Career decision-making self-efficacy of young adolescent students in Turkey

ABSTRACT

Multiple regression was used to investigate whether the perfectionism perceptions, automatic thoughts, and the grade point average (GPA) of young adolescent students predict their career decision-making self-efficacy levels. The final sample included 383 students in their eighth year of school. Results indicate that positive perfectionism, automatic thoughts, and GPA predict students’ levels of career decision-making self-efficacy. Furthermore, exploratory analyses indicated that female students had higher levels of career decision-making self-efficacy than did male students, as did students whose mothers were graduates of two and four-year postsecondary educational institutions versus high school. Practical recommendations and research suggestions are proposed.

KEYWORDS:

• Perfectionism
• automatic thoughts
• career decision-making self-efficacy
• adolescents
• career development
• negative career thoughts

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ozlem Ulas-Kilic

Ozlem Ulas-Kilic, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Psychological Counseling and Guidance program at Giresun University, Giresun, Turkey. She earned her master’s degree in 2011 and PhD in 2016 in counseling and guidance. She gained a scholarship from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey and study at Colorado State University, USA, as a visitor scholar during 2014–2015. Her main interest is career counseling and school counseling. She has conducted studies specifically about career decision-making self-efficacy.

Jacqueline J. Peila-Shuster

Jacqueline J. Peila-Shuster, PhD, LPC, is an assistant professor in the Counseling and Career Development graduate program at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA. She teaches courses in career development and counseling, supervises counseling fieldwork experiences, and serves as the career counseling specialization coordinator. Jackie also has a master’s degree specializing in counseling and career development, and a BS in occupational therapy. Her areas of professional interest include life design, career construction, career counseling and development across the lifespan, gender issues in career development, counselor education, and strengths-based approaches to career and life planning.

Selen Demirtas-Zorbaz

Selen Demirtas-Zorbaz is an assistant professor in the Division of Psychological Counseling and Guidance, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Education at Ordu University, Turkey. She earned her master’s degree in 2011 and PhD in 2016 in counseling and guidance. She also worked as a secretary of education in the Turkish Counseling and Guidance Association between 2010 and 2013. She gained a scholarship from the Turkish Council of Higher Education and study at Eastern Michigan University, USA, as a visiting scholar during 2013–2014. Her main research interests include school adjustment, child counseling, career decisions, and assessment in career counseling.

Seval Kizildag

Seval Kizildag is a research assistant in the Division of Psychological Counseling and Guidance, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Education at Adiyaman University, Turkey. She earned her master’s degree in 2010 and PhD in 2015 in counseling and guidance. She gained a scholarship from the Turkish Council of Higher Education and study at Florida State University, USA, as a visitor scholar during 2012–2014. Her main research interests include family studies, career decisions, and assessment in career counseling.