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This paper overviews the qualitative research method autoethnography and its relevance to research in vocational psychology and practice in career development. Autoethnography is a reflexive means by which the researcher-practitioner consciously embeds himself or herself amidst theory and practice, and by way of intimate autobiographic account, explicates a phenomenon under investigation or intervention. Autoethnography is presented as a vehicle to operationalise social constructionist research and practice that aims to establish trustworthiness and authenticity. Furthermore, the method is presented as a means to operationalise the notion of critical consciousness within researchers and practitioners. It is concluded that autoethnography should be admitted to the methodological repertoire of methods for vocational psychology research and practice.Author post-print version of McIlveen, P. (2008). Autoethnography as a method for reflexive research and practice in vocational psychology.

Drawing on social cognitive perspectives, the present study examined an integrative model of the interplay among math self-efficacy, interests, aspirations, and achievement among early and middle adolescents. Based on short-term longitudinal data from approximately 400 students, analyses using fully latent structural equation analyses, establishing requisite levels of longitudinal invariance, revealed that (a) math self-efficacy positively predicted math achievement using both class grades and standardized test score operationalizations; (b) prior math achievement positively predicted basal levels of math self-efficacy but not changes in selfefficacy; (c) math interest and intentions were reciprocally linked over time; and (d) prior math interest positively predicted subsequent math self-efficacy whereas the opposite was not true. Notably, all effects were observed while accounting for prior variance in outcomes as well as the effects of known covariates. The current findings contribute to understandings of the motivational processes involved in math achievement and choosing educational pathways, and suggest that multidimensional interventions may be most profitable if both achievement and selection outcomes are at stake.

The study focuses on psychological predictors of academic major satisfaction. According to the career construction theory (Savickas, 2005), vocational personality and career adaptability should generate career satisfaction. In this study, vocational personality was operationalized as Big Five conscientiousness, and career adaptability was operationalized as generalised self-efficacy and career optimism. A sample (N = 529) of university students completed an online survey. The resultant data were used to construct a structural model of the hypothesized relationships among variables. A good fitting model [χ2 = 10.454 (7) p = .164; GFI = .993; CFI = .999; RMSEA < .031 (<.001 -.066)] indicated that career optimism fully mediated the relationship between conscientiousness and academic major satisfaction.Results were consistent with previous research into personality and academic performance.Moreover, the results highlight the significant role of optimism in satisfaction with career generally, and studies, specifically. Suggestions are made for future research into modelling the relationships according to different academic disciplines and for the potential role of optimism as a learning objective for career education and counseling.Keywords: academic major satisfaction; conscientiousness; career optimism; career construction theory 3 Beyond Conscientiousness: Career Optimism and Satisfaction with Academic Major University students' satisfaction with their studies is an important matter for themselves, their teachers, their institutions, and public bodies that scrutinise universities.Indicators of students' satisfaction are associated with institutional reputation in an increasingly international market place. In their review of over 7000 publications, Richardson, Abraham, and Bond (2012) classified 42 non-intellective correlates of academic performance into five classes: personality traits, motivational factors, self-regulatory learning strategies, students' approaches to learning, and psychosocial contextual factors. These, socalled non-intellective factors represent sites of psychological or educational interventions that aim to enhance students' engagement and satisfaction with their studies (e.g., teaching study techniques according to approaches to learning). In this paper, we address facets of two of the non-intellective predictors of student satisfaction with their academic major: the personality factor conscientiousness and the motivational factors self-efficacy and optimism. Career Construction Theory and Academic SatisfactionTo conceptually frame the research, we referred to the career construction theory (Savickas, 2005) that provides an integrative conceptual framework to understand career in terms of three inter-related domains: vocational personality, career adaptability, and life themes. Students' engagement with their studies can be understood from the perspective of these conceptual domains. The first two classes of non-intellective correlates of academic performance identified by Richardson ...

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