Self-Concept, Attitudes Toward Career Counseling, and Work Readiness of Malaysian Vocational Students
Corresponding Author
Poh Li Lau
Department of Educational Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Education, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Poh Li Lau, Department of Educational Psychology and Counselling, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 50603 (email: janicepolly@um.edu.my).Search for more papers by this authorTina Anctil
Counselor Education Department, Portland State University
Search for more papers by this authorGuan Teik Ee
Faculty of Psychology and Education, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Search for more papers by this authorJas Laile Suzana Jaafar
Department of Educational Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Education, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Search for more papers by this authorTeoh Gaik Kin
Department of Psychology, School of Medicine, International University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Poh Li Lau
Department of Educational Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Education, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Poh Li Lau, Department of Educational Psychology and Counselling, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 50603 (email: janicepolly@um.edu.my).Search for more papers by this authorTina Anctil
Counselor Education Department, Portland State University
Search for more papers by this authorGuan Teik Ee
Faculty of Psychology and Education, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Search for more papers by this authorJas Laile Suzana Jaafar
Department of Educational Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Education, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Search for more papers by this authorTeoh Gaik Kin
Department of Psychology, School of Medicine, International University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Search for more papers by this authorThis research was supported by the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme, Malaysia Ministry of Higher Education. This study was made possible by the assistance of industrial training institutes in Malaysia. The authors sincerely thank them for their efforts with recruitment.
Abstract
The authors examined the relationship between self-concept, attitudes toward career counseling, and work readiness among 574 Malaysian vocational students. Attitudes toward career counseling have been studied in Western cultures; however, little is known about how career counseling is perceived in Eastern cultures. Attitudes toward career counseling were examined as a potential mediator of the relationship between self-concept and work readiness. The authors applied structural equation modeling to explain these relationships. Value of career counseling was found to significantly mediate the link between self-concept and work readiness. Results supported a direct relationship between positive self-concept and work readiness skills. This may be due, in part, to a heightened value of career counseling among vocational students that increases career awareness and thus enhances work readiness. Future research could include samples with more female participants and additional constructs, such as self-efficacy and career adaptability.
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