Examining Career and Academic Outcome Expectations of Turkish High School Students

Abstract

This study aimed to examine career and academic outcome expectations of high school students. Data of the research designed in the survey model were collected from 695 students attending ninth to twelfth grades of high schools that offer academic and vocational education in city center of Niğde in the Central Anatolian Region of Turkey in the academic year of 2018-2019. 56% of the participants are female and 44% are male. The measures used in the research are academic outcome (5 items) and career outcome (4 items) expectation subscales of the Career Outcome Expectations and Exploration Intentions Scale developed by Betz and Voyten (1997) and adapted into Turkish language by Büyükgöze-Kavas (2011) and the Personal Information Form developed by the researcher. Independent groups t-test and one-way ANOVA analysis techniques were utilized in data analysis. It was found in the data analysis that high school students’ scores of career and academic outcome expectations differed significantly by gender, type of school, and grade level. While girls were found to have higher mean scores of career and academic outcome expectations than boys, the students of Anatolian High School that provides academic education had higher mean scores of career and academic outcome expectations than the vocational high school students. Furthermore, ninth-grade students were found to have higher mean scores of career and academic outcome expectations than other grade levels.