University Students’ Career Decision Regret: A Mixed-Method Research
Volume 8 Issue 3 (July 2023)
Sena Kılıç Yurdagül Günal
Pages: 521-531 Download Count : 1210 View Count: 935 DOI Number 10.24331/ijere.1257601 Facebook Twitter Share on Google+
Abstract:
This research aims to determine the factors affecting university students’ regrets regarding career decisions. The study utilized a mixed-method approach, specifically an explanatory sequential mixed design, which is one of the mixed-method designs. The quantitative phase involved 249 undergraduate students enrolled in the 2022–2023 academic year at Trabzon University Faculty of Education, while the qualitative phase included five students selected from this sample group using the criterion sampling method. The researchers collected quantitative data using the “Career Decision Regret Scale”, adapted into Turkish by Erdurcan and Kırdök, along with a “Personal Information Form” developed by the researchers. Qualitative data was gathered through semi-structured interviews. Based on the quantitative findings, significant differences in university students’ levels of career decision regret were observed in relation to gender and academic year, while no statistically significant difference was found based on department. The qualitative findings identified four main themes influencing students’ regrets about career decisions: occupational, family, environmental, and psychological factors. The research findings were discussed in the context of existing literature, and recommendations for future research were provided.
Keywords
- Regret
- career decision
- career decision regret