Abstract
Career adaptability, essential for high school students’ career development, is closely associated with academic achievement. However, it is still unclear whether there exist multiple subgroups among Chinese high school students that exhibit distinct combinations of the career adaptability dimensions and whether these subgroups display significant differences in academic achievement. Using latent profile analysis, this study identified career adaptability profiles in Chinese high school students and examined their effects on academic achievement through a longitudinal design. Chinese high school students (Wave 1: N = 1783, 42.9% boys, Mage = 15.17, SD = 0.86; Wave 2: N = 1395, 42.9% boys, 82.4% science students, Mage = 16.19, SD = 0.88) completed a packet of measures on two occasions at eight-month intervals. Career adaptability was assessed at Wave 1, and academic achievement was assessed at Wave 2. Five distinct career adaptability profiles were identified: (1) Low control and confidence; (2) Below average; (3) Control dominant and low confidence; (4) Above average; (5) High. Profiles of career adaptability displayed significant differences in academic achievement. High, Above average, and Control dominant and low confidence students’ achievements were significantly higher than Low control and confidence students. These findings indicate that students with an overall high level of career adaptability or more robust career control are more likely to achieve higher academic achievement. In addition, level (average scores of all dimensions across different profiles) and shape (distinct forms displayed by the specific combination of dimensions) effects exist in the influence of career adaptability profiles on academic achievement. This highlights the dynamic and diverse nature of adolescent career development within the Chinese high school context.
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the adolescents who participated in this study, the high schools in Henan and Beijing that supported our data collection, and the research team that assisted in recruitment and data collection.
Authors’ Contributions
N.W. conceived of the study, participated in its design and coordination, and drafted the manuscript; Z.Y. participated in the design, and interpretation of the data and drafted the manuscript; D.C. conceived of the study, and participated in its design and coordination and helped to draft the manuscript; X.M. analyzed and interpreted the data and helped to draft the manuscript. W. W. analyzed and interpreted the data and helped to draft the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Funding
This work was supported by the International Education Research Program, which is funded by the Huiyan International College in Beijing Normal University (2022HICR0010), Excellence Enhancement Program of BNU First-class Education Discipline Project (grant number: YLXKPY-XSDW202213), National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number: 32271122), Natural Science Foundation of Beijing (grant number: 5212004).
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The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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All procedures performed in the present study were in accordance with the recommendations of the Research Ethics Committee of the Beijing Normal University and with the Declaration of Helsinki. Written informed consent was obtained from adolescents included in the study.
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Wang, N., Yan, Z., Cheng, D. et al. Career Adaptability and Academic Achievement Among Chinese High School Students: A Person-centered Longitudinal Study. J. Youth Adolescence 53, 718–731 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-023-01884-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-023-01884-6