STUDENTS' CAREER EXPLORATION: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY AT A UNIVERSITY
Main Article Content
Abstract
Career identity is a critical issue for students and workers in the context of a rapidly changing labor market and evolving occupational structures. This study explores the expression of career identity among 276 foreign language teacher education majors at a university, using a cross-sectional design. The data were collected using a 10-items self-report questionnaire, developed by synthesizing the theoretical frameworks of Marcia (1966), Osipow et al. (1976), Savickas (2005), and Stumpf et al. (1983). The questionnaire focused on three dimensions: career exploration, self-exploration in relation to one’s career, and career commitment; it demonstrated internal consistency (Cronbach’s α =0.79). The overall results show a high level of career exploration but a lack of clear commitment among the students participating in the study; students demonstrated difficulty in making career decisions. The study also offers recommendations on career guidance for students at higher education institutions.
Keywords
career identity, career exploration, career commitment, university students
Article Details
References
Blustein, D. L., Kenny, M. E., Autin, K., & Duffy, R. D. (2019). The psychology of working in practice: A theory of change for a new era. The Career Development Quarterly, 67(3), 236–254. https://doi.org/10.1002/cdq.12193
Colarelli, S. M., & Bishop, R. C. (1990). Career commitment: Functions, correlates, and management. Group & Organization Studies, 15(2), 158–176. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/200824158_Career_commitment_Functions_correlates_and_management
Dao, T. S. (2024). Các yếu tố ảnh hưởng đến định hướng nghề nghiệp của sinh viên ngành Tâm lý, Trường Đại học Nguyễn Tất Thành (Factors Influencing the Career Orientation of Psychology Students, Nguyen Tat Thanh University). Equipment with new general education program, 304(1), 260-262. https://vjol.info.vn/tctbgd/vi/article/view/94828/
Duru, H., & Söner, O. (2026). The effect of cognitive control and flexibility on perceptions of professional identity in teachers: The multimediating role of career adaptability, career engagement, and career optimism. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, Article 1716818. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1716818
Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity: Youth and crisis. W. W. Norton & Company. https://www.scirp.org/reference/referencespapers?referenceid=3213688
Gati, I., Krausz, M., & Osipow, S. H. (1996). A taxonomy of difficulties in career decision making. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 43(4), 510–526. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.43.4.510
Gati, I., & Levin, N. (2014). Counseling for career decision-making difficulties: Measures and methods. The Career Development Quarterly, 62(2), 98–113. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-0045.2014.00073.x
Hirschi, A., Zacher, H., & Shockley, K. M. (2022). Whole-life career self-management: A conceptual framework. Journal of Career Development, 49(2), 344–362. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894845320957729
Koen, J., Klehe, U.-C., & Van Vianen, A. E. M. (2012). Training career adaptability to facilitate a successful school-to-work transition. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 81(3), 395–408. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2012.10.003
Lee, B., Porfeli, E. J., & Hirschi, A. (2016). Between- and within-person level motivational precursors associated with career exploration. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 92, 125–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2015.11.009
Lent, R. W., & Brown, S. D. (2019). Social cognitive career theory at 25: Empirical status of the interest, choice, and performance models. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 115, Article 103316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2019.06.004
Marcia, J. E. (1966). Development and validation of ego-identity status. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 3(5), 551–558. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0023281
Negru-Subtirica, O., Pop, E. I., & Crocetti, E. (2015). Developmental trajectories and reciprocal associations between career adaptability and vocational identity: A three-wave longitudinal study with adolescents. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 88, 131–142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2015.03.004
Nunnally, J. C., & Bernstein, I. H. (1994). The assessment of reliability. In Psychometric theory (3rd ed., pp. 248–292). McGraw-Hill. https://fr.scribd.com/document/366667341/Jum-Nunnally-Ira-Bernstein-Psychometric-Theory
Osipow, S. H. (1983). Theories of career development (3rd ed.). Prentice-Hall.
Osipow, S. H., Carney, C. G., & Barak, A. (1976). A scale of educational-vocational undecidedness: A typological approach. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 9(2), 233–243. https://doi.org/10.1016/0001-8791(76)90081-6
Savickas, M. L. (2005). The theory and practice of career construction. In S. D. Brown & R. W. Lent (Eds.), Career development and counseling: Putting theory and research to work (pp. 42–70). John Wiley & Sons. https://www.marksavickas.com/files/1_Savickas_bio/Interviews/Savickas%20Publications/Book%20Chapters/Theory_and_Practice_of_Career_Construction.pdf
Stumpf, S. A., Colarelli, S. M., & Hartman, K. (1983). Development of the Career Exploration Survey (CES). Journal of Vocational Behavior, 22(2), 191–226. https://doi.org/10.1016/0001-8791(83)90028-3
Tran, T. P. H. (2014). Định hướng giá trị nghề nghiệp của sinh viên Đại học Cần Thơ (Value perceptions on career perspectives of Can Tho university's students). Tạp chí Khoa học Trường Đại học Cần Thơ, Phần C: Khoa học Xã hội, Nhân văn và Giáo dục (Can Tho University Journal of Science, Part C: Social Sciences, Humanities and Education), 34, 113-125. https://ctujsvn.ctu.edu.vn/index.php/ctujsvn/article/view/1513