Search Results (8)

Despite progress in inclusive education, students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) often lack valid, tailored tools for career assessment, limiting equitable transitions to adulthood and employment. Closing this gap is crucial for Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), which calls for quality and inclusive educational opportunities. This study addresses this need by adapting and validating a 16-item Career Maturity Inventory-Form C (CMI-C) for Chinese post-secondary SEN students (n = 34) in vocational training in higher education. Rasch modeling, supported by exploratory factor analysis, indicated that a two-factor structure—‘career choice readiness’ and ‘intention to seek career consultation’—provided the best fit to the data, rather than the originally hypothesized four-factor model. The results were more consistent with a two-dimensional structure than with prior four-factor frameworks, though both were explored. Two poorly performing items were removed, resulting in a fourteen-item scale with acceptable item fit and reliability indices in this hard-to-reach group. This restructuring suggests constructs such as concern, confidence, and curiosity are closely linked in SEN populations, underscoring the value of context-sensitive assessment. The revised instrument demonstrated satisfactory model fit and internal consistency; however, convergent validity and practical utility should be interpreted cautiously given the modest sample size. While further validation in larger and more diverse samples is warranted, this study offers preliminary evidence for an adapted, inclusive assessment tool that aligns with SDG 4’s aim to promote equity and empower SEN students in educational and career pathways. Full article

This study explores how Speech and Elocution Training (SET) activates language potential and fosters career-oriented development among higher vocational students through self-efficacy mechanisms. Through qualitative interviews with four vocational graduates who participated in SET 5 to 10 years ago, the research identifies three key findings. First, SET comprises curriculum content (e.g., workplace communication modules such as hosting, storytelling, and sales pitching) and classroom training using multimodal TED resources and Toastmasters International-simulated practices, which spark language potential through skill-focused, realistic exercises. Second, these pedagogies facilitate a progression where initial language potential evolves from nascent career interests into concrete job-seeking intentions and long-term career plans: completing workplace-related speech tasks boosts confidence in career choices, planning, and job competencies, enabling adaptability to professional challenges. Third, SET aligns with Bandura’s four self-efficacy determinants; these are successful experiences (including personalized and virtual skill acquisition and certified affirmation), vicarious experiences (via observation platforms and constructive peer modeling), verbal persuasion (direct instructional feedback and indirect emotional support), and the arousal of optimistic emotions (the cognitive reframing of challenges and direct desensitization to anxieties). These mechanisms collectively create a positive cycle that enhances self-efficacy, amplifies language potential, and clarifies career intentions. While highlighting SET’s efficacy, this study notes a small sample size limitation, urging future mixed-methods studies with diverse samples to validate these mechanisms across broader vocational contexts and refine understanding of language training’s role in fostering linguistic competence and career readiness. Full article

The present study evaluated the effect of a four-day entrepreneurial project on the career-choice readiness of secondary school students. The hypotheses underlying this study state that participation in a school startup project increases the students’ career-choice readiness, growth mindset, and metacognition. Based on the literature, it is also assumed that a positive correlation exists between metacognition, growth mindset, and career-choice readiness. The present study examined a student entrepreneurship program by conducting a pre–post design. School classes developed and implemented business ideas with qualified coaches within the program based on a comprehensive didactic approach. Data from each group of participants were collected at two measurement time points. The results demonstrated that the values for all constructs increased in the post-test after participating in the entrepreneurial intervention. Furthermore, the findings indicate that a growth mindset is related to career-choice readiness and mediates the relationship between career-choice readiness and metacognition. Moreover, metacognition additionally favors a growth mindset. Based on the findings, entrepreneurial projects at schools are helpful for vocational orientation and should be extended by cooperating with external organizations and partners. Full article

The transition to the first year of high school constitutes a critical moment because it corresponds to the implementation of a career choice, which can impact students’ satisfaction and psychosocial adjustment. The career construction model of adaptation holds potential to explain how students adapt to high school, by suggesting linkages among adaptive readiness, resources, responses, and results. However, research applying the career construction model to school transitions, combining social-emotional, career, and academic variables is still needed. This study explores the roles that social-emotional skills (an indicator of adaptive readiness) and career adaptability (an indicator of adaptability resources) play in explaining first-year high school students’ agentic school engagement (an indicator of adapting responses). Measures of social-emotional skills, career adaptability, and school engagement were completed by 136 students (63.2% girls; M age = 15.68). Results from the hierarchical linear regression analysis suggest that social-emotional skills and career adaptability explain 32% of the variance and significantly contribute to explaining agentic school engagement. These findings seem illustrative of the potential of the career construction model of adaptation to deepen knowledge and understanding about the transition to high school and the implementation of career choices. Aligned with the literature, this study supports the calls for integrative psychological practices that acknowledge social-emotional, career, and academic variables when fostering students’ psychosocial adjustment. Full article

Background: Career-related teacher support self-efficacy refers to the teacher’s confidence in his/her own ability to support students’ career choices. To our knowledge, there are neither studies that focus on this topic nor instruments to measure it. Therefore, the current study aimed at developing and validating an instrument to assess teacher career-related support self-efficacy (TCSSE). Methods: In a multi-step process, items were developed and three studies that involved Italian in-service teachers were conducted. In Study 1 (n = 232), the TCSSE was developed and exploratory factor analysis on the 51 initial items was performed. In Study 2 (n = 294), six factors—Get Ready, Empower Self, Get Curious, Empower Skills, Emotional Support and Instrumental Support (α = 0.885)—across 36 items were tested through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). In Study 3 (n = 100), the reliability of TCSSE was tested. Results: The EFA performed in Study 1 suggested a six-factor solution with 36 items. The results of Study 2 confirmed the six-factor structure (χ² (579) = 1387.965, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.964, TLI = 0.961, RMSEA = 0.069), the internal consistency (α = 0.863 for Get Ready, α = 0.857 for Empower Self; α = 0.864 for Get Curious; α = 0.909 for Empower Skills; α = 0.881 for Emotional Support; α = 0.885 for Instrumental Support) and validity of the TCSSE. Finally, in Study 3, the reliability of TCSSE was also confirmed. Conclusion: The TCSSE questionnaire can provide researchers and practitioners with a new and reliable measure to assess teacher career-related support self-efficacy. Suggestions for future studies and practice are also provided. Full article

This qualitative descriptive study explores experiences and perspectives of mid-to-late adolescents about growing up with asthma, and the roles of parents and providers as they transition. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit and enroll adolescents aged 16–20 years with asthma. Forty-one adolescents participated in a focus group or individual interview, and content analysis was conducted to analyze the data. The mean age of participants was 17.7 years, the majority (56%) of whom were Black. Themes that emerged included concerns about becoming an adult with asthma and its self-management, parental involvement, and communication with providers. Adolescents felt burdened by asthma, few considered becoming adults with asthma, and their future outlook was pessimistic with concerns related to worsening symptoms, inadequacy in symptom self-management and limitations on career choices due to asthma. Deficiencies in self-management were noted, parents still played major roles in adolescents’ asthma care, and transition of care was seldom discussed with the providers. Mid-to-late adolescents with asthma are inadequately prepared for transition of care, and parents and providers insufficiently engage adolescents in the preparation. Parent, provider, and adolescent partnership is critical to achieve adolescent readiness for independence in asthma management and to ensure proper asthma care continuity post transition. Full article

Education is an essential component of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through a questionnaire survey among students from a Chinese senior high school, this study measured the self-reported knowledge, sources of information, learning situations, priorities, the impact of personal life and career planning with respect to the SDGs to understand their cognition, learning motivation and social readiness. The results show that students’ knowledge and information sources in relation to the SDGs are limited, and there is no significant difference between boys and girls in relation to their knowledge of the SDGs, the source of information, the learning level of the SDGs, impact of personal life on the SDGs and career planning related to the SDGs. It is also shown that students have a better understanding of the number of the SDGs and the countries to which the SDGs are addressed and students receive information about the SDGs via formal education and traditional media. Regarding the penetration of the SDGs in course subjects, Chinese and native culture, foreign language, biology and geography have included all the SDGs. Through an analysis of responses and popularity rates, gender equality, quality education, reduced inequalities, no poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being are shown to be the students’ priorities with higher attention rates. Gender equality, quality education, clean water and sanitation are the top three goals in relation to which students consider that their personal life can have a greater impact. Students prefer to adopt the SDGs (decent work and economic growth, quality education, industry, innovation and infrastructure, sustainable cities and communities) as their personal career choice in the future. Suggestions for improving the implementation of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) include comprehensive formal and non-formal education, publicity and curriculum integration to promote learning about the SDGs. A model of ESD in the school surveyed is presented for practical application. Based on this research, guidance and suggestions are provided to enhance students’ awareness, knowledge and competencies in relation to sustainability and to encourage student engagement in global sustainable development. Full article

Current medical school education focuses on acquiring appropriate knowledge with relatively little interest in developing the career selection skills of medical students. We investigated medical students’ perceptions of career problems and the required types of career counseling programs. Five focus group discussions were held with 23 medical students. The consensual qualitative study method was used to analyze the recorded discussion process. The medical students were more influenced by parents and grades than by subjective choices when deciding on admission to medical school. In future career choices, medical students considered the stability and feasibility of the career and expected quality of life. However, there were several opinions that it is essential to understand oneself. Objective and specific career information was lacking, and meeting with the professor was not very helpful for career counseling. Most medical students expected the effectiveness of the career counseling program but hoped the program would proceed with voluntary participation. Medical students wanted a variety of concrete and objective information, such as specialty information for choosing residency training, trainee hospital information, and post-residency training information in the career counseling program. Most medical students are not ready for career-related problems, therefore making it necessary to develop a career counseling program suitable for them. Full article