Development of Career Adaptability During College Years: A Four-Wave Investigation on Its Antecedents and Outcomes (Poster 13)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Saturday 9:50 a.m.
  In Poster Session: How Do We Support Student and Teacher Learning and Development During the Adolescent and College Years?

Abstract

This study investigated the development of career adaptability (CA) in the college years, and examined its relations with earlier institutional support (IS) and self-determined motivation for choosing college majors (SDMM) and later academic and psychological outcomes. We administered four annual surveys to 744 Chinese students from their freshmen to senior year. Results based on latent growth modelling indicated that (1) CA increased linearly from the sophomore to senior year; (2) first-year IS predicted higher initial levels of CA; (3) first-year SDMM predicted faster increasing rates of CA; and (4) students with higher initial levels or faster increasing rates of CA had improved academic and psychological outcomes over time. These findings highlight the dynamic process of CA development in college students.

Authors

• Cong Yi, Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Yonghe TI, University of Hong Kong

• Jun Wei, Tsinghua University