Self-determined motivation to choose college majors, its antecedents, and outcomes: A cross-cultural investigation

Adaptation and validation of the university-to-work success scale among Chinese university graduates

Introduction

Whether university graduates successfully make the transition from the university to work is critical for their career development. However, a comprehensive measurement of university-to-work success (UWS) that applies across different contexts remains lacking.

Methods

To address this gap, we adapted and validated the first comprehensive UWS measurement, the university-to-work success scale (UWSS), among samples of Chinese university graduates with three studies. We also provided new construct validity evidence for the scale and examined its measurement invariance across gender.

Results

The findings of the current study showed that the 24-item UWSS-Chinese version clearly showed four factors (career satisfaction, income and financial independence, confidence in career future, and adaptation to work) that were consistent with the original scale. Moreover, construct validity analysis revealed that UWSS was positively associated with proposed antecedents (i.e., career adaptability) and outcome (i.e., adult identity). It also showed incremental validity over general indicators of career success (i.e., career adaptability) in predicting adult identity establishment. Additionally, the measurement also showed measurement invariance across gender.

Discussion

Overall, these findings implied that the UWSS-Chinese version had good psychometric properties to be used in future studies and practice in China.

The how and the why of study choice processes in higher education: The role of parental involvement and the experience of having an authentic inner compass

INTRODUCTION

Late adolescents differ in the degree to which they are thoroughly engaged in the study choice process and in the degree to which their choices are autonomous in nature. This study examined the unique and interactive roles of (a) parental involvement in the study choice process and (b) late adolescents' sense of having an authentic inner compass (AIC) in predicting their study choice decision-making.

METHOD

A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted among 331 12th-grade adolescents from the Flemish part of Belgium (68.3% female; Mage  = 18.04, SD = 0.48) in the spring of 2017 and 2018.

RESULTS

Results of the latent sum and difference models revealed that late adolescents experiencing a stronger AIC and more need-supportive parental involvement showed more engagement in and autonomous regulation of the study choice process. In contrast, when experiencing more controlling parental involvement or uninvolvement, late adolescents showed more controlled regulation, with parental control also being linked to less commitment. Although mothers were perceived to be more involved than fathers, maternal and paternal involvement were equally strongly related to the study choice tasks.

CONCLUSION

Overall, late adolescents' sense of having an AIC and parental involvement were related independently to the outcomes, with sense of having an AIC yielding the strongest associations.

Changes in the Academic Motivation and Satisfaction with Studies of Pre-Service Physical Education Teachers during the Study Period

The study describes and explores how the academic motivation and satisfaction of pre-service physical education (PE) teachers change during the study period and how autonomous and controlled academic motivation is related to student satisfaction with academic studies. For data collection, questionnaire surveys were used. The Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) and The Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) were applied. Repeated cross-sectional studies design at regular intervals was also used in this research. Data were collected four times during PE students’ study period in four Lithuanian universities. The samples were distributed according to the study year: first-year n = 84, second-year n = 72, third-year n = 59, fourth-year n = 44 students. The analysis of the data showed that students’ academic motivation and satisfaction with studies changed during the study period. Both autonomous and controlled academic motivation indicators have relationships of similar strength with the same subscales of satisfaction with studies. The research results obtained provide a better understanding of the change in students’ academic motivation regarding students’ perceptions of the academic environment revealed through student study satisfaction.

A systematic review on career interventions for university students: Framework, effectiveness, and outcomes

This study presents a systematic literature review about career interventions for university students exploring (1) which theoretical framework; (2) structure; (3) evaluation system; and (4) outcomes are reported. Fourteen keywords, five databases, and six eligibility criteria were defined. Among the 596 articles collected, 26 remained for meta-synthesis. Results indicated a predominance of (1) three theoretical frameworks, (2) group intervention modality, (3) pre-and post-test evaluation system, and (4) the positive development of skills in decision-making. Recommendations are presented to guide future research and practice in the field. For example, this study indicates the importance of providing updated information about the world of work within career interventions or educational programs.

Why Do Students Procrastinate More in Some Courses Than in Others and What Happens Next? Expanding the Multilevel Perspective on Procrastination

Much is known about the antecedents and outcomes of procrastination when comparing students to one another (i.e., between-person level). However, little is known about the antecedents and outcomes of procrastination when comparing the courses taken by the students during a semester (i.e., within-person level). In this study, we proposed that examining procrastination at both levels of analysis should improve our understanding of the academic experience of students. At both levels, we examined the mediating role of procrastination in the associations between two dimensions of motivation (i.e., autonomous and controlled) and indicators of academic achievement (i.e., grades) and well-being (i.e., positive and negative affect). A sample of 359 university students completed questionnaires measuring their motivation, procrastination, and affect in each of their courses. The official final course grades were obtained at the end of the semester. Multilevel mediation analyses with structural equation modeling were conducted to test our hypotheses. At the between-person level, the indirect effects revealed that higher controlled motivation was significantly associated with worse outcomes (i.e., worse grades and higher negative affect) via higher levels of procrastination. At the within-person level, the indirect effects revealed that lower autonomous motivation was significantly associated with worse outcomes (i.e., worse grades, lower positive affect, and higher negative affect) via higher levels of procrastination. Overall, this study shows that different pathways at each level of analysis may explain how procrastination can be detrimental for the success and well-being of university students.