Testing a social cognitive model of career self-management with Turkish undergraduate students

Abstract

This study investigated the direct and indirect associations between social–emotional learning (SEL) skills, career decision self-efficacy (CDSE), vocational outcome expectations (VOE), and career engagement (CE) within social cognitive career theory (SCCT) in a sample of Turkish university students. Junior and senior students (N = 460) completed the Social–Emotional Learning Scale-Young Adult Form, the Career Decision Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form, the Vocational Outcome Expectations Scale, the Career Engagement Scale, and the Demographic Information Form. Data was collected during COVID-19 lockdowns in 2021. The results of a multiple serial mediation model indicated that higher SEL skills were related to higher CDSE and VOE, and, in turn, to CE. Overall, the results show that SCCT provides a promising framework for identifying predictors of CE, self-directed career management behavior, in young adults during the transition from school to work. These findings have implications for theory, research, and practice by identifying potential influences on CE during COVID-19.