Differences in Career Outcome Expectations of College Students by Race/Ethnicity and Gender

Authors

  • Jacqueline Doyle Harvard University, USA
  • Elyse Postlewaite Harvard University, USA
  • Philip M. Sadler Harvard University, USA
  • Gerhard Sonnert Harvard University, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/jump.v7i1.5422

Keywords:

socialization, career interest, race/ethnicity, gender, STEM careers

Abstract

This study examined how U.S. college students’ career outcome expectations—what they hope to get out of their careers—vary by intended career path, racial/ethnic groups, gender, and other individual difference factors. The data were drawn from the Persistence Research in Science and Engineering (PRiSE) survey, a national study of U.S. college students enrolled in college English courses (n = 7505). An exploratory factor analysis revealed four foci of career outcome expectations, which we labeled as follows: extrinsic (rewards are external, such as money or status), work-life balance (work does not consume all of a person’s time/energy), pioneering (work is intellectually stimulating and cutting edge), and people-related (work involves working with and helping others). While controlling for career interest, our findings indicate that students’ gender and race/ethnicity influence their career outcome expectations in a wide variety of ways. Due to the differences in career outcome expectations associated with student backgrounds and demographics beyond career interest, recruiters and program directors looking to attract more diverse populations may benefit from matching the career outcomes they present and offer with those populations’ outcome expectations.

Author Biographies

  • Jacqueline Doyle, Harvard University, USA

    JACQUELINE DOYLE, PhD, is a data scientist at The Hanover Insurance Group. Her major research interests focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM and science education, with a particular interest in physics education and how to increase student interest and engagement. Email: doylejackd@gmail.com.

     

  • Elyse Postlewaite, Harvard University, USA

    ELYSE POSTLEWAITE, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Researcher for the Institute for Research on Youth Thriving and Evaluation at Montclair State University.  Her major research interests lie in the area of youth thriving and optimal development in and out of school settings.  Email: elyse.postlewaite@gmail.com.

     

  • Philip M. Sadler, Harvard University, USA

    PHILIP M. SADLER, EdD, is the Director of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics’ Science Education Department and F.W. Wright Senior Lecturer in Harvard’s Department of Astronomy. His research program includes assessment of students' scientific misconceptions and how they change with instruction, the transition to college of students who wish to purse STEM careers, and the enhancement of the skills of teachers. Email: psadler@cfa.harvard.edu. 

  • Gerhard Sonnert, Harvard University, USA

    GERHARD SONNERT, PhD, is a senior research scientist in the Harvard College Observatory and a lecturer on astronomy at Harvard University. His major research interests lie in the areas of science education, gender in science, and science policy.  Email: gsonnert@cfa.harvard.edu.

References

Adachi, T. (2004). Career self-efficacy, career outcome expectations and vocational interests among Japanese university students. Psychological Reports, 95(1), 89-100.

Arnold, K. D. (1993). Undergraduate aspirations and career outcomes of academically talented women: A discriminant analysis. Roeper Review, 15(3), 169-175.

Arthur, M. B., Hall, D. T., & Lawrence, B. S. (1989). Generating new directions in career theory: The case for a transdisciplinary approach. In M. B. Arthur, D. T. Hall, & B. S. Lawrence (Eds.), Handbook of career theory (pp. 7-25). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Betz, N. E., Fitzgerald, L. F., & Hill, R. E. (1989). Trait-factor theories: traditional cornerstone of career theory. In M. B. Arthur, D. T. Hall, & B. S. Lawrence (Eds.), Handbook of career theory (pp. 26-40). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

Blustein, D. L. (2011). A relational theory of working. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 79, 1-17.

Brown, C., Darden, E. E., Shelton, M. L., & Dipoto, M. C. (1999). Career exploration and self-efficacy of high school students: Are there urban/suburban differences? Journal of Career Assessment, 7, 227-237.

Casper, W. J., & Buffardi, L. C. (2004) Work-life benefits and job pursuit intentions: The role of anticipated organizational support. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 65(3), 391-410.

College Board Office of Research and Development. (1999). Concordance between SAT I and ACT scores for individual students. Report RN-07 (June 1999). New York, NY: The College Board.

Conkel Ziebell, J. L. (2010). Promoting viable career choice goals through career decision-making self-efficacy and career maturity in inner-city high school students: A test of social cognitive career theory (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.

Csikszentmihalyi, M., & LeFevre, J. (1989). Optimal experience in work and leisure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 56, 815-822, doi:10.1037/0022-3514.56.5.815

Csikszentmihalyi, M. & Schneider, B. (2000). Becoming adult: How teenagers prepare for the world of work. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Domene, J. F., Socholotiuk, K. D., & Woitowicz, L. A. (2011). Academic motivation in post-secondary students: Effects of career outcome expectations and type of aspiration. Canadian Journal of Education, 34(1), 99-127.

Fogg, N., Harrington, P., & Harrington, T. F. (2012). College majors handbook with real career paths and payoffs: The actual jobs, earnings, and trends for graduates of 60 college majors (3rd ed.). Indianapolis, IN: JIST Publishing.

Fouad, N. A., & Smith, P. L. (1996). A test of a social cognitive model for middle school students: Math and science. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 43(3), 338-346.

Gagné, M. & Bhave, D. (2011). Autonomy in the workplace: An essential ingredient to employee engagement and well-being in every culture. In V. I. Chirkov, R. M. Ryan, & K. M. Sheldon (Eds.), Human autonomy in cross-cultural context: Perspectives on the psychology of agency, freedom, and well-being (pp. 163-187). New York, NY: Springer.

Hanson, S. L. (1994). Lost talent: Unrealized educational aspirations and expectations among U.S. youths. Sociology of Education, 67, 159-183.

Hazari, Z., Potvin, G., Lock, R. M., Lung, F., Sonnert, G., & Sadler, P. M. (2013a). Factors that affect the physical science career interest of female students: Testing five common hypotheses. Physical Review Special Topics – Physics Education Research, 9(2), p.020115-1.

Hazari, Z., Sadler, P. M., & Sonnert, G. (2013b). The science identity of college students: Exploring the intersection of gender, race, and ethnicity. Journal of College Science Teaching, 42(5), 82-91.

Hazari, A., Sonnert, G., Sadler, P. M., & Shanahan, M. C. (2010). Connecting high school physics experiences, outcome expectations, physics identity, and physics career choice: A gender study. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 47(8), 978-1003.

Honeycutt, T. L., & Rosen, B. (1997). Family friendly human resource policies, salary levels, and salient identity as predictors of organizational attraction. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 50(2), 271-290.

Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., & Hackett, G. (1994). Toward a unifying social cognitive theory of career and academic interest, choice, and performance. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 45(1), 79-122.

Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50, 370-396. doi:10.1037/h0054346

McMahon, M. (2014). New trends in theory development in career psychology. In G. Arulmani, A. J. Backshi, F. T. L. Leong, & A. G. Watts (Eds.), Handbook of career development (pp. 13-28). New York, NY: Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

McMahon, M., Watson, M., & Patton, W. (2014). Context-resonant systems perspectives in career theory. In G. Arulmani, A. J. Backshi, F. T. L. Leong, & A. G. Watts (Eds.), Handbook of career development (pp. 13-28). New York, NY: Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Rau, B. L., & Hyland, M. A. M. (2002). Role conflict and flexible work arrangements: The effects on applicant attraction. Personnel Psychology, 55(1), 111-136.

Reyes, O., Kobus, K., & Gillock, K. (1999). Career aspirations of urban, Mexican American adolescent females. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 21(3), 366-382.

Riegle-Crumb, C., Moore, C., & Ramos-Wada, A. (2011). Who wants to have a career in science or math? Exploring adolescents’ future aspirations by gender and race/ethnicity. Science Education, 95(3), 458-476.

Rubin, D. B. (1996). Multiple imputation after 18+ years. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 91, 473-489.

Sadler, P. M., Sonnert, G., Hazari, Z., & Tai, R. (2012). Stability and volatility of STEM career interest in high school: A gender study. Science Education, 96(3), 411-427.

Sandberg, D. E., Ehrhardt, A. A., Mellins, C. A., Ince, S. E., & Meyer-Bahlburg, H. F. L. (1987). The influence of individual and family characteristics upon career aspirations of girls during childhood and adolescence. Sex Roles, 16(11), 649-688.

Su, R., Rounds, J., & Armstrong, P. I. (2009). Men and things, women and people: A meta-analysis of sex differences in interests. Psychological Bulletin, 135(6), 859-884.

Tracey, T. J. G., & Robbins, S. B. (2005). Stability of interests across ethnicity and gender: A longitudinal examination of grades 8 through 12. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 67, 335-364.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. (2015). Are you the foreign-born child of a parent who becomes a U.S. citizen? Retrieved from https://www.uscis.gov/us-citizenship/citizenship-through-parents

Wigfield, A., & Eccles, J. S. (1992). The development of achievement task values: A theoretical analysis. Developmental Review, 12(3), 265-310.

Wöhrmann, A. M., Deller, J., & Wang, M. (2013). Outcome expectations and work design characteristics in post-retirement work planning. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 83(3), 219-228.

Yang, Y., & Barth, J. M. (2015). Gender differences in STEM undergraduates’ vocational interests: People-thing orientation and goal affordances. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 91, 65-75.

Downloads

Published

2023-04-26

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 1 (2023): Journal of Underrepresented & Minority Progress

Section

Articles