Understanding the career decision making of university students enrolled in STEM disciplines

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-105
Author(s):  
Dawn Bennett ◽  
Elizabeth Knight ◽  
Sherry Bawa ◽  
Alfred M Dockery
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
University Students ◽  
Career Commitment ◽  
Career Decision ◽  
Career Pathways ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Career Decision Making ◽  
Engineering Mathematics ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Alternative Career Pathways

This study investigated why university students choose to major in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine/health (STEM(M)) disciplines, and how their study and career-related confidence compares with that of their peers. The study engaged 12,576 students enrolled at Australian universities. The findings suggest that STEM(M) students’ career decision making is guided by their interest in the subject and their intentions to help people. Within the STEM(M) cohort, students in medicine and health were more confident in their career decision making than either their STEM or non-STEM(M) peers. Of interest, they were less aware of alternative career pathways and less prepared to reorient their careers should this be necessary. Female students reported greater confidence than male students in their career decision making, career identity, and career commitment. Implications include the need for career narratives beyond the STEM industries and for career development initiatives that are mindful of disciplinary and gendered differences.

Career Adaptability Profiles and Their Relations With Emotional and Decision-Making Correlates Among Belgian Undergraduate Students

2021 ◽  
pp. 089484532110055
Author(s):  
Michaël Parmentier ◽  
Thomas Pirsoul ◽  
Frédéric Nils
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
University Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Career Decision ◽  
Career Adaptability ◽  
Career Decision Making ◽  
Work Transition ◽  
Person Centered Approach

This study used a person-centered approach to investigate university students’ profiles of career adaptability and determine whether different combinations of concern, control, curiosity, and confidence could be identified. We also explored the relations of these profiles with emotional intelligence, anticipatory emotions, and career decision-making self-efficacy. We found six distinct profiles of career adaptability among 307 university students who differed both on their level and on shape. Emotional intelligence was associated with profiles displaying higher levels of career adaptability. Furthermore, profiles of career adaptability significantly displayed differences in terms of positive anticipatory emotions at the prospect of the school-to-work transition and career decision-making self-efficacy but not in terms of negative anticipatory emotions. These results highlight that differentiating profiles of career adaptability provide insights for the design and the implementation of career-related interventions among university students.

scholarly journals Career-decision making of university students: cross-cultural comparisons between Mongolia and Japan

2021 ◽  
pp. 57-67
Author(s):  
Dulguun Damdin ◽  
Toshiyuki Yamashita ◽  
Masami Ishihara
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
University Students ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Career Decision ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Social Changes ◽  
Career Decision Making ◽  
Japanese Students ◽  
Cultural Comparisons ◽  
University Performance

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare Mongolians (118 men and 252 women) and Japanese (158 men and 201 women) university students’ awareness related to their occupation and their motivations for entering university. The survey focused on the vocational motives, university performance/experiences, and motivations for entering university. The analyses showed that although Mongolian and Japanese students have similar occupational views, there are some cultural differences that can be mainly identified with the recent historic developments and social changes both the nations experienced (e.g socialistic era in Mongolia).

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document