Testing a model on the prediction of career choice goals through career barriers and social cognitive variables

The aim of this research is to analyze the correlations of the career barriers, self-efficacy, outcome expectations and interests of freshman university students on their career choice goals in the framework of a model.The study group includes 743 university freshman students?520 female, 221 male and 2 students not reported gender. Perceived Career Barriers Scale, Mathematical Self-Efficacy Scale, Vocational Outcome Expectations Scale, Basic Science Interest Scale and Career Choice Goals Scale were used to collect the data. The data were analyzed by using statistical package programs like SPSS, AMOS and LISREL. Pearson Moment Correlation Coefficient and Structural Equation Model were applied in order to test the hypotheses suggested in the research.The results indicated that mathematical self-efficacy and science interest are related either directly or indirectly to career choice goals and this suggested model as a whole accounts for the career choice goals. Perceived career barriers, mathematical self-efficacy and science interest have a direct correlation on career choice goals. It can be asserted that mathematical self-efficacy is the mediator variable in the relation of perceived career barriers to the career choice goals. The relation of mathematical self-efficacy to career choice goals can be reported to be moderated by science interest. The correlations between perceived career barriers and mathematical self-efficacy and occupational outcome expectations are adversely mildly meaningful. The correlations between mathematical self-efficacy and occupational outcome expectations and science interest are mildly meaningful. The correlation between perceived career barriers and science interest positively little, though meaningful. When the total correlations are compared, it is perceived that mathematical self-efficacy is the most effective of the predictors on the career choice goals. It is followed by perceived career barriers and science interest respectively as important predictors of career choice goals. The results have been discussed in terms of literature and theory and specific suggestions were proposed for future studies.Keywords: Career barriers, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, choice goals