Responses from 532 of 1,500 female technical college students in traditional training (280), nontraditional training (149), or gender-balanced (99) programs. Nontraditionals rated themselves higher on vocational self-efficacy, perceived opportunities, social support, and confidence. (SK)

Analysis of responses from 165 undergraduates on the Career Decision Making Self Efficacy Scale revealed high internal consistency for the instrument and moderate correlation between it and the Career Commitment Scale. No gender or ethnic differences were found in this correlation. Blacks scored significantly higher than whites on both measures.…

Presents a career decision-making model that highlights the complexity and unique nature of career choice for Mexican-American women. Its foundational components are values, social issues, and culture and their impact on self-efficacy. (SK)

This study surveyed 166 students when they were in Grade 8 of high school and then again when they were in Grade 10, using measures of career indecision and career decision-making self-efficacy. Consistent with social-cognitive theories, the authors hypothesized that changes in self-efficacy over time would be causally associated with changes in…

To inform effective school-to-work programs, this study evaluates the effect of a school-based psychoeducational intervention on the academic self-efficacy of urban youth enrolled in the ninth grade. Using a mixed-methods design, data were collected using a quantitative measure of academic self-efficacy and eight semistructured interviews over the…

Career interests, efficacy expectations, and parental support were measured for 120 Native American and 134 Caucasian adolescents. Native Americans had greater interest in Realistic and Commercial occupations and those requiring high school diploma, trade school, or two-year postsecondary education. They were similar to Caucasians in range of…

When 126 rural 10th-12th graders completed the "My Vocational Challenges" instrument, perceived parental support was a significant predictor of efficacy expectations and vocational interests. Using Holland's classifications, both genders associated men with "Realistic" and "Investigative" occupations and women with "Artistic" and "Conventional"…

Multiple regression analyses of data on career maturity, work commitment, work values, self-efficacy, age, and career decidedness were conducted for 367 Australian students in grades 8-12. Chief predictors of career maturity attitudes were age, gender, and career certainty. Commitment and career indecision were the main predictors of career…

Scores on the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale for 418 underprepared undergraduates were analyzed to determine component structure. Two distinct components for underprepared students were identified: information gathering and decision making, which accounted for 60% of variance among scale items. (SK)

The career development activities of adult (n=77) and traditional-aged (n=84) learners were compared. Adults were more likely to cite personal fulfillment, younger students career-related reasons for entering college. Adults had higher levels of career decision-making self-efficacy and used more career exploration activities. (JOW)

Data from 446 African-American eleventh and twelfth graders (two-thirds in vocational schools) showed (1) most wanted marriage and 2 children, had specific career dreams, and were optimistic about success; (2) intramural athletes and some nonathletes aspired to professional sports careers; and (3) dream occupation clarity was greater for…

In study 1, 34 Upward Bound students slightly enhanced career decision-making self-efficacy after 10 hours of career exploration. In study 2, 22 Upward Bound summer institute participants who received 5 weeks of career exploration had higher self-efficacy than 26 participants who did not. No differences in the number of occupations considered were…

This study assesses factors predictive of the range of possible occupations considered by 166 African American high school students. There are no differences in the number of African American representative occupations (those in which 13.5% or more employees were African American) considered compared to nonrepresentative occupations (those with…

Counseling practices to improve self-efficacy expectations for career decision making include helping clients change beliefs by experiencing success and exposing them to successful models. Attention to personal-emotional barriers may be more effective than information-oriented approaches. (SK)

Undergraduate women with higher levels of organization and control in their families experienced less career indecision but not higher career self-efficacy. Males and females whose families had intellectual/cultural orientation had higher self-efficacy in using occupational information. An inverse relationship appeared between this type of…