Analysis of Relationships between High School Students’ Career Maturity, Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy, and Career Decision-Making Difficulties

Abstract

The study analyzed the relationships between high school students’ career maturity, career decision-making difficulties, and career decision-making self-efficacy and aimed to investigate whether career maturity, career decision-making difficulties and career decision-making self-efficacy altered according to gender, type of school, and grade level. The study sample was composed of 665 high school students attending five different high schools in Bursa. The data collection tools included the Career Decision-making Difficulties Questionnaire, the Career Maturity Scale, and the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale. Among quantitative research methods, a correlation model was applied. The analysis results revealed a weak but significant negative relationship between career maturity and career decision-making difficulties scale in terms of total scores and subscale scores. Additionally, there was a medium- and low-level significant negative relationship between the career decision-making difficulties scale total and subscale scores, and the career decision-making self-efficacy total and subscale scores. The subsequent analysis to describe the mediating role of career decision-making self-efficacy demonstrated that career decision-making self-efficacy had a partial mediating role. Furthermore, male students were found to have a more disadvantaged status than did female students in terms of career maturity. Based on the fact that students’ career decision-making difficulties stemmed from the aspect of a lack of readiness, psycho education programs can be organized to determine the reasons for the lack of lack of readiness, find solutions, and provide the necessary information and skills. Future studies may focus on examining the reasons for the career maturity level differences.

Keywords

• Career
• career maturity
• career decision-making difficulties
• career decision-making self-efficacy

Kaynakça

1. Akbıyık, Y. (1996). Vocational maturity levels of students attending vocational high schools [Unpublished Master’s Thesis]. Gazi University, Social Sciences Institute, Ankara.
2. Atılgan, S. (2017). Career decision competence expectancy of prediction of anxiety and stress in high school students [Unpublished Master’s Thesis]. Selcuk University, Konya.
3. Bacanlı, F. (2008). Career decision-making difficulties of Turkish adolescents. Counseling international perspective: Global demands and local needs. April 25–27, İstanbul (Oral Presentation).
4. Bacanlı, F. (2012). Relationships between career decision making difficulties and irrational beliefs about career choice. Turkish Psychological Counseling and Guidance Journal, 4(37), 86–95.
5. Bandura, A., & Adams, N. E. (1977). Analysis of self-efficacy theory of behavioral change. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 1(4), 287–310.
6. Betz, N. E. (2000). Self-efficacy theory as a basis for career assessment. Journal of Career Assessment,8(3), 205–222. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F106907270000800301
7. Betz, N. E., & Hackett, G. (1981). The relationship of career-related self-efficacy expectations to perceived career options in college women and men. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 28(5), 399–410. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0022-0167.28.5.399
8. Betz, N. E., Klein, K. L., & Taylor, K. M. (1996). Evaluation of a short form of the career decision-making self-efficacy scale. Journal of Career Assessment, 4(1), 47–57. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F106907279600400103

9. Bozgeyikli, H. (2004). Meslek kararı verme yetkinlik ölçeğinin geliştirilmesi. Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 11, 221–234.
10. Bozgeyikli, H., Dogan, H., & Isıklar, A. (2010). Examination of the relationship between gifted students’ career maturity levels and their perceived social support levels. Erciyes University Journal of Social Sciences Institute, 1(28), 133–149.
11. Brown, D. (1990). Models of career decision making. In D. Brown & L. Brooks (Eds.), Career choice and development (2nd ed., pp. 395–421). Jossey-Bass.
12. Bullock-Yowell, E., McConnell, A.E., & Schedin, E.A. (2014). Decided and undecided students: career self-efficacy, negative thinking, and decision-making difficulties. NACADA Journal, 34(1), 22–34. https://doi.org/10.12930/NACADA-13-016
13. Buyukozturk, S., KılıcCakmak, E., Akgun, O. E., Karadeniz, S., & Demirel, F. (2016). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemleri (22. Baskı). Pegem.
14. Cakar, M. & Kulaksızoglu, A. (1997). Lise son sınıf öğrencilerinin mesleki olgunluk düzeyleri ile denetim odağı düzeylerinin karşılaştırılması. Atatürk Education Faculty Journal of Educational Sciences, 9(9), 113–131.
15. Chung, Y. B. (2002). Career decision-making self-efficacy and career commitment: Gender and ethnic differences among college students. Journal of Career Development, 28(4), 277–284.
16. Creed, P. A., Patton, W., & Bartrum, D. (2004). Internal and external barriers, cognitive style, and the career development variables of focus and indecision. Journal of Career Development, 30, 277–294.
17. Creed, P., Patton, W., & Prideaux L. A. (2006). Causal relationship between career indecision and career decision-making self-efficacy: A Longitudinal cross lagged analysis. Journal of Career Development, 33, 47–65.https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0894845306289535
18. Crites, J. (1971). The maturity of vocational attitudes in adolescence. DC: APGA.
19. Gati, I., & Saka, N., (2001). High school students' career-related decision-making difficulties. Journal of Counseling and Development, 79(3), 331–340 .https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6676.2001.tb01978.x
20. Gati, I., Fassa, N., & Houminer, D. (1995). Applying decision theory to career counseling practice: The sequential elimination approach. Career Development Quarterly, 43(3), 211–220. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-0045.1995.tb00861.x
21. Gati, I., Krausz, M., & Osipow, S.H. (1996). A Taxonomy of difficulties in career decision making. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 43(4), 510–526. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0022-0167.43.4.510
22. George, D., & Mallery, P. (2010). SPSS for Windows step by step: a simple guide and reference 17.0 update. (10th Ed). Pearson.
23. Guay, F., Ratelle, C. F., Senécal, C., Larose, S., & Deschênes, A. (2006). Distinguishing developmental from chronic career indecision: Self-efficacy, autonomy, and social support. Journal of Career Assessment, 14(2), 235–251. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1069072705283975
24. Hackett, G., & Betz, N. E. (1981). A self-efficacy approach to the career development of women. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 18(3), 326–339. https://doi.org/10.1016/0001-8791(81)90019-1
25. Harman, E. (2017). The predictive strength of career decision making difficulties on high school students' career maturity according to their levels of focus of control [Master’s thesis]. Cukurova University, Adana.
26. Havighurst, R. J. (1956). Research on the developmental-task concept. The University of Chicago Press, 64(5), 215–223.
27. Hijazi, Y., Tatar, M., & Gati, I. (2004). Career decision making difficulties among Israeli and Palestinian Arab high-school seniors. Professional School Counseling, 8(1), 64– 72.
28. Jin, L., Watkins, D., & Yuen, M. (2009). Personality, career decision self-efficacy and commitment to the career choices process among Chinese graduate students. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 74(1), 47–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2008.10.002
29. Katz, M.R. (1966). A model for guidance for career decision making. Vocational Guidance Quarterly, 15(1), 2–10. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2164-585X.1966.tb01148.x
30. Kocak, R., & Icmenoglu, E. (2012). Emotional intelligence and creativity as predictors of life satisfaction among gifted students. Turkish Psychological Counseling and Guidance Journal, 4 (37), 73–85.
31. Koumoundourou, G., Tsaousis, I., & Kounenou, K. (2011). Parental influences on Greek adolescents‘career decision-making difficulties: The mediating role of core self-evaluations. Journal of Career Assessment, 19(2) 165–182. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1069072710385547
32. Kuzgun, Y., & Bacanlı, F. (2005). Lise öğrencileri için mesleki olgunluk ölçeği el kitabı. Nobel.
33. Lee, S., Lee, H., Song, H., & Kim, S. (2012). The relationship between attachment and career maturity: The mediating role of self-efficacy. International Social Work, 58(1), 153–164. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0020872812456053
34. Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., & Hackett, G. (1994). Toward a unifying social cognitive theory of career and academic interest, choice, and performance. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 45(1), 79–122. https://doi.org/10.1006/jvbe.1994.1027
35. Lent, R.W, Brown, S.D., Talleyrand, R., McPartland, E.B., Davis, T., Chopra, S.B., Alexander, M.S., Suthakaran, V., & Chai, C.M. (2002). Career choice barriers supports and copinf strategies: College students experiences. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 60(1), 61–72. https://doi.org/10.1006/jvbe.2001.1814
36. Mutlu, T. (2011). High school students' career decision-making difficulties [Unpublished master thesis]. Hacettepe University, Ankara.
37. Nauta, M. M., & Kahn, J. H. (2007). Identity status, consistency and differentiation of interests and career decisionself-efficacy. Journal of Career Assessment, 15(1), 55–65. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1069072705283786
38. Niles, S. G., & Harris-Bowlsbey, J. (2013). Career development interventions in the 21st century, 4th ed. Pearson.
39. Nota, L., Ferrari, L., Solberg, V. S. H., &Soresi, S. (2007). Career search self-efficacy, family support, and career indecision with Italian youth. Journal of Career Assessment, 15(2), 181–193. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1069072706298019
40. Osipow, S. H., & Gati, I. (1998). Construct and concurrent validity of the career decision-making difficulties questionnaire. Journal of Career Assessment, 6(3), 347–364. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F106907279800600305
41. Oztemel, K. (2012). Relationships between career indecision career decision making self-efficacy and locus of control. GEFAD / GUJGEF, 32 (2), 459–477.
42. Oztemel, K. (2013). Perceived social support and gender as predictors of high school students’ career decision making difficulties. The Journal of Turkish Educational Sciences, 11(3), 241–257.
43. Patton, W., Creed, P.A., & Watson, M. (2003). Perceived work related and non-work-related barriers in the career development of Australian and south African adolescents. Australian Journal of Psychology, 55 (2), 74–82.
44. Pitz, G. F., &Harren, V. A. (1980). An analysis of career decision making from the point of view of information processing and decision theory. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 16(3), 320–346. https://doi.org/10.1016/0001-8791(80)90059-7
45. Sahranc, U. (2000). A study on some variables affecting career maturity levels of high school students depending on their locus of control [Unpublished Master Thesis]. Hacettepe University, Ankara.
46. Sampson, J.P., Reardon, R.C., Peterson, G.W., & Lenz, J.G. (2004). Career Counseling and Services. Brooks/Cole.
47. Sarı, S.V., & Şahin, M. (2012). The role of hope and locus of control predicting career decision making self-efficacy on senior students. Kastamonu Education Journal, 21(1), 97–110.
48. Seker, G. (2013). Career decision making self-efficacy and career locus of control among high school students [Unpublished Master Thesis]. Ankara University, Ankara.
49. Sekmenli, T. (2000). Lise 1. Sınıf öğrencilerinin mesleki olgunluk düzeyleri ile sürekli kaygı düzeylerinin bazı değişkenler açısından incelenmesi [Unpublished Master Thesis]. Inonu University, Social Sciences Institute, Malatya.
50. Sen, A. (2017). The relationship of career decision-making difficulties with a-type personality features and emotional intelligence level [Unpublished Master Thesis]. Hasan Kalyoncu University, Gaziantep.
51. Super, D. E. (1963). Self-concepts in vocational development. In D. E. Super, R. Starishevsky, N. Matlin & J. P. Jordaan (eds.), Career development: Self-concept theory (pp. 1–16). College Entrance Examination Board.
52. Super, D. E. (1990). A lifespan, life-space approach to career development. In D. Brown, L. Brooks and Associates (Eds.), Career choice and development: Appling contemporary theories to practice (pp. 197–261). Jossey-Bass.
53. Surucu, M. (2005). High school students' vocational maturity and perceived social support level [Unpublished Master Thesis]. Gazi University, Ankara.
54. Taylor, K. M., & Betz, N. E. (1983). Applications of self-efficacy theory to the understanding and treatment of career indecision. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 22(1), 63–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/0001-8791(83)90006-4
55. Turkish Statistical Institute. (2020). http://www.tuik.gov.tr/PreHaberBultenleri.do?id=33787
56. Ulas, O. (2016). Career decision-making self-efficacy: Testing a model [Unpublished Master Thesis]. Hacettepe University, Ankara.
57. Ulas, O. & Yıldırım, I. (2015). Predictors of career maturity among high school students. Hacettepe University Journal of Education, 30(2), 151–165.
58. Urun, A. E. (2010). The relationship between the self-esteem level and the vocational maturity of high school students [Unpublished Master Thesis]. Balıkesir University, Balıkesir.
59. Uzer, A. S. (1987). Lise öğrencilerinin yükseköğretim programlarını tercihleri ile kendi yetenek, ilgi ve mesleki olgunluk düzeyleri arasındaki ilişkiler (Unpublished doctoral thesis). Hacettepe University, Ankara.
60. Yazar, A. R. (1997). Genellisevemesleklisesiöğrencilerininmeslekiolgunlukdüzeylerininbazıdeğişkenleregöreincelenmesi [Unpublished Master Thesis]. Gazi University, Ankara.
61. Yesilyaprak, B. (2007). Eğitimde rehberlik hizmetleri (15. Basım). Nobel.
62. Yon, K.J., Choi, W., & Goh, M. (2012). Career maturity growth curve and sex-role stereotypes of Korean adolescents. Journal of Career Development, 40(3), 203–222. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0894845312445515