Factors Affecting Social Science Students' Career Choices: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Study in Bangladesh

Abstract

This web-based cross-sectional study aimed to investigate university students' career choices and their determinants. Data were collected from four disciplines within the Social Science School at the Khulna University of Bangladesh. The findings from Pearson's Chi-square revealed a significant association between career choice and age, sex, discipline, level of education, and socioeconomic status. Exploratory factor analysis indicated a three-factor solution, explaining the variance of over 50% and the overall reliability of α = 0.748. The findings from a multinomial logistic regression showed that older and male students had a lower likelihood of becoming teachers, while Sociology students were more interested in teaching. Furthermore, career choices were substantially influenced by students' level of education, job quality, job prospect, and job motive. Considering the global demand for specific skills and knowledge, universities should revise their curricula, integrating the cognitive domain of students with practical knowledge-based education in order to widen the horizon of employment options for university graduates.