Vocational Psychology: Agency, Equity, and Well-Being

Attracting adolescents to become doctors and nurses: differential importance of personal and environmental factors in 61 economies

BACKGROUND

Doctors and nurses play a fundamental role in maintaining global health systems and achieving universal health care coverage. However, significant shortages persist, and little is known about the popularity of these careers among young people in various economies or the relative impact of personal inputs and contextual factors.

METHODS

Using data from the large-scale Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018, we showed the recent distribution of adolescents' medical (doctor) and nursing career expectations in 61 economies. With multilevel logistic and hierarchical linear regression, we examined the relative importance of economic indicators, health work conditions, and personal background factors in affecting adolescents' health career expectations.

RESULTS

Approximately 11% of adolescents expected to be doctors in each economy, while only 2% expected to be nurses. Adolescents were attracted to health professions mainly by system-level favourable conditions (accounting for 1/3 variance), including (a) government health expenditure beyond that expected gross domestic product (GDP); (b) a safe working environment for doctors in wealthy nations; and (c) high salaries for nurses in less-developed economies. In contrast, adolescents' background (gender, social status, and academic ability) was less influential, explaining only 10% of the differences.

CONCLUSIONS

In the technological and digital era, high-ability students are equally competitive for emerging careers other than doctors and nurses. In developing countries, a high salary package and societal respect are enough to attract adolescents to nursing careers. In contrast, for developed countries, extra expenditures beyond regular GDP allocation and a safe work environment are crucial in attracting adolescents to become doctors. Salary may effectively attract international-trained doctors and nurses, but the work environment will likely emerge as an essential factor in retaining migrants in their positions.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

No human participants were involved in this study.

The influence of deliberate rumination on the post-traumatic growth of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic and the moderating role of self-efficacy

Objective

To understand the relationship between deliberate rumination and post-traumatic growth and the mechanisms affecting this relationship, we constructed an adjustment model to test the impact of deliberate rumination on the post-traumatic growth of college students and the moderating role of self-efficacy during the 2019 COVID-19 pandemic.

Study design and setting

A total of 881 college students from a university of science and technology in Guangdong Province, China, completed a questionnaire that measured deliberate rumination, post-traumatic growth, and self-efficacy. SPSS (version 26) and the PROCESS plug-in (version 4.0) were used for correlation and moderation analyses.

Results

The correlation analysis showed that deliberate rumination was positively correlated with post-traumatic growth (r = 0.353, P < 0.01) and self-efficacy (r = 0.261, P < 0.01). Self-efficacy was also positively correlated with post-traumatic growth (r = 0.466, P < 0.01). In addition, we found that self-efficacy had a regulatory effect on the relationship between deliberate rumination and post-traumatic growth (R ² = 0.287, P < 0.001) and that this effect was significant.

Conclusion

The results show that deliberate rumination can be a positive predictor of post-traumatic growth and can play a certain role in fostering such growth. In addition, self-efficacy is a moderator that plays a buffer role between deliberate rumination and post-traumatic growth. These results contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms that affect post-traumatic growth.

How Does Person-Environment Fit Relate to Career Calling? The Role of Psychological Contracts and Organizational Career Management

Purpose

The formation of one's career calling involves endowing work with meaning and realizing oneself in work, and it has become a focus of organizational behavior research in the past decade. Although there are many studies on the outcome variables of career calling, research on the antecedents of career calling formation is relatively scarce, and its mechanisms are unclear. Based on fit theory and social exchange theory, we analyzed the data of 373 employees and explored the relationship between person-environment fit (focusing on person-organization fit and person-job fit), psychological contract, career calling and organizational career management.

Methods

We adopted a multi-timepoint data collection method to analyze data from 373 employees from an internet technology company. A mediated moderation model and hypotheses were tested using Mplus 8.3 software.

Results

The results showed that person-organization fit and person-job fit were positively related to career calling, and the psychological contract played a partial mediating role. The moderating effect of organizational career management on person-organization fit, person-job fit and the psychological contract was also confirmed. Moreover, the mediating effect of the psychological contract was stronger when organizational career management was higher.

Conclusion

We examined the important influence of individual-level and organizational-level factors on the formation of career calling. The findings highlight the important role and mechanism of person-environment fit in the formation of career calling through psychological factors, which has managerial implications for how to develop employees' career calling.

Reciprocal Effects of Career Adaptability and Occupational Self-Efficacy: A Three-Wave Longitudinal Study With Varying Time Lags

Researchers widely agree upon the pivotal role of career self-management in vocational development. Yet, little is known about how core self-management constructs denoting agentic capacity affect each other reciprocally over time. We address the shortage of existing longitudinal change investigations by proposing and testing a reciprocal model in which career adaptability and occupational self-efficacy as core career self-management constructs are reciprocally interrelated. Cross-lagged panel analyses of three-wave data from a large and heterogeneous sample of employees indicate support for the presence of substantial reciprocal effects of career adaptability and occupational self-efficacy across time lags of three, six, and nine months. From a series of exploratory multigroup analyses, this pattern of results emerges as robust across a range of sociodemographic variables, including gender, age, education, leadership position, and organizational tenure. Moreover, the results remained stable after considering further controls (e.g., future temporal focus, grade point average). Our findings broaden the scope of dynamic vocational research by demonstrating the utility of a change-oriented approach in elucidating the emergence of individuals’ career self-management. We discuss practical implications concerning career intervention strategies, study limitations, and prospects for future research.

Factors Influencing Depressive Symptoms in Middle-Aged South Korean Workers by Job Type: A Population-Based Study

Depressive symptoms can be influenced by different factors, including job types. In this study, we identified factors that affect depressive symptoms among South Korean workers by job type using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Examined respondents were between 40 and 69 years (N = 9375). A complex sample linear regression analysis revealed various significant factors based on job type. For office workers, the number of household members, health-related quality of life, diabetes, sitting time, subjective health, and stress were significant influencing factors for depressive symptoms (explanatory power of 23.2%) (p < 0.001). For service workers, gender, health-related quality of life, food intake, aerobic exercise, sitting time, subjective health, and stress were significant influencing factors for depressive symptoms (explanatory power of 49.6%) (p < 0.001). For labor workers, gender, type of living, health-related quality of life, BMI, weight change, weight control, aerobic exercise, diabetes, subjective health, and stress were significant influencing factors for depressive symptoms (explanatory power of 35.8%) (p < 0.001). These differences highlight the need for customized programs targeted at each job type to maintain and promote mental health among workers.

Career Adaptability Development in the School-To-Work Transition

The development pattern of career adaptability has an important influence on individual mental health and career outcomes. Based on career construction theory, our study explored the development characteristics of the career adaptability of college students during the school-to-work transition and discussed how the notions of future work selves and core self-evaluation affect the development trajectories and development patterns of career adaptability. Our study investigated 429 college graduates at an interval of 6 months over the course of 1 year. The results indicated that the graduates had a positive career adaptability trajectory during the school-to-work transition. There were three different development patterns: rapid growth group, growth group, and stationary group. Future work selves predicted career adaptability positively and dynamically. A higher core self-evaluation predicted a higher initial level of career adaptability and a slower development speed. Our study has important implications for enriching career construction theory and career counseling practice.

A Longitudinal Study of Relationships Between Vocational Graduates’ Career Adaptability, Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy, Vocational Identity Clarity, and Life Satisfaction

Career construction theory proposes that high career adaptability leads to positive adaptation outcomes during career transition. However, the specific pathways of how this happens remain underexplored. Drawing on the career construction model of adaptation, we hypothesized that career decision-making self-efficacy mediates the link of career adaptability with vocational identity clarity and life satisfaction as two measures of adaptation outcomes. We conducted a three-wave survey with an initial sample of 3126 Czech upper-secondary vocational graduates transitioning from vocational school to the labor market. Structural equation modeling revealed that career decision-making self-efficacy fully mediated the relationship between career adaptability before graduation and vocational identity clarity 20 months later. In contrast, the mediation effect of career decision-making self-efficacy on the relationship between career adaptability and life satisfaction was not supported. Additionally, in contrast to the previous literature, career adaptability was not directly related to vocational identity clarity and life satisfaction. Nevertheless, our findings demonstrated a positive long-term association of career adaptability with adaptation outcomes within the working life domain. Practical implications and future directions are discussed.

The Role of Life Meaning in Psychological Distress and Post-traumatic Growth Among Italian First-Aid Volunteers During the COVID-19 Outbreak

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been a sudden and disruptive event that has produced lots of deaths, overload of the healthcare system, interruption of social habits, and change in life prospective. The study aimed to explore the relationships between meaning of life, psychological distress, and post-traumatic growth in volunteers from the first-aid associations operating in Italy belonging to the areas most affected by the pandemic (Bergamo, Brescia, and Parma). Our hypothesis anticipated that the meaning of life can mediate the relationship between psychological distress and post-traumatic growth. We, also, expected that this effect could vary with the role played in the rescue team, the increased shifts’ amount, and the monetary incentive. Using a cross-sectional design, a convenience sample of 268 consenting participants completed Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), and Personal Meaningful Profile-Brief (PMP-B). Findings yielded a positive relationship between psychological distress and post-traumatic growth (r = .284). Regarding the meaning of life, Spearman’s correlation revealed that the two dimensions of “Self-Transcendence” and “Religion” are moderately involved in the post-traumatic change (specifically, “New Possibilities” ρ = .237, “Personal Strength” ρ = .252, and “Spiritual Change” ρ = .373). Logistic regression failed to show any effect concerning role, shifts’ amount, and distress level. Finally, the monetary incentive appeared to not influence the altruism’s propension. Even though our findings should be interpreted with caution, this study provides evidence for the relevance of meaning of life to understanding of resilience and promoting the well-being of workforce following traumatic experiences.

Career Development in Highly Sex-typed Postsecondary Vocational Technical Education Programs: A Social Cognitive Analysis

Using social cognitive career theory (SCCT), we examined the career development of students in sex-typed postsecondary Vocational Technical Education (VTE) programs in the Chilean context. We assessed the moderating effects of students’ socioeconomic background, sex, membership to the sex-atypical group, and the intersection of these attributes across SCCT measures and the model’s predicted relationships. The results showed that students in sex-atypical careers, particularly low-income students, perceived supports and barriers differently, and that supports and barriers have different effects on self-efficacy and outcome beliefs. We also found differences between female and male students in these careers path, which suggests that the former face more challenges. However, we also found that their career development process unfolds similarly, suggesting that strategies designed to support these groups may be equally helpful for female and male students. We discuss the findings in light of prior literature and offer practical implications for VTE institutions.

Pathological traits and adaptability as predictors of engagement, job satisfaction, burnout and workaholism

Abstract This study aimed to test the predictive capacity of pathological traits of personality and career adaptability on four constructs that compose the well-being at work: work engagement, job satisfaction, burnout, and workaholism. A total of 204 Brazilian working adults (M age = 34.02, SD = 10.39) participated in the study, which responded to scales measuring pathological traits, career adaptability resources, and well-being components at work. Our findings indicate that pathological traits are, in general, negatively related to job satisfaction and work engagement and positively associated with burnout and workaholism. After the insertion of career adaptability, there was an increase in most of the models' explanation. The contribution of adaptability was significant only for job satisfaction prediction.

Reciprocal Relation Between Authenticity and Career Decision Self-Efficacy: A Longitudinal Study

Research suggests that authenticity plays a positive role in one’s career decision-making process but little is known of how this role unfolds over time. In the present study, we argue that authenticity positively relates to career decision self-efficacy over time, and vice versa. We conducted a study characterized by a three-wave longitudinal design with 459 Chinese university students over 1 year and examined the reciprocal dynamic effects of authenticity and career decision self-efficacy. Using a cross-lagged approach, we found that authenticity positively relates to career decision self-efficacy over time, and conversely, career decision self-efficacy also positively relates to authenticity over time. Our findings contribute to the literature on authenticity and career decision self-efficacy by demonstrating that they reciprocally promote each other. Our findings also have implications for university students, as well as educators and counselors who assist in facilitating the career decision process.

The Influence of Technology on Mental Well-Being of STEM Teachers at University Level: COVID-19 as a Stressor

Stress can result in psychopathologies, such as anxiety or depression, when this risk factor continues in time. One major stressor was the COVID-19 pandemic, which triggered considerable emotional distress and mental health issues among different workers, including teachers, with another stressor: technology and online education. A mixed-method approach is presented in this research, combining a cross-sectional study of university teachers from Ecuador and Spain with a medium of twenty years of working experience (N = 55) and a bibliometric analysis carried out in three databases (161 documents). The levels of anxiety and depression, and therefore the risk of developing them as mental disorders, were high. The lack of training (p < 0.01), time (p < 0.05), or research regarding the use of technology in education (p < 0.01) and stress caused by COVID-19 (p < 0.001) were linked to frequency. The most relevant observational study obtained through the bibliometric analysis (138 citations and over 65% of methodological quality) indicated that previous training and behavioral factors are key in the stress related to technology. The combination of the results indicated that mental health in STEM teachers at university is related to diverse factors, from training to the family and working balance.

Do Unnecessary Tasks Impair Performance Because They Harm Living a Calling? Testing a Mediation in a Three-Wave Study

This three-wave study explored whether living a calling (at work) mediated the relation between unnecessary tasks (time wasting work tasks) and socio-contextual performance at work (cynicism, organizational citizenship behavior). Participants were 518 Finnish white- and blue-collar employees, who were followed up in 2018, 2019, and 2020. The results of structural equation modeling showed that unnecessary tasks at Time 1 related negatively to living a calling at Time 2, which, in turn, related to cynicism and organizational citizenship behavior at T3. Thus, living a calling mediated the relation between unnecessary tasks and the outcomes. We found no evidence for the moderator role of living a calling between unnecessary tasks and the outcomes. Unnecessary tasks should be minimized in organizations to promote living a calling and subsequent positive outcomes predicted by calling.

Sociopolitical Development and Healthcare Career Interest, Self-Efficacy, and Outcome Expectations Among Rural Youth

The purpose of this preliminary study was to examine the indirect effects of social cognitive career variables (healthcare career [HC] self-efficacy and outcome expectations) in the relationship between youth sociopolitical development (SPD) and HC interests. Bootstrapping analysis was conducted using samples of eighth grade students ( N = 139) attending schools in rural areas in communities that consist predominantly of Immigrants of Color. Preliminary findings for the total sample suggested an indirect path between SPD and HC interests through HC self-efficacy, whereas the indirect path through HC outcome expectations was not significant. The model for immigrant Youth of Color participants suggested a direct relationship between SPD and HC interest, whereas an indirect relationship between SPD and HC interests was found for White participants. Based on the results of this preliminary analysis, implications for career programming and research pertaining to rural immigrant communities are discussed.

The Search for and Presence of Calling: Latent Profiles and Relationships With Work Meaning and Job Satisfaction

Previous studies showed inconsistent results on the association between searching for calling and its psychosocial functioning outcomes (i.e., work meaning and job satisfaction). The link of searching for calling to its psychosocial functioning outcomes may be influenced by the presence of calling because the search for and presence of calling can co-exist within individuals. Thus, the present study employed a person-centered method (latent profile analysis) to identify subgroups combining the search for and presence of a calling and then explore the identified profiles' differences in work meaning and job satisfaction. Study participants were Chinese kindergarten teachers (n = 726). Latent profile analysis revealed four different groups: (1) actively maintaining calling (24.93%), (2) unsustainable calling (11.43%), (3) moderately increasing calling (23.14%), and (4) actively increasing calling (40.50%). Subsequent analyses showed notable differences across the four groups on work meaning and job satisfaction. Participants in profile 1 with both the highest searching for and presence of calling would experience more work meaning and job satisfaction than those in the other profiles whose strengths of searching for and presence of calling were relatively low. Participants in profile 4 had higher searching for and presence of calling than those in profile 3, and they experienced more meaningfulness at work and were more satisfied with their job. These findings indicate that actively searching for calling is closely associated with more work meaning and job satisfaction among people who already perceive intensive calling. Implications, limitations, and future directions of the results are discussed.

Validation of Korean Version of the Work Volition Scale

This study aimed to validate a Korean-language version of the Work Volition Scale (WVS). Participants were 453 South Korean adults recruited through a survey panel website. In Phase 1 ( n = 230), the original WVS was translated into Korean. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor solution (volition, financial constraints, and structural constraints), consistent with the original WVS. In Phase 2 ( n = 223), confirmatory factor analysis supported the goodness of fit of the three-factor structure. Convergent validity tests demonstrated that the Korean WVS was positively correlated ( p < .01) with core self-evaluation and work locus of control and negatively correlated ( p < .01) with the intention to quit employment. In a hierarchical regression analysis, controlling for core self-evaluation and work locus of control, work volition positively predicted job satisfaction ( p < .001). The Korean WVS is a valid assessment tool that can be used by career counselors and researchers working with South Korean adults.

Longitudinal Associations Between Vocational Identity Process and Career Goals

Vocational identity develops through the interplay between process and content dimensions. A three-wave longitudinal study investigated how identity process dimensions (in-breadth exploration, in-depth exploration, commitment making, identification with commitment, self-doubt, flexibility) and content dimensions represented by career goals (intrinsic goals, extrinsic goals) are interconnected across time. Participants were 327 full-time college students in South Korea at Time 1, 253 at Time 2, and 227 at Time 3. They rated values associated with their current career goal and completed the Vocational Identity Status Assessment 3 times with a 6-month interval. The autoregressive cross-lagged path analysis found positive reciprocal associations between intrinsic career goals and identification with commitment. Furthermore, intrinsic career goals positively predicted in-depth exploration, and self-doubt negatively predicted intrinsic career goals. These findings support the reciprocal relationships between vocational identity process and career goals in general, and between intrinsic career goals and the commitment dimension of identity more specifically.

Employment recovery capital in the treatment of substance use disorders: Six-month follow-up observations

BACKGROUND

Recovery capital represents client strengths associated with substance use disorder (SUD) recovery. Employment is part of recovery capital supporting long-term recovery. However, specific employment recovery capital (ERC) factors associated with SUD recovery are not well understood.

METHODS

The present study used retrospective logistic regression modeling to predict treatment completion at discharge and substance use at six-month follow-up from employment variables at intake and follow-up. An additional exploratory follow-up of ERC Change is further investigated. Existing clinical data from a random selection of all Iowa SUD treatment facilities receiving public funding from 1999-2016. Clients in the study (N = 8,925) were a mean age of 31.7 (SD = 11.8), mostly male (67.2%), and primarily White (86.6%). Measurements included substance use, treatment completion, ERC Change, demographic, and treatment statistical control variables.

RESULTS

Results demonstrated that employment variables at intake predicted greater successful treatment completion, p < 0.0001. However, the same employment variables were predictive of maintained and increased use at six-month follow-up. Further investigation showed the best predictors of post-treatment recovery was a change in employment variables including months employed increase (AOR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.34-1.75) and days missed from work due to substance use decrease (AOR = 2.43, 95% CI = 2.00-2.96).

CONCLUSIONS

Researchers and providers can help improve client recovery with intervention design, consultation, and policies focused on vocational growth in addition to employment benchmarks of gross income, full-time employment, occupation, primary support, months employed, and work missed. ERC is a promising route to improve the lives for those involved with substance use disorders.

Adaptabilidade de Carreira e Empregabilidade na Transição Universidade-Trabalho: Mediação das Respostas Adaptativas

Resumo O objetivo desse estudo foi analisar o poder preditivo da adaptabilidade de carreira na empregabilidade percebida, considerando o efeito mediador das respostas adaptativas nessa relação. Participaram da pesquisa 387 estudantes universitários. Para a coleta de dados foram utilizadas a Escala de Adaptabilidade de Carreira, a Escala de Desenvolvimento de Carreira de Estudantes Universitários e a Escala de Empregabilidade. Os resultados ressaltaram o poder preditivo da adaptabilidade de carreira na empregabilidade percebida e um efeito mediador parcial das respostas adaptativas nessa relação. A preocupação e identidade de carreira foram as dimensões da adaptabilidade e das respostas adaptativas mais significativas para predizer a empregabilidade. Por fim, são discutidas as implicações dos resultados na literatura vocacional, enfatizando a transição universidade-trabalho.

The Influence of Microaffirmations on Undergraduate Persistence in Science Career Pathways

The present studies aimed to advance the measurement and understanding of microaffirmation kindness cues and assessed how they related to historically underrepresented (HU) and historically overrepresented (HO) undergraduate student persistence in science-related career pathways. Study 1 developed and tested the dimensionality of a new Microaffirmations Scale. Study 2 confirmed the two-factor structure of the Microaffirmations Scale and demonstrated that the scale possessed measurement invariance across HU and HO students. Further, the scale was administered as part of a longitudinal design spanning 9 months, with results showing that students' reported microaffirmations did not directly predict higher intentions to persist in science-related career pathways 9 months later. However, scientific self-efficacy and identity, measures of student integration into the science community, mediated this relationship. Overall, our results demonstrated that microaffirmations can be measured in an academic context and that these experiences have predictive value when they increase students' integration into their science communities, ultimately resulting in greater intentions to persist 9 months later. Researchers and practitioners can use the Microaffirmations Scale for future investigations to increase understanding of the positive contextual factors that can ultimately help reduce persistence gaps in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics degree attainment.

Time Perspective and Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy: A Longitudinal Examination Among Young Adult Students

This longitudinal study examined the relationship between Zimbardo time perspectives (TPs) and career decision-making self-efficacy (CDMSE). In total, 1,753 young adults participated in the longitudinal study. For the present study, we selected only participants who were students and provided information on TPs, CDMSE, and sociodemographic characteristics ( n = 492, M = 22.97 years, SD = 1.32, 82.9% women). The results of multilevel modeling showed that future orientation and present-hedonistic TPs were positively related to CDMSE, whereas present-fatalistic and past-negative TPs were negatively related to CDMSE. These findings indicate that besides the beneficial effect of widely studied future TP, the negative role of past-negative and present-fatalistic TPs should be considered in connection with the career development of emerging adults.

Project HOPE: Sociopolitical Development and SCCT Beliefs of Latinx and White Rural Middle School Students

This quasi-experimental investigation tested whether adding a sociopolitical development (SPD) component to a social cognitive career theory–based (SCCT) career intervention program, Project health-care opportunities, preparation, and exploration (HOPE), was more effective than an SCCT-only intervention among a group of eighth-grade students ( n = 94). Results of the study indicated both intervention conditions were associated with increases in health-care career (HC) and math/science (MS) interests among the participants. Results also demonstrated that gains in HC interests (HCIs) were associated with intervention conditions: students in the SCCT + SPD condition only reported statistically significant gains in HCIs. The study found no statistically significant interaction effects between ethnicity and condition on any of the outcome variables. Results suggest limited support for the effectiveness of SPD-infused SCCT interventions and that more research is needed to better understand how rural students can benefit from SCCT/SPD-based career interventions.

Immediate Feedback Improves Career Decision Self-Efficacy and Aspirational Alignment

Misalignment between career and education aspirations has been associated with poorer achievement during adolescence and unstable employment in adulthood. In this study, we evaluated whether a brief in-school intervention improved career decision self-efficacy and aspirational alignment. We sampled 211 teenagers living in disadvantaged areas of Western Sydney, Australia using a quasi-experimental non-equivalent groups design. Students completed pre- and post-questionnaires which measured aspirational alignment and career decision self-efficacy. Students in the intervention condition (n = 102) received automated feedback on the alignment of their career and education aspirations, as well as a career information pamphlet detailing the educational pathways to a range of popular careers. Students in the control condition completed both questionnaires but only received feedback and the pamphlet at the end of the study. The intervention improved alignment of career and education aspirations, as well as increased some dimensions of career decision self-efficacy. Students in the intervention group more frequently identified the correct qualification for their career aspiration in the post-questionnaire (57.9%) compared with the pre-questionnaire (48.1%). Students with misaligned aspirations in the intervention group reported higher self-efficacy for gathering occupational information and selecting goals following the intervention. There were no pre-post differences for students in the control condition. The practical significance of this study is that an easy, low-cost intervention can improve aspirational alignment between career and education aspirations, as well as aspects of career decision self-efficacy.

Applying the Psychology of Working Theory for Transformative Career Education

New models of career education are needed to prepare young people for changes and challenges in the world of work. We propose that the psychology of working framework/theory (PWF/PWT) has the potential to shape career education in transformative ways that are attentive to shifting dimensions of the local context and the marginalization of large segments of the world population in seeking access to decent work. In this article, we present theory and research supporting the PWF/PWT and its application for career development intervention, with specific attention to the constructs of youth purpose and critical consciousness as important resources for coping with massive changes in the world of work and growing inequality. We provide examples of how this might be done, drawing from our current research–practice partnerships that are designing, delivering, and evaluating PWF-/PWT-informed career intervention.

The Role of Calling in a Social Cognitive Model of Well-Being

The present study examined the role of calling in a social cognitive model of well-being using a sample of 328 South Korean teachers. The model incorporating calling into the social cognitive model of well-being demonstrated an excellent fit, and our variables accounted for significant variance in job satisfaction (47%) and life satisfaction (38%). Among the 12 direct paths of the proposed model, 10 hypothesized paths were significant. The direct paths from positive affect to calling, self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and life satisfaction; from calling to self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and life satisfaction; from self-efficacy to outcome expectations; from outcome expectations to job satisfaction; and from job satisfaction to life satisfaction were significant. Additionally, the mediating paths between positive affect and life satisfaction via calling, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and job satisfaction were significant. The practical implications for enhancing teachers’ job and life satisfaction and future directions of research were discussed.

Math Self-Efficacy and STEM Intentions: A Person-Centered Approach

Research pertaining to STEM interest and persistence continues to be a top priority in the educational research arena. The current study employed a person-centered approach to examine the impact of math self-efficacy and various distal predictors, such as individuals' demographic information, beliefs about math, and social group identification, on STEM interest and intentions. Specifically, we conducted a latent profile analysis (LPA), thereby inferring three homogeneous subgroups of individuals or latent classes from their response patterns on the 18-item sources of math self-efficacy measure. Our analyses showed that individuals' ethnicity, implicit theories of math ability, and other group orientation were predictive of class membership (Mastery, Moderate, and Unconfident). We also found that there were significant differences in interest in STEM subjects, interest in STEM activities, individuals' majors, and retention grade point average across the three latent classes. Our findings support the importance of math self-efficacy in choice of major as well as overall academic performance regardless of whether a student is in a STEM field or a non-STEM field.

Examining a Sequential Mediation Model of Chinese University Students' Well-Being: A Career Construction Perspective

Despite career construction theory attends to individual subjective career and provides a useful lens to study well-being, extant research has yielded limited insights into the mechanisms through which career construction variables influence individual well-being. To address this important gap, the present study examined a mediation model that links indicators of career adaptivity (big-five personality and approach/avoidance traits) to psychological well-being (psychological flourishing and life satisfaction) through career adaptability and in sequent meaning of life (presence of life meaning and search for life meaning) among a sample of Chinese university students (N = 165). The results of a two-wave survey study showed that career adaptability and presence of life meaning mediated the effects of openness to experience, consciousness, approach trait, and avoidance trait on individual well-being in sequence. The results also showed that approach trait’s effect on presence of meaning was partially mediated by career adaptability; career adaptability’s effect on psychological flourishing was partially mediated by presence of meaning. These findings advance understanding of antecedents to individual well-being from a career construction perspective, and carry implications for career education and counseling practices.

Rendimento escolar na matemática: Efeito diferencial da ansiedade e das crenças de autoeficácia

A matemática tem sido perspetivada como um “filtro crítico” para o acesso a carreiras científicas e tecnológicas. Muitas variáveis têm sido identificadas como preditores do rendimento na matemática, designadamente a ansiedade e autoeficácia matemática. Neste estudo, com 112 alunos do ensino secundário examinamos o papel destas variáveis depois de controlarmos o rendimento prévio e o sexo dos estudantes, no desempenho escolar da matemática numa prova intermédia sumativa. Uma regressão linear mostrou que a ansiedade é um preditor mais eficiente do que a medida de autoeficácia do rendimento a matemática. As implicações psicopedagógicas dos resultados são discutidas.

O papel do apoio social nas intenções de prosseguir profissões científico-tecnológicas

A Teoria Sociocognitiva da Carreira (TSCC) argumenta que vários resultados do desenvolvimento de carreira são função da interação contínua entre variáveis pessoais, contextuais e comportamentais. Neste estudo pretende-se testar a plausibilidade da hipótese derivada da TSCC do efeito de moderação do apoio social nas intenções de escolha vocacionais dos alunos. Usou-se uma amostra de 440 alunos dos 11º e 12º anos de escolaridade (54% do sexo feminino). Os resultados mostraram que o modelo estrutural apresenta um bom nível ajustamento em ambas subamostras e que é invariante no que respeita aos coeficientes de regressão e às variâncias dos fatores examinados.

A Meta-Analysis of the Correlates of Educational and Vocational Goals for Latina/o Students

Among Latina/o Americans, the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population, disparities exist in educational and career attainment. The emergence of research on Latina/o students has resulted in varied findings that make it difficult to draw conclusions as to which predictors are most closely associated with goal outcomes for this population. Using meta-analytic techniques, the current study examined the magnitude, direction, and heterogeneity of effect sizes across multiple educational and vocational goal outcomes for Latina/o students (i.e., educational/vocational aspirations, expectations, goals/plans, and persistence). Across 34 independent samples from 33 studies, career-related self-efficacy, peer support, adult support, barriers, and Anglo acculturation had moderate effects on at least one of the outcomes, with career-related self-efficacy and peer support being moderately related to two or more outcomes. If replicated, this research suggests that interventions focused on career-related self-efficacy and peer support could enhance the development of educational and career goals for Latina/o students.