Relations between different career-development profiles, academic self-efficacy and academic motivation in adolescents

The current study identified career-development profiles in a sample of 4815 Chinese adolescents (M-age = 16.19 years, SD = 0.67) and examined their associations with academic self-efficacy and academic motivation. The latent profile model was built on four facets of career development (career feeling, career belief, career exploration, and career planning). The results identified three profiles: high career exploration and planning (N = 225, 6.00%), low career development (N = 907, 22.13%), and average career development (N = 3224, 71.91%). Those showing high career exploration and planning showed significantly higher levels of academic self-efficacy and academic motivation than those showing the other two profiles. The results indicated non-monotonous patterns and asynchronous associations and developmental trajectories among the facets of career development among adolescents. Important implications for career education can be drawn based on the findings from the relations among career-development profiles, academic self-efficacy, and academic motivation.