Self‐Efficacy Beliefs as Shapers of Children's Aspirations and Career Trajectories

Abstract

This prospective study tested with 272 children a structural model of the network of sociocognitive influences that shape children's career aspirations and trajectories. Familial socioeconomic status is linked to children's career trajectories only indirectly through its effects on parents' perceived efficacy and academic aspirations. The impact of parental self-efficacy and aspirations on their children's perceived career efficacy and choice is, in turn, entirely mediated through the children's perceived efficacy and academic aspirations. Children's perceived academic, social, and self-regulatory efficacy influence the types of occupational activities for which they judge themselves to be efficacious both directly and through their impact on academic aspirations. Perceived occupational self-efficacy gives direction to the kinds of career pursuits children seriously consider for their life's work and those they disfavor. Children's perceived efficacy rather than their actual academic achievement is the key determinant of their perceived occupational self-efficacy and preferred choice of worklife. Analyses of gender differences reveal that perceived occupational self-efficacy predicts traditionality of career choice.

Witness self‐efficacy: Development and validation of the construct

“…One domain where Bandura and colleagues demonstrated the potency of self-efficacy is child development (e.g., Bandura et al, 2001;Pastorelli et al, 2001). Bandura and colleagues (2001) used a longitudinal design featuring a two-cohort structure to assess cognitive mechanisms impacting children's career plans.…”

“…Various types of self-reported self-efficacy have proven to follow this assertion. Areas where this has held true include academic (e.g., Bandura et al, 2001;Pastorelli et al, 2001), business (e.g., Judge et al, 2007;Stajkovic & Luthans, 1998), and self-defense training (e.g., Ozer & Bandura, 1990) situations to name a few. Witness testimony does not follow suit; therefore, SET does not function as expected in the courtroom setting.…”

Autorregulação da Motivação: Crenças e Estratégias de Alunos Portugueses do 7º ao 9º Ano de Escolaridade

“…De facto, e de acordo com a literatura, as motivações escolares têm perfi s distintos em cada um dos géneros podendo estar relacionadas com os estereótipos de género sobre os interesses por diferentes matérias escolares (Anderman & Young, 1994;Bandura et al, 2001;Meece & Painter, 2008;Middleton & Migdley, 1997;Zimmerman & Martinez-Pons, 1990). Ao contrário do que se verifi ca em outros estudos (Bandura et al, 2001;Pajares & Valiante, 2001;Schunk & Pajares, 2005), não se encontraram diferenças de género nas expectativas de autoefi cácia. Isto signifi ca que rapazes e raparigas não diferem, de modo signifi cativo, nas expectativas que têm sobre a capacidade de autorregular o seu comportamento e ter sucesso na realização das tarefas escolares.…”

“…A investigação prova que as diferenças de género nas expectativas de autoefi cácia estão também relacionadas com a idade ou ano escolar (Schunk & Pajares, 2005). Estas diferenças começam a acentuar-se nos anos escolares correspondentes à puberdade e adolescência e parecem estar associadas a uma preocupação crescente com a adequação aos estereótipos de género (Bandura, Barbaranelli, Caprara, & Pastorelli, 2001).…”

The Adolescence: Scholastic Success and Failure

“…Researches carried out in the field of self-efficacy by Bandura et al (2001) have indicated that, the more the pupils perceive themselves as having a higher level of selfefficacy, the more they will persevere in obtaining good scholastic results. At the same time, they will have a lower risk of school dropout (Quiroga, Janosz, Bisset and Morin, 2013 apud Gherasim and Butnaru, 2013).…”