on choice of committed relationship status. Findings indicated that emerging adults with fewer financial resources chose to live apart; however, the effects of career values were a stronger predictor of their relationship status. In contrast, neither financial resources nor career values differentiated between cohabiting and married emerging adults.

Are all the future generations in science-technology compasses pointing the same way?: Analysis of career values of students in science core school

Are all the future generations in science-technology compasses pointing the same way?: Analysis of career values of students in science core school

キャリア講師体験によるキャリア意識・行動変化のPAC分析 ―価値観を示す追加連想項目を用いた個人の価値観階層の探索的研究―

キャリア講師体験によるキャリア意識・行動変化のPAC分析 ―価値観を示す追加連想項目を用いた個人の価値観階層の探索的研究―

Am I an engineer yet? Perceptions of engineering and identity among first year students

ABSTRACTDevelopment of a professional identity may contribute to persistence in an engineering major. Further, perceiving alignment of one’s career values to engineering as well as believing that one is enacting engineering during coursework are expected to support identity formation. Using mixed methods approaches, we explored data provided by 186 undergraduate students responding to four open-ended questions at the end of an introduction to engineering course. Our results indicated alignment of perceptions of engineering and personal values, such as when students who emphasised the role of engineers as helping others tended to have altruistic professional goals. When considering identification with engineering, we found that definitions focused on the role of math and science as well as altruistic definitions were less likely to co-occur with a belief that students were already practicing engineering. Findings suggest certain definitions of engineering inhibit perceptions that the student is already enacting engineering and may affect identification.

The Roles of Value Preferences and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies on Prediction of Dating Violence

The aim of this study is to determine in what extends gender, age, relationship status, value preferences and cognitive emotion regulation strategies predict the dating violence. The study group was comprised of 335 university students. Attitudes Towards Dating Violence Scale, Cognitive Emotional Regulation Scale and Values Scale were used in data collection. According to the findings obtained from research, it was found that there were positive significant relationships between gender and social values, career values, intellectual values, spirituality and dating violence. On the other hand, the findings showed that gender and age variables are significant predictors of dating violence. Social values, intellectual values and freedom values positively predict dating violence. Spirituality, human dignity, romantic values and futuwwa negatively predict dating violence. Increasing the importance given to the social values, intellectual values and freedom values increases the attitudes that not supporting dating violence. On the other hand, increasing the importance given to spirituality, human dignity, romantic values and futuwwa decreases the attitudes supporting dating violence. It was found that there was a positive significant relationship between age and materialistic values and negative significant relationship between age and dating violence. Findings support that gender, age, cognitive emotion regulation strategies and value preferences are significant predictors of dating violence.

A Consensual Qualitative Research on Career Value of Female Adult Learners

A Consensual Qualitative Research on Career Value of Female Adult Learners