Predictive ability of career maturity, academic self-concept, achievement motivation, and familismo on career decision-making with first-year college students

Abstract

Choosing a career can be a daunting task and oftentimes may cause challenges for first year college students when they enter higher education. Understanding that career indecision is normal within this population, it is essential to learn more about how potential related constructs may be significant to supporting one’s career decision-making process. Recognizing the influence of career maturity, academic self-concept, familismo, and achievement motivation may provide insight into how career counselors, faculty, and academic support staff can help first year college students make appropriate career decisions. The primary purpose of this hierarchical regression analysis is to identify the degree to which career maturity, academic self-concept, achievement motivation, and familismo predict first-year college students’ career indecision. The sample of this study consisted of 91 first-year college students enrolled in a first-year learning communities’ program (FYLCP) at a Hispanic-serving institution in south Texas. All the participants were provided a demographic questionnaire (see Appendix 5), Career Maturity Inventory-Counseling Form C (Savickas & Porfeli, 2011; see Appendix 6), Academic Self Concept Scale-Short Form (Reynolds et al., 2012; see Appendix 7), The Pan-Hispanic Familism Scale (Villarreal et al., 2005; see Appendix 8), Achievement Motivation Measure (Smith et al., 2019; see Appendix 9), and Career Decision Scale (Osipow, 1987; see Appendix 10). A hierarchical regression design was used to inspect the statistical significance of each predictor variable to determine if new variables provided support in R 2 (Keith, 2019). The findings of this three-step hierarchical regression analysis concluded that, in the model of block 1, career maturity and academic self-concept were statistically significant predictors of career indecision. However, achievement motivation in block 2 and familismo in block 3 did not yield any statistically significant findings. Lastly, it is important to note that the overall model indicated a significant set of predictors. The findings from this regression analysis can be considered helpful for career counselors, first-year faculty, and administrators who support first-year college students in making career decisions. Implications for further research include using samples that primarily focus on Hispanics, conducting research with first-year students that transition from various educational institutions (e.g., community schools) to university, comparing diverse samples, and understanding the impact of COVID-19 with first-year college students in a predictive study. Overall, the findings will provide insight and contribute to the literature related to these variables.