Career exploration processes in women's junior college students: An examination of the relationships among career decision-making self-efficacy, vocational exploration activity and self-concept crystallization

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among career decision-making self-efficacy, vocational exploration activities and self-concept crystallization in career exploration processes. Subjects were women's junior college students majoring in infant education (79 students) and liberal arts (107 students). Data were collected on two occasions in the process. At the beginning of job-searching, the career decision-making self-efficacy expectations were measured. After seven months, the questionnaire consisted of two parts, the activity of exploration and the change in crystallization of global/vocational self-concept in their exploration process, was administered to the students. In the case of the students majoring in liberal arts, the career decision-making self-efficacy had a significantly direct effect on exploration activity, and the crystallization of global/vocational self-concept was predicted through exploration activity. On the other hand, the students majoring in infant education did not show that their global/vocational self-concept depended on a vocational exploration activity. Based on these findings, reasons why the two groups of students had different job-searching process were discussed.