Searching for Autonomy before the Transition to Higher Education: How do Identity and Self-Determined Academic Motivation Co-Evolve?

Predicting trajectories of vocational indecision from motivational profiles in early adolescence

BACKGROUND, OBJECTIVE AND HYPOTHESES

During emerging adulthood, vocational indecision (i.e., the inability to make coherent career choices) develops in a heterogeneous fashion, with three distinct patterns: low; decreasing (i.e., developmental or adaptative); high and stable or increasing (i.e., chronic or maladaptive). Among the determinants of vocational indecision that have been identified in past research, academic motivation is a crucial an excellent choice, since it is at school that students' vocational choices are validated or not. According to SDT, this motivation can vary both in quantity and quality, and students tend to experience more positive academic outcomes when their motivational profile is optimal (high quantity, high quality) as opposed to suboptimal (e.g., low quantity, low quality). Thus, the purpose of this longitudinal study was to verify if the patterns found with emerging adulthood students characterized vocational indecision in adolescent students, and if supported, to predict the belonging to the most problematic trajectory by using students' academic motivational profiles. We expected several distinct trajectories of vocational indecision that would differ in shape and magnitude, and several motivational profiles that vary in quality as well as in quantity. We also expected students in high-quality or quantity motivational profiles to be less likely to follow a chronic indecision trajectory.

METHOD AND RESULTS

Using data from 384 students (56% female; Mage = 13.52 years; SD = .52 at Secondary 2) surveyed annually from Secondary 2 to 5, person-centered analyses enabled estimation of motivational profile in Secondary 2 and vocational indecision trajectories during the 4-year period. Results revealed four distinct patterns of vocational indecision during adolescence labelled Low and Stable, Moderate and Stable, Developmental and Chronic Intermittent. Four motivational profiles were also identified in Secondary 2, ranging from poor (Highly Amotivated) to moderate (Autonomous-Introjected) quality of self-determination level. Also, in reference to the most self-determined profile, students in the Mixed profile were at greatest risk of following Chronically-Intermittently Undecided trajectory. Finally, the most self-determined students were at greatest probability of following the Developmentally Undecided trajectory.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the findings suggest that the student motivational functioning in early secondary school years could be used to identify students at risk of experiencing the negative indecision patterns across secondary school. Several theoretical and practical implications are suggested.

Impacts of child sexual abuse: The mediating role of future orientation on academic outcomes

BACKGROUND

Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) has significant impacts on an individual's physical and mental well-being including substance use, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, relationship issues, as well as sexual revictimization in adulthood. Positive future orientation is associated with higher educational outcomes and successful goal attainment, but CSA survivors have lower educational attainment and less employment opportunities leading to less financial security in adulthood.

OBJECTIVE

Our study seeks to examine whether future orientation mediates the relationship between CSA and academic outcomes using data from the Kaplan Longitudinal and Multigenerational Study (KLAMS).

PARTICIPANTS & SETTING

KLAMS is a U.S. based panel study which captures information about the mental health, relationships, academic outcomes, and deviant behavior of two generations of family members at multiple points in time. In the present study, we use data from two separate interviews with the children (N = 2084) of the original respondents.

METHODS

We estimated a series of regressions using generalized structural equation modeling to examine the relationship between child sexual abuse, future orientation, and three different types of academic outcomes.

RESULTS

Youth who experienced sexual abuse had lower grades in school, were more likely to drop out, and had lower levels of education than children with no history of sexual abuse. Negative future orientation mediated the relationship between child sexual abuse and all three outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

In support of existing research, we found child sexual abuse has a negative impact on positive future orientation, and positive future orientation contributes to better academic outcomes.