The effect of social deprivation and gender on self-efficacy beliefs about the postsecondary transition

Abstract

Introduction. High school students' self-efficacy beliefs about their ability to successfully obtain a first postsecondary destination in employment, education or training, and the learning sources of these beliefs were examined. Method. Factor analysis of an inventory administered to 1044 high school students (573 males and 471 females) who attended six urban schools identified five factors. Results. ANOVA indicated that students living in areas of higher deprivation reported significantly lower levels of positive postsecondary destination self-efficacy belief, and less experience of vicarious career success. Males reported less personal experience of career success than females but higher levels of positive postsecondary destination self-efficacy belief (particularly at higher levels of deprivation). Males reported greater experience of positive career-related emotional arousal. Discussion and Conclusion. These results may contribute to an explanation of why failure to obtain a positive postsecondary destination is more prevalent in young people living in areas of greater social deprivation, and in males rather than females. The implications for practice, policy and future research are discussed.

<p>relationship of deprivation and gender to perception of barriers, optimism and attachment during the postsecondary transition</p>

“…This result could potentially contribute to an explanation of why high school students from areas of greater social deprivation are at increased risk of failing in the postsecondary transition. It could be that this heightened perception of barriers in high school students from areas of greater social deprivation is associated with the lower self-efficacy beliefs about the postsecondary transition, which were reported by Douglas and Topping (2020) and Gonzalez et al (2013). It is also possible this heightened perception of barriers in high school from areas of greater social deprivation is resulting in lower career aspiration, which would be consistent with the findings of Kenny et.…”

“…The CSM also hypothesises that individual differences in person factors such as socioeconomic status and gender are important variables witin the career development processes, and can have effects throughout the transmission pathways of the model (Brown and Lent, 2018). In an empirical, study Douglas and Topping (2020) confirmed that students living in areas of higher social deprivation, and females in particular, reported lower levels of self-efficacy belief that they could successfully obtain a place in employment or education after leaving school.…”

“…It is therefore possible that these previous studies failed to detect a difference in career optimism between males and females because the population sampled was predominantly of medium level social deprivation, in which the current study also showed a less marked difference. Douglas and Topping (2020) reported that male high school students reported higher levels of self-efficacy beliefs about their ability to obtain a place in employment or education after school, despite being at greater risk of failure than their females. It is possible, therefore, that the higher levels of career optimism found in males in the current study may be contributing to relative over-confidence in males about their ability to secure a positive postsecondary destination in comparison with females.…”