Effects of career adaptability training psycho-educational program on coping with career indecision

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of career construction theory oriented Career Adaptability Training Psycho-educational Program on coping with career indecision in high school students. It is also aimed at developing a scale for coping with career indecision. During the research period, high school students' coping with career indecision were examined in terms of career adaptability, career and talent development self-efficacy, and demographic characteristics (gender, type of high school, perceived level of financial status, perceived level of success in school, number of siblings, mother's education level and profession and father's education level and profession). Study is conducted by collecting data from three different study groups. The Coping with Career Indecision Scale was then developed using data from the first study group, comprised of 372 participants. In the study of the relationship between coping with career indecision and career adaptability, career and talent development self-efficacy, demographic characteristics, data was collected from the second study group, composed of 735 participants. Finally, 106 participants in the third study group took part in the experimental study to test of the effectiveness of the Career Adaptability Training Psycho-education Program. Coping with career indecision variable was assessed using the Coping with Career Indecision Scale; data related to career adaptability variable was collected through the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale (Savickas & Porfeli, 2012); and data related to career and talent development self-efficacy variable was assessed by using Career and Talent Development Self-Efficacy Scale (Yuen, Gysberg, Chan, Lau, & Shea, 2010). Demographic characteristics were assessed using The Personal Information Questionnaire. Statistical analyses of the data collected through the assessment tools were conducted by computer. The mediating effect of career adaptability in the relationship between career and talent development self-efficacy and coping with career indecision was examined by structural equation model. During the data analyses, in addition to descriptive statistics, One-Way Analysis of Variance was conducted during data analysis to determine whether control-oriented coping differed according to number of siblings, mother's education level and profession, and father's education level and profession. Welch test was conducted to determine whether control-oriented coping differed according to perceived level of financial status and perceived level of success in school. One-Way Analysis of Variance was also conducted to determine whether avoidance-oriented coping differed according to perceived level of financial status, number of siblings, mother's education level and profession, and father's education level. Likewise, Welch test was conducted to determine whether avoidance-oriented coping differed according to perceived level of success in school and father's profession. Moreover, T-test was used to determine whether control-oriented coping and avoidance-oriented coping differed significantly in terms of gender and type of high school. Effect size was determined by Eta Squared (µ²) values. For experimental process data analysis, repeated measures two-way ANOVA test was conducted. The Bonferroni test was used to determine the differences between experimental process' measures. The structural equation model revealed that career adaptability has a mediating effect in the relationship between career and talent development self-efficacy and coping with career indecision. This research also found that girls have higher control-oriented coping and lower avoidance-oriented coping than boys; anatolian high school students have higher control-oriented coping and lower avoidance-oriented coping than vocational high school students. Furthermore, the results indicated that control-oriented coping differed according to perceived level of financial status, perceived level of success in school, and father's education level and profession. It was also found that the Career Adaptability Training Psycho-educational Program has a significant effect on career adaptability and coping with career indecision in high-school students; the same effect was found for the follow-up measures performed four months later.