Chinese Youth Career Adaptability: Contextual Influences and Pathways to Positive Youth Development

Abstract

<jats:p> The present study investigated the mediating role of career adaptability in the relationship between youth-perceived contextual support and positive youth development on the basis of a survey of 1,047 students in 10th to 12th grades. Measurement model analysis revealed that career search self-efficacy (CSSE), goal capacity, academic self-efficacy, and intrinsic motivation all fit within a latent construct representing career adaptability. Subsequently, structural model analysis revealed that career adaptability fully mediates the relationship between contextual factors and positive youth development. In addition, these analyses identified eight specific indirect pathways: CSSE and goal capacity fully mediated the relationship between quality learning experience/social connection and decision-making readiness; CSSE and academic self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship between social connection and stress management, and they also acted as suppressor in the relationship between quality learning experiences and stress management. These findings establish notable implications for career counseling and intervention practices that are discussed in closing. </jats:p>

Adolescents’ Future Expectations of Work and Education Within Adaptation Model of Career Construction Theory

“…More precisely, promoting four Cs of career adaptability could enhance five Cs (competence, confidence, connection, character, and caring) of PYD, especially competence and confidence dimensions, most probably through fostering self-regulatory skills in career development. Hence, the recent research has attached importance to career adaptability to support PYD (e.g., Chen et al, 2018; Santilli et al, 2018). Moreover, the previous findings indicated that having higher career adaptability has positive impacts on career decidedness, academic achievement, positive orientation toward to the future, and life satisfaction (e.g., Negru-Subtirica & Pop, 2016; Santilli et al, 2017), which were highlighted as the indicators of PYD (Chen et al, 2018).…”

“…Hence, the recent research has attached importance to career adaptability to support PYD (e.g., Chen et al, 2018; Santilli et al, 2018). Moreover, the previous findings indicated that having higher career adaptability has positive impacts on career decidedness, academic achievement, positive orientation toward to the future, and life satisfaction (e.g., Negru-Subtirica & Pop, 2016; Santilli et al, 2017), which were highlighted as the indicators of PYD (Chen et al, 2018). Thus, along with the characteristics of four Cs and considering positive associations between optimism, hope, and career adaptability (e.g., Buyukgoze-Kavas, 2014, Wilkins et al, 2014), as positive youth variables within PYD (e.g., Santilli et al, 2018), this study hypothesized that PFE will have influence on concern, control, curiosity, and confidence (Hypothesis 2).…”

Factores cognitivo-motivacionales relacionados con el ajuste a la vida universitaria de estudiantes chilenos

“…La autoeficacia académica también se ha asociado de forma importante al ajuste a la vida universitaria (Chen, Solberg, & Ye, 2018), especialmente en estudiantes de primer año de universidad, en dónde la autoeficacia se comporta como predictor de ajuste académico (Cazan, 2012). Así, los estudiantes que se perciben con altas capacidades académicas, que tienen un alto grado de confianza en su capacidad para aprender y obtener éxito académico tienen más probabilidades de hacer frente a las demandas académicas de la universidad y lograr cumplir los requisitos para aprobar sus asignaturas (Chen et al, 2018;Cazan, 2012).…”

Designing Quality Programs that Promote Hope, Purpose and Future Readiness Among High Need, High Risk Youth: Recommendations for Shifting Perspective and Practice

“…Each school received a personalized needs assessment report which was then aggregated to produce a path analysis that offered evidence that students perceived engagement in ILPs was associated with reported higher levels of a number of social emotional skills that collectively contributed to improved grades, stress and health management, and career readiness (Solberg, Howard, et al, 2012). This process was replicated by Chen in working with a number of high schools in China whereby each school received a personalized report while the aggregate was used to conduct a structural equation model that found that career adaptability (i.e., career search and academic self-efficacy, goal setting, and intrinsic motivation mediated the relationship between a number of key contextual factors (i.e., perceived availability of quality learning opportunities and social connections) and positive youth development (i.e., stress management and career readiness; Chen et al, 2020).…”