• Journal of Engineering Education Research
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.13-31
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• 2024

In recent times, STEM graduates are confronting a decline in employment rates influenced by economic, social, cultural, and policy-related factors. Career decisions are closely linked to education, college experiences, and university settings. To comprehend the reasons behind the decline in STEM employment, it is essential to explore the relationships among these factors. This study aims to comprehensively examine differences in career motivation and career exploration behavior among 2,393 STEM undergraduates in Korea. Additionally, factors affecting career motivation and career exploration behavior were investigated. The findings indicate significant differences in perceived career motivation and career exploration behavior based on individual backgrounds and university characteristics. And analyzing the data, 37.8% of career motivation is explained by contextual supports, career barriers, individual backgrounds (grade, GPA), university characteristics (major fields, location), field to enter after graduation, and timing of job preparation. For career exploration behavior, 30.1% is explained by contextual supports, career barriers, individual backgrounds (gender, grade, GPA), university characteristics (major field, location), field to enter after graduation, and timing of job preparation. Practical implications underscore the need for tailored educational and policy support, considering individual backgrounds and university characteristics, to effectively address challenges faced by STEM graduates in the evolving employment landscape.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.325-340
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• 2022

This study attempts to analyze the causes of low affective achievement of elementary, middle, and high school students in Korea in science. To this end, a total of 27 students, three to four students per grade, were interviewed by grade from the fourth grade of elementary school to the first grade of high school, and a total of nine teachers were interviewed by school level. In the interview, related questions were asked in five sub-areas of the 'Indicators of Positive Experiences about Science': 'Science Academic Emotion', 'Science-Related Self-Concept', 'Science Learning Motivation', 'Science-Related Career Aspiration', and 'Science-Related Attitude'. Interview contents were recorded, transcribed, and categorized. As a result of examining the causes of low science academic emotion, it was found that students experienced negative emotions when experiments are not carried out properly, scientific theories and terms are difficult, and recording the inquiry results is burdensome. In addition, students responded that science-related self-concept changed negatively due to poor science grades, difficult scientific terms, and a large amount of learning. The reasons for the decline in science learning motivation were the lack of awareness of relationship between science class content and daily life, difficulty in science class content, poor science grades, and lack of relevance to one's interest or career path. The main reason for the decline in science-related career aspirations was that they feel their career path was not related to science, and due to poor science performance. Science-related attitudes changed negatively due to difficulties in science classes or negative feelings about science classes, and high school students recognized the ambivalence of science on society. Based on the results of the interview, support for experiments and basic science education, improvement of elementary school supplementary textbook 'experiment & observation', development of teaching and learning materials, and provision of science-related career information were proposed.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.43
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• pp.121-145
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• 2015

This study aims to define structural relations of security science majors' career satisfaction, career identity and career decision-making self efficacy. In addition, as confirming immediate effects, indirect effects as well as total effects, the study offers basic materials for reasonable career exploration and career program development. In order to achieve the research goals above, the study conducted a survey targeting a total of 239 college students specializing in security science and carried out a structural equation model analysis. Findings of the research are summarized as follows. First of all, major satisfaction turned out to have significant influences on career decision, career certainty and career interest. Second of all, the study found out that both relationship satisfaction and general satisfaction are significantly connected with career decision and career certainty. Third of all, social awareness appeared to have a significant influence on career interest. Fourth of all, the study learned that in terms of career decision and career certainty, they are all significantly related to problem solving, information collection and plan development. As for career interest, the study noticed how significantly if affects both problem solving and information collection. Fifth of all, major satisfaction was observed to have mediating effects on problem solving and information collection through career decision. Sixth of all, via career certainty, major satisfaction has mediating effects on problem solving as well as information collection. Seventh of all, when it comes to relationship satisfaction, it has mediating effects on problem solving, information collection and plan development through career interest. Eighth of all, career decision helps general satisfaction have mediating effects on problem solving and information collection. Focusing on the research results above, the study discussed implications in relation to security science including advices for any follow-up researches.

• Journal of vocational education research
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.109-129
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• 2016

Korea has recently invested much of its effort in fostering talents in scientific fields to establish a foundation for sustainable future growth. From this perspective, the ministry of education has come up with a special rule aimed at achieving the substantiality of engineering schools in universities. The ministry has been providing educational support by providing a tech-innovation center, industry-oriented education, and policies such as PRIME. Despite this support, most students in the natural science field end up being hired in fields not related to their majors. There has been a growing opinion regarding the need for career education for these students. In this research, based on a social cognitive career theory (SCCT) model that provides a comprehensive understanding of career development, this research would like to practically examine the relationship among college students' career preparation behaviors and influencing variables, such as grit, career decision-making self-efficacy, outcome expectation, and major interest. Data from 153 natural-science majors at A college in Korea were collected and analyzed using path analysis. The result was that the data strongly supported the model explaining the relationship between career preparation behaviors and influencing variables. Based on this result, we propose that career education that can promote grit, career decision-making self-efficacy, outcome expectation, and major interest is required to encourage students in the field of the natural sciences to pursue career preparation behaviors related to their majors.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.17 no.9
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• pp.83-92
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• 2019

Purpose - This research is to verify job fitness, empowerment, and recognition of career development support having the influence on formation of occupational identity in Korean food franchise distribution company. Research design, data, and methodology - Total 600 copies have been distributed and 394 copies have been collected, the covariance structure analysis has been implemented to verify the presented research hypothesis. Results - Demand fit and competency fit being the lower level of job fitness appeared not to have significant influence on occupational identity, and also these do not have the significant influence on the empowerment. Even though formal career development support being lower level of career development recognition appeared to have significant influence on empowerment, nonformal career development support appeared not to have significant influence on empowerment. Formal career development support and nonformal career development support appeared to have significant influence on occupational identity. Finally, empowerment appeared to have significant influence on occupational identity. Conclusions - It is implied that the psychological and subjective success felt in employee's career course may be improved by the job related job fitness, the initiative being individual characteristic and formal and formless career development support being organizational characteristic.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.841-856
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• 2015

This study sought to explore longitudinal changes in Korean fourth graders' career aspirations in science. The sample included those who had high interest, but low career aspirations in science, and the analysis focused on the concept of science identity. To achieve this study's objectives, we selected 14 participants and then conducted two in-depth interviews with them. Compared with the first interviews (4th grade), changes were observed in eight students' career aspirations in science in the second round (5th grade). While six students maintained "negative" career aspiration, six revealed "medium" and two revealed "positive" career aspiration in science. To explore the relationship between science identities and career aspirations in science, three students were selected from the sample for further study. According to the results, the aspects of science identity that students valued regarding potential careers varied individually. Depending on these aspects, each student showed different patterns in the interactions between different aspects of science identity, and between aspects of science identity and science-related career aspirations. Over time, participants' experiences and interactions with people around them produced changes in their science identity, which led to changes in their career aspirations resulting from the interactions between aspects of their science identity. Their career aspirations in science were also significantly influenced by each participant's perceptions of relationships with peers (i.e., recognition by peers and of peers) and of science-related careers. Therefore, the results suggest that students need to be provided with appropriate learning environments and guidance relating to science careers.

• Journal of Engineering Education Research
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.73-78
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• 2009

The purpose of the study was to analyze the career decision level and career preparation behavior of 2-3 and 4 year college students majoring in science and engineering. We used the raw data of KEEP(Korean Education & Employment Panel) survey. In the results, we found that the career decision level of the subjects had no relationship with gender, high school type, university level, and study fields. On the other hand, in terms of the career preparation behavior, male students had more concrete perception regarding future jobs and tasks in labor market than female counterparts. In addition, 4 year college students were more positive and directed to pursue the career search planning and activities than 2 or 3 year college students. Finally, the students who had high career decision level could identify future job-related tasks, direction, rewards, and skill matches. We suggested that early career education and counselling should be provided for freshman or sophomore level students majoring in science and engineering at colleges and universities.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.192-200
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• 2007

In this study, we investigated the variables related to the science teaching efficacy beliefs of pre-service and in-service elementary school teachers. The participants were 176 freshmen and 260 seniors from an university of education and 234 teachers from 25 elementary schools located in Jeonju. Variables concerning pre-service teachers include their sex, career/study tracks (science or non-science), and the number of science courses taken either at high school or at university. Variables concerning in-service teachers include their sex, academic degree, the frequency and type of participation in science in-service training, and their teaching career experience. The Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument was used to measure teachers' self-efficacy beliefs. The results indicated that the personal science teaching efficacy belief scores of seniors were significantly lower than those of freshmen and in-service teachers, whereas the science teaching outcome expectancy scores of seniors were significantly higher than those of freshmen. Among variables investigated, sex, career/study track, the number of science courses taken at high school, and the frequency and type of participation in science in-service training were found to significantly influence teachers' science teaching efficacy beliefs.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.605-616
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• 2021

Objectively, the purpose of this study aims to re-confirm and analyze the relationship between variables through direct relationships and mediation (i.e., career optimism (CO), organizational fairness (OF), organizational entrepreneurship commitment (OEC) on employee engagement). This study also addresses whether career optimism provides a strong-impact if it mediates other antecedent variables on employee engagement. Therefore, to test and prove this, we made observations on 200 samples comprising lecturers in Indonesia. The data collection method uses a survey both offline and online. Through the PLS-SEM approach, the statistical testing demonstration states that all hypotheses, either through direct relationship or mediation, are proven to have a positive and significant effect. Career optimism has also proven to be a substantial and positive contribution to testing employee engagement as a mediating variable. The results of seven hypothesis testing in our study confirm that the broaden-built theory and organizational theory are closely related. Therefore, this study positively contributes to human resource management's science to balance the psychological and organizational aspects. In this study, we also add that consistency and a positive attitude in a career trigger a person's career optimization in a better and more positive direction, especially for career-path and employee engagement.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.497-518
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• 2008

This study aims to examine how Science Gifted Education Center(SGEC) affect the decision of graduates of gifted education institute in applying for science-related Special high school. To this end, the study investigated factors that affected their decision on applying for higher SGEC, such as career goal prior to their admission to a SGEC, motivation for the admission, and curricular activities at SGEC. A questionnaire survey was administered on 30 students, and resulting data were used as basic information to construct interview questions. Selected 22 students among them were interviewed separately, with transcripts of the recorded interviews being analyzed. The results of the study indicate that among many factors of SGEC for the gifted which affected student's choice of special-purpose high school of science, activities of the center putting an emphasis on open research activities and social interaction had a positive effect on the students' choice of special high school.