The predictors of career decision-making difficulties among high school students: Career decision self-efficacy and personal traits - Turkey case

Abstract

This study aimed to analyse high-school students’ career decision-making difficulties through self-efficacy and personal traits. In Turkey, high school is a critical period when students focus on career decision-making. Since career decision self-efficacy reflects one’s belief in making the right career decision, and personal traits are useful to shape life-related subjects, it is essential to address those issues. It was quantitative research carried out with 418 high school students. The Career Decision-Making Difficulties Questionnaire, Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale, and Adjective Based Personality Test were used for data collection. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to identify the relationship between variables, and multiple linear regression analysis to determine the predictive power for the dependent variable. The results showed that there was a low and medium-level relationship between career decision self-efficacy and personality traits, and these variables were predicted by certain sub-dimensions (neuroticism, agreeableness, accurate self-appraisal, goal selection). The findings were discussed considering the literature. Future studies might investigate the reasons for the negative predictive power of certain personality traits.