Factors Affecting the Self-Efficacy of the First-Year Nursing Students: An Explanatory Sequential Design

Choosing a career path is one of an individual's most critical and transformative decisions. It marks a foundational step in shaping one’s professional future, personal growth, and overall life trajectory. Self-efficacy may stem from factors such as personal knowledge, interests, aspirations, socioeconomic status, availability of a reliable support system, and exposure to real-world career options.
Objectives: Guided by the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), this study aimed to examine the extent to which career development and career path decision dimensions significantly influence the level of self-efficacy of first-year nursing students. Specifically, the research explored the predictive influence of career development dimensions (environmental influences, contextual learning experiences, outcome expectations, and self-efficacy expectations) and career path decisions (interest development, choice goals, and career actions) to the formation and strength of self-efficacy in terms of performance accomplishment, modeling, verbal persuasion, and emotional arousal in the context of nursing education. Furthermore, the study assessed differences in self-efficacy levels based on the respondents' academic strands (STEM vs. Non-STEM).
Methods: A sequential explanatory mixed method was employed in the study. Quantitatively, an adapted and modified survey questionnaire was utilized in data gathering from a proportionate sample size of 223 respondents. A descriptive, causal-comparative research design was used in statistical analysis, with in-depth exploration conducted through comprehensive interviews among 12 participants.
Results: Results from the quantitative analysis showed a high extent of environmental factors, contextual experiences, outcome expectations, and self-efficacy expectations in the career development process. They often relied on their interests, goals, and actions in their career decision-making process and perceived themselves as highly efficacious in performance accomplishment, modeling, verbal persuasion, and emotional state. It also revealed that the respondents' self-efficacy can vary significantly depending on their academic strands. The career development dimensions and career path decision dimensions all make significant contributions to determining self-efficacy. Qualitatively explored, participants’ self-efficacy is multifactorial and deeply grounded in both internal beliefs and external bases consistent with the principles of Social Cognitive Career Theory.

career development, career decision, self-efficacy, academic strands, self-efficacy

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