Validation and self-efficacy: a holistic approach to career exploration for the undecided community college student

Branch Moore, Cornelia A (2021) Validation and self-efficacy: a holistic approach to career exploration for the undecided community college student. Doctoral thesis, Northern Arizona University.

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Abstract

The community college serves a diverse undergraduate student population and community. Since its inception over a century ago, the mission of the community college has been to provide access and to be inclusive by offering courses that support historically disadvantaged populations, university transfer students, developmental education courses to increase college-level readiness, and offer certificate and associate degree programs that support workforce development. However, being an open access institution means that many students enter higher education from a variety of backgrounds and situations, some of which can be fundamental barriers to academic success. These barriers include lack of academic preparedness, low socio-economic status, being a first-generation college student, attending college part-time, racial/ethnic minorities, and the necessity to work while attending college. Educational researchers state students’ constructs of self-concept and self-efficacy also play a role in academic functioning and in the career decision-making process. Anxiety surrounding choosing a major and career indecision can be stressful for students and affect retention and completion. Through a case study informed by qualitative action research and utilizing narrative inquiry analysis, the researcher reviewed end of semester course surveys and interviewed a purposive sample of students from a school referred to as Desert Oasis Community College, located in the southwestern United States to inform her work. The study used the framework of Rendón’s validation theory and Bandura’s self-efficacy theory as a means to glean insight towards improving upon a holistic approach to instruction for career exploration and personal development courses for students who are undecided in their choice of a career pathway. According to the results of this study, instructor validation encourages student self-efficacy in the career decision-making process.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Publisher’s Statement:	© Copyright is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the Cline Library, Northern Arizona University. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.
Keywords:	Career Counseling; Career Course; Career Decision Making; Career Exploration; Career Self-Efficacy; First-Year Experience; Community college;
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HF Commerce
NAU Depositing Author Academic Status:	Student
Department/Unit:	Graduate College > Theses and Dissertations College of Education > Educational Leadership
Date Deposited:	22 Feb 2022 16:15
Last Modified:	22 Feb 2022 16:15
URI:	https://openknowledge.nau.edu/id/eprint/5731

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