Testing an Adapted Model of Social Cognitive Career Theory: Findings and Implications for a Self-Selected, Diverse Middle-School Sample

Abstract

We tested an adapted version of social-cognitive career theory (SCCT; Lent et al., 1994, 2000) with a self-selected, diverse sample of middle-school students attending a Saturday STEM Academy asking, “Is SCCT valid for examining career choice goal-intentions among a sample of students already expressing interest in math and science-related subjects and careers?” According to SCCT, choosing a STEM-related career involves the complex interplay of personal and contextual factors, many of which become increasingly salient during the middle-school years. There is reason to believe that SCCT may function differently for students who are self-selected, such as those found in the present sample. Main findings in the full regression model showed that math/science motivation (T1), family support for engineering (T1), outcome expectancies (T2), and interest (T2) were significant predictors of (T2) goal intentions; whereas self-efficacy was non-significant as has been shown in much previous research. Relatedly, we found several measurement issues with the SCCT variables among this sample, thus partially answering the larger research question. Implications of the present findings and suggestions for future research are discussed in the context of the career-choice literature, theoretical and practical implications of SCCT, and relatedly, possible measurement issues arising from using SCCT with self-selected, middle-school samples.