This study explores how doctoral graduates weigh considerations of employment sectors and cities in their career decision-making processes. Guided by Social Cognitive Career Theory and a Four-quadrant Model, researchers analysed interviews from 40 STEM doctoral graduates in China. Findings demonstrate that self-efficacy, outcome expectations and…

Researchers have shown that the pursuit of doctoral studies is often related to the desire to become an academic, despite the constrained academic labour markets and changing (or deteriorating, as some have argued) academic working conditions (AWC) worldwide. In this study, we assessed the extent to which Chinese PhD students were aware of the…

Purpose: This study aims at addressing the impact of entrepreneurial education (EE) by highlighting career choice intentions (CCI) and entrepreneurial mindset (EM) as impact indicators, as well as unpacking the drivers and mediators in the formation of CCI among college students underpinned by social cognitive career theory (SCCT).…

China hosts around 68,000 international medical students (IMSs) primarily from lower income countries in Africa and Asia, who have the potential to contribute to international medical services. Understanding how these IMSs make career decisions can help better address the issue of global medical workforce shortage. However, such research is…

This study explores the dynamic journey of women as they become academics in non-elite Chinese public universities. It focuses on their aspirations and the evolving subjectivity that accompanies this process. Ten participants from the Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) fields, aged 28-57, were interviewed; the transcripts were analysed using…

This study compared the career choices, contributions, and challenges of Chinese graduates of Japanese and Australian universities who returned to China, and it explored the factors that influenced them based on the life planning model. The mixed-method approach was adopted by combining the results of 208 questionnaire responses and 13…

Given the shortage of STEM workers, it is important to examine the factors associated with students' academic career intentions. However, the mechanism through which subjective norms influence academic career intentions has not been determined. Our study empirically tests a model identifying science identity as an intervening variable in this…

Project management (PM) career choice is important as millions of new projects will need skilled and motivated project managers. Therefore, the younger generation must be motivated to acquire the necessary skills to deal with project complexities and dynamics. In previous research, the factors that impact students' perceptions of their learning…

Based on career construction theory, this study explored the relationship and mediating mechanisms between career adaptability and secondary school students' academic engagement. Four hundred and eight secondary school students from three Chinese secondary schools were surveyed using a three-wave time-lag design. The study found that career…

The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of educational choice on the intention to enter the examination, and the mediating role of career decision-making self-efficacy. A total of 1391 freshmen from six higher vocational colleges in Guangdong Province of China were investigated with Education Choices Scale, Career Decision-Making…

Given the intricate and competitive global academic landscape and Chinese female PhDs' critical situation of being marginalized and otherized, this study aims to examine the academic career decision-making experiences of three unmarried and childless Chinese female PhD graduates. Collaborative autoethnography is employed to delve into the three…

The present study examines college teachers' initial and long-term career motivations. It was found that 1) themes in teachers' reports aligned with dimensions included in the FIT-Choice framework, 2) peak moments (PMs) contributed to long-term career motivation and job satisfaction. We propose that PMs should be considered as a valid dimension to…

Purpose: This study investigated beliefs about the physical education (PE) profession of Chinese preservice physical education teachers (PPETs). Methods: Chinese PPETs (N = 660) from six universities participated in the study. Data were collected using a prevalidated survey--a scale of measuring Chinese PPETs' beliefs about the PE profession,…

The school-to-work transition (STWT) period is crucial for students, and a protean career orientation (PCO) is important for a successful transition. The present study aimed to examine the effects of PCO on proactive career behaviors, the underlying mechanisms, and the development of PCO using a coaching approach. Study 1 was conducted based on…

Much of the scholarship on employment and career pathways of PhD graduates has examined the issues, including pre-doctoral experiences, quality of doctoral education, networking and career choices across different sectors; however, contextual environmental factors have been generally overlooked. This study aims to explore the academic career…