PERCEIVED PARENTAL INFLUENCE & CAREER DECISION MAKING SELF-EFFICACY AMONG PAKISTANI UNDERGRADUATES

Wagma Ali; Irfan Ullah; Javed Iqbal

Wagma Ali Consultant Child Mental Health Counsellor, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Irfan Ullah Special Education Department, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Javed Iqbal Provincial Management Officer, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Keywords: Career Guidance, Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), Pakistani Undergraduates, Career Decision- Making Self-Efficacy (CDM-SE), and Parental Influence

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between perceived parental influence and career decision-making self-efficacy amid the Pakistani undergraduate students. The objectives of study were, to understand that how Pakistani undergraduate students' confidence in making career decisions is linked to how much influence they feel their parents have; To examine whether parental support and involvement affect students' career decision-making confidence, regardless of their gender or which year of study they are in; and to provide practical, research-based suggestions on how universities in Pakistan can better involve families in the career counselling and guidance services. Three hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The results of the hierarchical regression analysis showed that, although gender and academic year had no significant effects, perceived parental significantly influence predicted CDM-SE, accounting for 11% of the variance (β = .33, p < .001). These results demonstrate the continued value of family guidance in Pakistan's changing educational environment. To evaluate the longevity and regional variation of parental influence on students' career self-efficacy, future research should employ longitudinal approaches that incorporate parent perspectives.