In this quasi-experimental longitudinal mixed-methods study we examined the link between coaching, self-efficacy and the employability efforts of students from a widening participation university (a university which aims to offer education to students regardless of their socioeconomic status, income, age, disability or ethnicity) in the United Kingdom. We investigated effectiveness of coaching used as an employability-enhancing tool. We also examined what aspects of coaching relationship are most effective in changing students’ career self-efficacy beliefs, outcome expectations and employability efforts.The study also explored the impact of gender, ethnicity, perceived social support, socioeconomic status, cultural influences and gender role models on students’ self-efficacy beliefs, outcome expectations and their employability efforts. We analyzed the above factors in the context of the changing role of Higher Education. Our study explored a need for the widening participation universities in the United Kingdom to address the issues of gender, ethnicity, perceived social support, socioeconomic status, cultural influences and gender role models in their employability strategy. We used Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) as the main theoretical framework as SCCT recognizes the links between psychological and social effects of gender and ethnicity, the social-cultural environment and career opportunity structures. We positioned coaching as a learning experience within the SCCT framework.
Molyn, Joanna
Oxford Brookes Business School
Year of publication: 2020Date of RADAR deposit: 2020-02-24