Testing a social cognitive model of math/science career goals in low-income prospective first generation college students

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on October 26, 2012).The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file.Dissertation advisor: Dr. Lisa Y. FloresIncludes bibliographical references.Vita.Ph. D. University of Missouri-Columbia 2012."July, 2012"The present study used Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT; Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994) to examine the math/science career goals of a sample (N = 308) of low-income, prospective first generation college students. Specifically, the relations among contextual (i.e., parental support, intrinsic motivation for math/science, learning experiences, proximal supports) and social cognitive (math/science self-efficacy, outcome expectations, interests, and goals) factors were examined. Results of structural equation modeling analyses suggested significant relationships between variables, but poor fit of the SCCT model to the data. Mediation tests were statistically significant, but model-fit data suggested these results should be interpreted with caution. A moderation test was not statistically significant, indicating proximal supports did not moderate the relationship between math/science interests and goals. Findings are discussed in relation to implications for future research and practice.Includes bibliographical reference

Career Development Impacts of COVID-19: Practice and Policy Recommendations

The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in drastic changes to employment around the globe. In the present article, we identify four emerging impacts of the pandemic and how career development professionals might respond through policy and practice. Specifically, we focus on four distinct but related domains: unemployment, worker mental health, the work–family interface, and employment disparities. For each domain, we offer recommendations for policy and practice with the hope that career development professionals might reframe the COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity for a renewed commitment to supporting worker well-being

Surviving and Thriving: Voices of Latina/o Engineering Students at a Hispanic serving Institution

This study examined factors that played a role in Latina/o undergraduate students’ persistence in engineering at a Hispanic serving institution (HSI; N = 10) using the consensual qualitative research method (CQR; Hill, Thompson, & Williams, 1997). Data analyses resulted in five domains: institutional conditions, additive intersectional burdens, personal and cultural wealth, coping skills, and engineering identity. Participants described how they persisted in the face of stressors, citing specific coping skills they developed over time as well as general personal and cultural strengths they carried with them into their pursuit of engineering. Although the structures of the students’ institution were generally described as supportive, Latina participants reported experiences with gendered racism that created added barriers to their persistence in engineering. Supportive institutional conditions, personal and cultural assets, and adaptive coping strategies appeared to facilitate the development of a strong engineering identity, which helped to solidify students’ sense of belonging, pride, and commitment to complete their degree. Results highlight the need to address intersecting experiences of privilege and oppression to promote access and equity for Latinas/os in engineering

Social Cognitive Predictors of Engineering Students’ Academic Persistence Intentions, Satisfaction, and Engagement.

The demand for high quality engineers is of particular importance as engineering jobs are projected to grow in the next 10 years (United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018). More work is needed to understand factors related to academic engagement, satisfaction, and persistence intentions of Latino/as and women in engineering: 2 underrepresented groups in the engineering pipeline. We present findings that explored the role of social-cognitive, environmental, and personality variables in engineering persistence intentions, engagement and satisfaction of a diverse sample of 1,335 engineering students using an extension of the integrative social cognitive career theory model (SCCT; Lent et al., 2013). Results indicated that (a) the hypothesized model fit the data well for the full sample and across 8 subsamples based on gender-ethnicity (i.e., Latinas, Latinos, White women, and White men) and ethnicity-school type (i.e., Latina/os at Hispanic-serving institutions [HSIs], Latina/os at predominantly White institutions [PWIs], Whites at HSIs, and Whites at PWIs), (b) all but 5 model parameters were significant and positive for the full sample, (c) a subset of model parameters differed by the interactions of race/ethnicity-gender and race/ethnicity-school type groups, and (d) the relations within the model explained a significant amount of variance in engineering academic engagement, satisfaction, and persistence intentions for the full sample and 8 subsamples. Implications of the findings for educational and career interventions aimed at retaining Latina/os and women in engineering are discussed in relation to building on social cognitions in engineering academic engagement, satisfaction, and persistence intentions

Preventing Racial Injuries, Promoting Racial Justice

Abstract Although most people publicly abhor individual, interpersonal, and institutional forms of racism, racial oppression persists in the United States. This oppression manifests itself in a host of racial inequalities. In this chapter, we define racism and its corollary White privilege and we outline their contemporary expressions. We present the disrupting racism ecological model to describe the multiple and interlocking systems that create and perpetuate racial oppression. We discuss tertiary and social justice prevention-interventions on college campuses that are designed to increase students’ critical consciousness and antiracism action. Next, we review the empirical literature on the influence of diversity courses in general, dialogue courses more specifically, and particular pedagogical practices on developing students’ critical consciousness. Additionally, we review the research supporting the effects of cocurricular diversity experiences such as interracial friendships. We conclude with a discussion of the limitations of the extant research and provide future directions for prevention-intervention researchers

Prevention in Pursuit of Social Justice

Abstract Although prevention is in many ways aligned with social justice goals, it often falls short of accomplishing the level of social change critical for the advancement of social justice. Progress toward social justice requires a careful blend of person-focused ameliorative activity with transformative social change. Professionals must be equipped with multicultural competencies, insight into power dynamics, and skills in outreach, advocacy, collaboration, empowerment, social action, and political literacy, among other skills. Although most prevention activity is not fully transformative, numerous examples can be identified of activities that further social justice. Further strides in the promotion of social justice through prevention will require changes in the training, credentialing, and remuneration of psychologists

Career Development as Prevention Toward a Social Cognitive Model of Vocational Hope

Abstract The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the potential preventive implications of career development interventions, focusing primarily on how school dropout might be prevented and school performance might be promoted. We first use social cognitive career theory (SCCT) as a template by summarizing SCCT’s models of interest development, choice, performance, and satisfaction and outlining how these models can be used to design preventively oriented career interventions. We then introduce a social cognitive model of vocational hope that integrates SCCT with other relevant literatures (e.g., causes and consequences of school dropout, multicultural psychology). We define vocational hope, present hypotheses about how it might be promoted, and outline the types of short and long-range outcomes that might be associated with changes in vocational hope

Promoting Resilience in Immigrants Understanding Latino/a Adaptation and Strengths

Abstract This chapter outlines adversities faced by immigrants as well as factors associated with their resilience. The Latino/a immigrant population is highlighted as the largest immigrant population in the United States. Factors contributing to resilience in this population, as well as programs and approaches used to foster well-being and resilience are discussed. Recommendations for factors to consider in promoting resilience in the Latino/a immigrant population are given, and future directions are highlighted and discussed

Promoting Well-Being and Mental Health in Refugees

Abstract The chapter primarily focuses on interventions that have the potential to promote well-being by facilitating and fostering successful acculturation through acquisition of new life skills in refugees and by increasing multicultural competencies of individuals and changing public policies in receiving cultures. Berry’s (1997 ) work on the acculturation process is utilized in considering possible interventions aimed not exclusively at refugee populations but also at increasing the readiness of receiving cultures to promote well-being of refugees. Prilleltensky and Nelson’s (2002) theory of well-being, particularly with regard to relational and collective well-being, also provides a theoretical framework for proposed interventions