Self-Efficacy, Perceptions of Barriers, Vocational Identity, and the Career Exploration Behavior of Latino/a High School Students

• Published in: The Career development quarterly Vol. 54; no. 4; pp. 307 - 317
• Main Authors: Gushue, George V., Clarke, Christine P., Pantzer, Karen M., Scanlan, Kolone R. L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-06-2006; National Career Development Association, PP&F, American Counseling Association Subscription Office; National Career Development Association
• Subjects: Adolescents; Attitude Measures; Behavior; Career Choice; Career Counseling; Career Development; Career development planning; Career Exploration; College Students; Decision Making; Educational Attainment; Gender differences; High School Students; Hispanic American Students; Hispanic Americans; Hispanic people; Measures (Individuals); Perceptions; Psychological aspects; Religion; Researchers; Secondary school students; Self Efficacy; Self-efficacy (Psychology); Social Cognition; Student Attitudes; Studies; Surveys; Teenagers; Urban Schools; Vocational interests; United States
• ISSN: 0889-4019; 2161-0045
• DOI: 10.1002/j.2161-0045.2006.tb00196.x

This study explored the potential relationship between the social cognitive variables of career decision‐making self‐efficacy and perceptions of barriers and the outcome variables of vocational identity and career exploration behaviors in a sample of 128 urban Latino/a high school students. The results indicated that higher levels of career decision‐making self‐efficacy were related to both a more differentiated vocational identity and a greater engagement with career exploration tasks. Perception of fewer barriers was also found to be related to a more integrated vocational identity. Implications for career counseling and future research are discussed.