Impact of a Career Exploration Course on Career Decision Making, Adaptability, and Relational Support in Hong Kong

Abstract

This is a first initiative to apply career exploration research to understand and assess a career intervention in Hong Kong. In responding to educational and social changes, a one-semester academic career course was designed to foster the participants’ career exploration in a public university in Hong Kong. Data were drawn from about 380 students enrolled voluntarily across three successive semesters in either the career course or another academic course unrelated to career development. The career course served as an intervention to enhance exploration for enrolled students, with students from an unrelated academic course in the same semester included as a comparison group. Pre- and post-assessments were conducted to assess the career course’s impact in terms of career decision making, career adaptability, and relational support. The reflection and discussion here focus on the course’s effectiveness and cultural appropriateness as a career intervention tool and its strategic value in higher education in Hong Kong and beyond.

Comparing Career Development Outcomes Among Undergraduate Students in Cognitive Information Processing Theory–Based Versus Human Relations Courses

“…Two studies (Grier‐Reed & Chahla, 2015; Hansen et al, 2017) that used a comparison group focused primarily on academic outcomes, finding that a CD course did not have a significant impact. Cheung and Jin (2016) found positive gains for CD course students on self‐exploration, environment exploration, decidedness, and career decision‐making confidence, as compared with those in academic courses; however, this study was conducted in Hong Kong and has limited generalizability. Reese and Miller (2006) found that CD course students experienced increases in overall career decision self‐efficacy by obtaining occupational information, developing career goals, and engaging in career planning.…”

“…One confidence measure was the six‐item Confidence subscale of the Career Adapt‐Abilities Scale (CAAS; Savickas & Porfeli, 2012), which examines confidence in individuals' ability to “actualize choices to implement their life design” and “pursue one's aspirations” (p. 663). The other measure of confidence was a single question—that is, what was the participants' “overall confidence in making an effective career decision for themselves at present?” (Cheung & Jin, 2016, p. 486). Of note, the CAAS Confidence subscale showed no significant differences between groups, whereas the single‐item measure showed a significant difference for the career group at posttest.…”

“…However, CD courses alone are not enough because other courses could teach skills necessary to improve career decision‐making. Because only a few studies have compared undergraduate CD courses with general academic courses (Cheung & Jin, 2016; Grier‐Reed & Chahla, 2015; Hansen, Jackson, & Pedersen, 2017), more research is needed to support conclusions about the impact of CD courses on outcomes such as decision‐making. Additionally, results of previous studies that did not use comparison groups remain speculative given that confounding variables might have been responsible for the observed changes.…”

Career Adaptability, Self‐Esteem, and Social Support Among Hong Kong University Students

“…We adopted the Career Adapt‐Abilities Scale (CAAS; Savickas & Porfeli, 2012), which has been translated into different languages and validated in many settings, including China, Taiwan, and Macau (e.g., Hou, Leung, Li, Li, & Xu, 2012; Tien, Lin, Hsieh, & Jin, 2014). A few exploratory studies in Hong Kong adopted the scale as one of their measures (Cheung & Jin, 2015; Yuen & Yau, 2015); however, it appears that there has been no publication of the validation and psychometric properties of this instrument in the unique hybrid society in Hong Kong, an international city with a colonial history and a fusion of Western and Eastern values. The present study used confirmatory factor analysis to determine the factor structure of the CAAS prior to a mediation analysis.…”

“…The data reported in this study were collected from only one point in time. Previous longitudinal studies have shown that career adaptability develops and changes over time under the influence of social support (Cheung & Jin, 2015; Hirschi, 2009). It may be possible that the mediation effect of social support would change across time as students become more deeply involved in adjusting to work and transitions.…”