Search Results (226)

This study examines the influence of mass media on the career choices of high school students from Brașov County, Romania, with a focus on their underlying motivational factors. Employing a quantitative design, it draws on data from a standardized questionnaire completed by 1314 students from local high schools. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used in the analysis. While some students identify mass media as a key source of career guidance, documentaries and career fairs are more frequently cited as trusted sources. Students’ perceptions of mass media are ambivalent: 55.1% see it as manipulative, while 41.7% and 24.7% acknowledge its informative and educational roles. Personal motivation emerges as the most significant influence, with 64.8% guided by individual talents and abilities, compared to a lower influence from family or media role models. Correlational analysis highlights the importance of personal development, creativity, and collaboration in career motivation. This study suggests that mass media indirectly shapes students’ aspirations by reinforcing values like social recognition, mobility, and identity. Finally, it reveals a strong link between career interest and expectations for respectful, stable, and growth-oriented work environments, pointing to a pragmatic orientation toward professional sustainability. Full article

Veterinarians are not just animal health professionals; they are also considered animal welfare experts. Animal-directed empathy, the ability to understand and match an animal’s emotional state, is essential for recognizing animal welfare issues. It is therefore a vital competency for veterinarians. The factors that play a role in shaping this empathy are animal, personal, and cultural influences, as well as the categorization of animals based on their benefit or harm to people: pet, pest or profit (used for economic purposes). We conducted a survey among veterinary students in the Netherlands to assess their levels of animal-directed empathy by scoring their attitude toward animals with the “Pet, Pest, Profit Scale”. Analysis of 321 completed surveys revealed that students showed the highest empathy for pets, the second-highest levels for pest animals, and the lowest levels for profit animals. Empathy levels also differed depending on career choice, background, and diet. These findings indicate that categorizing animals influences veterinary students’ empathy levels, which can lead to unrecognized welfare issues, especially for pest and profit animals. It is important to enhance empathy for these categories through targeted educational interventions to help prepare veterinary students for their responsibility as veterinarians, ensuring the welfare of all animals, whether pet, pest or profit. Full article

(1) Background: The development of professional identity in future educators is a dynamic and multifaceted process, shaped by personal experiences, interpersonal relationships, role models, and the values internalized across diverse learning ecologies. This identity formation is closely intertwined with academic achievement, socio-educational integration, peer interactions, and the underlying motivations for choosing a particular educational and professional trajectory. This study explores the connections between students’ educational experiences and their motivation to pursue careers in pedagogy and social education. (2) Methods: Based on 138 autoethnographic narratives written by undergraduate students enrolled in Anthropology of Education courses at two [Spanish] universities. (3) Results: The analysis reveals how reflective engagement with personal educational histories enables students to reconstruct the relational foundations of their learning paths. These reflections inform their academic and career choices, which are understood not as static decisions, but as evolving trajectories shaped by a generational context characterized by uncertainty and change. (4) Conclusions: The findings highlight how students, through their narratives, articulate both their professional aspirations and a vision of the educator as an agent of change—one who emerges in response to, and often in critique of, the educational structures and practices. Full article

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

Although career choice is a kind of individual behavior, as the gatekeeper of the discipline, doctoral students’ academic career intention reflects the attractiveness of the academic labor market and determines the sustainable development of academic careers. An analysis of data (N = 1322) from a survey among Chinese doctoral students reveals that (1) environmental factors, such as departmental atmosphere and advisor support, cognitive factors like academic interest and research self-efficacy, as well as behavioral factors including research engagement and publication rates, significantly promote doctoral students’ academic career intentions; (2) female doctoral students and those from prestigious institutions show stronger academic career aspirations; (3) the influence of interest factors on doctoral students’ commitment to an academic career is particularly pronounced, especially in the field of fundamental science; (4) a clear understanding of career paths positively moderates the effect of interest on academic career intentions. Within increasingly severe competition in the global academic labor market, it is necessary to provide more support for doctoral students who are willing to engage in academic careers by enhancing career planning guidance for doctoral students and supporting them in making rational career plans and adequate preparations. Full article

Most current undergraduate students have always lived in a world where climate change has been part of the popular discourse. Surveys show that younger individuals are more worried about climate change than older adults, but there has been relatively little examination of the role that concern is playing in the educational and career plans of undergraduate students. This study presents the results of a survey of undergraduates at a US public university that examines the impact of climate change on what these students choose to study and how they are preparing for post-graduation careers. The results show that the majority of respondents believe climate change is an important social problem, that humans have caused it, and that we have a responsibility to address it. About 15 percent of respondents also report that climate change has impacted their area of study or their post-graduation career plans. Respondents who have taken a class focused on climate change are most likely to report an impact, while respondents who have not discussed climate change in a university class are the least likely to report an impact. If the impact of climate change on educational choices grows as climate change impacts increase, universities should expect to see changing demands in areas of study as well as an increasing need for programming and support to prepare students for climate-oriented careers. Full article

Introduction: The escalating scarcity of skilled healthcare professionals is particularly pronounced within surgical specialties, where the prospect of attracting prospective medical practitioners poses formidable challenges. Throughout their academic journey, students exhibit diminishing enthusiasm and motivation to pursue careers in surgery, including trauma surgery. It is postulated that the caliber of teaching plays a pivotal role in influencing students’ subsequent specialization choices. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted among a cohort of third-year medical students at the German University Medicine Greifswald. The methodology encompassed the utilization of a self-administered questionnaire to procure data. Results: The study encompassed 177 participants, of whom 34.7% expressed an inclination toward a career in surgery (22.7% in trauma surgery). Participants who reported a favorable impact from the examination course displayed a significantly heightened interest in clinical clerkships within trauma surgery (p < 0.001), and even expressed a contemplation of specializing in orthopedics and trauma surgery (p = 0.001). Logistic regression analysis highlighted that the convergence of practical training and positive role modeling emerged as the most influential factors augmenting the allure of trauma surgery. Conclusions: Evidently, students who gleaned substantial benefits from high-quality practical instruction in trauma surgery exhibited a significantly heightened likelihood of pursuing this domain in their future endeavors. Surgical academic institutions stand to leverage this insight in their strategic planning for attracting and retaining potential residents. Cultivating a positive affinity for trauma surgery should be instilled early in the curriculum, subsequently sustained through ongoing immersive engagement that encompasses professional as well as interpersonal dimensions. 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

This study explored teacher agency and its impact on the motivation and perceptions of the teaching profession. This study employed a cross-sectional survey design, in which questionnaires were administered to a sample of 574 basic school teachers in Ghana. Structural equation modeling (SEM), a multivariate statistical technique for analyzing complex relationships among latent constructs, was employed to examine the direct, indirect, and moderated effects among the study variables, thereby ensuring accurate and reliable results. This study found that the motivation and perception factors have a strong positive impact on teacher agency. The moderator analysis showed that intrinsic career value was a significant predictor of teacher agency for both male and female teachers. The results also indicated the significant moderating effect of age on the relationship between intrinsic career value and teacher agency. Additionally, the findings revealed that perception factors partially mediate the relationship between motivation factors and teacher agency. However, this study is limited by its cross-sectional design and focus on public basic school teachers in Ghana, suggesting the need for future research to include longitudinal approaches, broader geographic representation, and private school contexts. Finally, the theoretical and practical implications are addressed. Full article

The increasing flexibility and rapid, profound changes in the labor market require employability skills from graduates, dem1anding greater attention from higher education institutions to training opportunities that foster the development of these skills among their students. Using a sample of 373 first-year engineering students, this study analyzed, through regression analysis, the impact of sociodemographic (gender, age), academic (work, program choice, average grade), and psychological (life satisfaction, perseverance of effort, consistency of interests) variables on students’ confidence in achieving their professional career project after completing their degree. The results indicate that women and younger students show lower levels of confidence in achieving their future vocational projects, as do students with lower academic performance and those with less consistency in their interests. These findings suggest the need for specialized support services for students, starting from the first year, in career development provided by higher education institutions. Full article

The expectations, plans and goals of future pastors are developed and consolidated during theological studies. These plans and expectations, and the career strategies based on them can have a decisive influence on how gender-based differences with respect to opportunities in the churches develop. Since one of the particularities of the pastoral vocation is that work and private life are closely intertwined and difficult to separate, the personal choices of prospective pastors are crucial in shaping their professional careers. The results of our research based on focus group interviews conducted with female and male Protestant seminarians in Hungary suggest that female theology students are more reserved and cautious in their articulation of plans than their male counterparts. On the one hand, they assume that factors outside and above them may override them and that the conservative church environment may constrain their options. On the other hand, it was repeatedly expressed that, as women, they find it difficult to reconcile pastoral work and family life, and take it for granted that they will compromise more in the professional field. Only a few of the female participants plan to work as independent congregational leaders (senior pastors), whereas this ambition is very typical of male students. Full article

Background: Healthcare is a dynamic environment for nurses, with early career nurses (ECNs) needing to adapt and learn while also meeting care demands. Effective support systems, mentorship, and continuous professional development are vital in facilitating their transition while navigating competing demands. The aim of this study is to interpret and understand the meaning of ECNs’ professional experiences four years after completing their bachelor’s degree in Australia. Method: A qualitative descriptive design using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used as part of a longitudinal study. Follow-up semi-structured interviews were conducted among twenty-five ECNs between 2022 and 2024 using purposive sampling to recruit ECNs who had graduated four years ago. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data while adhering to the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) guidelines. Results: Four themes emerged among participants, which encompassed professional growth and unwavering commitment, ongoing professional adaptability, feeling stuck with limited choices, and continual learning amid career challenges and personal life demands. Conclusions: Change is needed to ensure professional learning becomes a shared responsibility among policy makers and healthcare leaders and to ensure that professional learning leads to more nurses taking up further study, thus increasing the safety and quality of care delivered in the healthcare environment. Full article

Background/Objectives: All countries face a shortage of qualified nurses. Based on the social cognitive career theory (SCCT), it is assumed that individual and environmental aspects are interlinked and determinants in career choice and vocational behaviors. This study aims to determine if nursing students differ in their perceptions of nursing as a career. Furthermore, this study wants to determine if the students in a cluster differed in their outcome expectations, job satisfaction, and informal workplace learning. Methods: This study employed a mixed-methods design consisting of two phases: the first involving a pre-study with experts (N = 10) and the second comprising a cross-sectional questionnaire survey. The goal of the pre-study was to find relevant characteristics of the nursing profession. In a cross-sectional study with an online questionnaire, 230 nursing students (N = 230) participated. An inclusion criterion was that participants were enrolled in vocational training to become a nurse. In the questionnaire validated scales were used to ask participants about the characteristics of the nursing profession, their perceptions of nursing as a career, outcome expectations, informal workplace learning, and job satisfaction. Analysis: Data analysis included descriptive statistics (e.g., percentage distributions), hierarchical cluster analysis, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: The LCA results based on Schwarz’s BIC showed a two-cluster solution (Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) 251.984, Bayesian information criterion (BIC) 265.296, and adjusted Bayesian information criterion (aBIC) 252.622). The results of the ANOVA showed significant differences regarding outcome expectations (F = 22.738; <0.001), the perception of nursing as a career (F = 36.231; <0.001), and the engagement in informal workplace learning activities (F = 20.62; <0.001). For job satisfaction, no significant differences were found. Conclusions: Nursing vocational education and training is a vital socialization process in which supervisors can arrange a positive learning climate. Full article

While small group learning through engineering design activities has been shown to enhance student achievement, motivation, and problem-solving skills, much of the existing research in this area focuses on undergraduate engineering education. Therefore, this study examines how small-group interactions influence design decisions within a sixth-grade engineering design-based English Language Arts unit for multilingual learners. Multilingual Learners make up 21% of the U.S. school-aged population and benefit from early STEM opportunities that shape future educational and career trajectories. Grounded in constructivist learning theories, the research explores collaborative learning in the engineering design process, using a comparative case study design. Specifically, this study explores student interactions and group dynamics in two small groups (Group A and Group B) engaged in a board game design challenge incorporating microelectronics. Video recordings serve as the primary data source, allowing for an in-depth analysis of verbal and nonverbal interactions. The study employed the Social Interdependence Theory to examine how group members collaborate, negotiate roles, and make design decisions. Themes such as positive interdependence, group accountability, promotive interaction, and individual responsibility are used to assess how cooperation influences final design choices. Three key themes emerged: Roles and Dynamics, Conflict, and Teacher Intervention. Group A and Group B exhibited distinct collaboration patterns, with Group A demonstrating stronger leadership dynamics that shaped decision-making, while Group B encountered challenges related to engagement and resource control. The results demonstrate the importance of small-group interactions in shaping design decisions and emphasize the role of group dynamics and teacher intervention in supporting multilingual learners’ engagement and success in integrated STEM curriculum. Full article

The present study aimed to develop and validate a brief, two-factor scale assessing career decision-making in high school students. The scale captures the following two key dimensions: (1) access to resources and exploration of career options and (2) career choice self-efficacy. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on data from a sample of 778 Romanian high school students. The results supported a two-factor structure with good internal consistency and construct validity. Measurement invariance across gender revealed configural invariance, although metric and scalar invariance were not confirmed, suggesting potential differences in how male and female students interpret career decision constructs. No significant gender differences emerged in mean scores, yet students in technological educational tracks reported significantly greater access to career-related resources than their peers in theoretical and vocational profiles. These findings underscore the scale’s sensitivity to educational context and its potential utility in comparative studies and needs assessments. Future research should examine the scale’s predictive validity, longitudinal stability, and cross-cultural applicability. This tool offers a practical means to assess career decision-making processes and inform targeted interventions in educational and counselling settings. Full article