Acculturation and Career Beliefs

The major purpose of this study was to explore the relationship(s) between acculturation and the career beliefs of international students. Data was collected at a university in Central Texas from 341 international students. The samples were identified through local churches, international clubs on campus and personal contacts. Each of the participants was administered a demographics questionnaire, an adapted version of the Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale (SL-ASIA) and the Career Beliefs Inventory (CBI). A factor analysis and an internal consistency analysis were conducted to determine the reliability and validity of the adapted SL-ASIA and the CBI. A canonical correlational analysis was conducted to determine the extent of the relationship between acculturation and career beliefs. Modest reliabilities were also found for the CBI scales. Unclear factor solutions emerged for both instruments based on the data from each of the samples. A low correlation was found between acculturation levels and career beliefs of the Indian, Chinese, and Korean students. Gender was not an influencing or moderating variable in this relationship.

Autorentext

Dr. Lakshmi Mahadevan has her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Career Development Education from Texas A&M University, USA. Her areas of expertise include career assessment, post-secondary options for individuals with special needs, special education and multicultural career counseling.