The roles of career-related teacher support and parental support in career adaptability and vocational identity

Abstract

This thesis focused on the effects of career-related teacher and parental support in facilitating high levels of career adaptability and vocational identity for technical education students in mainland China. Five studies were conducted with the aims of (i) identifying career-related teacher support from the perspective of technical education students; (ii) developing and validating a Career-related Teacher Support Scale for use within a Chinese setting; (iii) validating a Chinese version of the existing Career-related Parental Support Scale and the Vocational Identity Status Assessment; and (iv) exploring relationships among variables of career-related teacher and parental support, career adaptability and vocational identity. In Study 1, interviews were conducted with 18 technical education students in order to identify their perceptions of career-related support they received from teachers. Thematic analysis yielded six themes from the interview data, namely enhancement of self-improvement and self-exploration, informational support, career-related role models, instrumental support, emotional support, and support for autonomy. In Study 2.1, the Career-related Teacher Support Scale (CTSS) was developed and validated using data from a sample of 1,674 technical education students. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted, revealing three factors, namely enhancement of self-exploration, informational support, and emotional support. A bi-factor model with a general factor and three group factors offered the best model fit to the data, and general career-related teacher support factor explained more common variance than the three group factors. Measurement invariances were found to exist in CTSS across genders. Evidence supported a view that CTSS is valid and reliable. In Studies 2.2 and 2.3, with samples of 1,650 and 1,096 technical education students from Study 2.1, the Chinese versions of the Vocational Identity Status Assessment (VISA) and Career-Related Parental Support Scale (CRPSS) were validated using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Findings indicated that both Chinese versions of VISA and CRPSS have sound psychometric properties with measurement invariance across ages (for VISA) or genders (for CRPSS). A bi-factor structure of CRPSS was identified. In Study 3, using structural equation modelling (SEM) from a sample of 1,212 technical college students (also from Study 2), relationships among career-related parental and teacher support, vocational identity, and career adaptability were evaluated. Positive mediation effects of three types of vocational identity (career commitment making, identification with career commitment, and in-depth career exploration) were found in the relationship of career-related parental and teacher support to career adaptability. A negative mediating effect was found for career self-doubt. Career-related teacher support also had a direct effect on career adaptability that was not present in career-related parental support. Multi-group SEM revealed gender differences in the relevant relationships. This study adds new knowledge on career construction theory and social support literature through providing a comprehensive framework of career-related teacher support. It has also yielded valid and reliable scales for investigating this topic in China. New insights are provided into the facilitation of career adaptability and vocational identity from the perspective of the environmental support. Implications for students, policy makers, teachers, parents, career guidance and counsellors are given.