Title | Exploring Self-Efficacy in the Classroom with a Chaos Theory of Careers Curriculum |
| Author(s) | - Jon Schlesinger, Brandeis University, Massachusetts, United States
- Zachary Vigliani, Brandeis University, Massachusetts, United States
- Sandra Sylvestre, Brandeis University, Massachusetts, United States
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| Publication Name | Asia Pacific Career Development Journal, Vol 5, No 2 |
| Publication Date | September, 2022 |
| Download | Full text (PDF) |
| Abstract | Career courses have a long history in higher education (Reardon et al., 2020) and remain an effective means of service delivery (Reese & Miller, 2006); yet, few authors have described the career theories used to develop the course (Reese & Miller, 2006). This study was an exploration of a career course based on the Chaos Theory of Careers (CTC; Bright & Pryor, 2005; Pryor & Bright, 2011) at a medium-sized R1 institution in the northeastern United States. The course was designed to help students understand their own emerging patterns of interest, gain comfort with the uncertain and complex nature of their chosen career, and develop confidence in taking their next steps. Using the Career Decision Self-Efficacy Short Form (CDSE-SF; Betz & Taylor, 2001) as a pretest and posttest, the self-efficacy of 41 undergraduates was measured to evaluate the impact of the course. Participants ranged in age from 18 to 25 years old. Nineteen participants identified themselves as women (46%) and 22 identified themselves as male (54%). A paired-sample t-test was done to compare students’ self-efficacy before and after the course. Initial results suggest that the course is effective in helping students gain self-efficacy and that CTC can be effectively implemented in a classroom setting. Limitations and implications for practice are discussed. |
