Pre-licensure Baccalaureate nursing students' career choice goal for a future faculty role and graduate education: adaptation and testing of social cognitive career theory.

ECU Author/Contributor (non-ECU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)

Diana K. Bond (Creator)

Institution

East Carolina University (ECU )

Web Site: http://www.ecu.edu/lib/

Advisor

D. Elizabeth Jesse

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to adapt and test the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) to (1) determine the intent of pre-licensure baccalaureate nursing students for a future faculty role and graduate education and (2) investigate how well derived SCCT constructs predict intent for a future faculty role and graduate education. Walker and Avant's theory derivation procedures guided the adaptation of SCCT to the profession of nursing. A prospective correlational research design was used with a convenience sample of 1 078 pre-licensure baccalaureate nursing students who responded to an online survey. Almost 25% of the study sample reported high/very high intent to pursue a future faculty role and 76% expressed high/very high intent for graduate education. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the full SCCT model with eleven independent variables was partially supported to predict students' high intent to pursue a future faculty role. The high intent students were significantly more likely to (1) have interests in the activities/tasks of a faculty role; (2) be enrolled in an accelerated baccalaureate nursing program; (3) perceive the advantages in a faculty role; (4) have previous teaching experiences; (5) have received encouragement from faculty to pursue a faculty role; and 6) perceive few disadvantages of a faculty role. In contrast the students' age gender race/ethnicity parent education and occupation educational level and background supports and barriers self-efficacy for a faculty role and role modeling by a faculty member did not significantly impact their intent for a future faculty role. Furthermore the logistic regression analysis indicated that the SCCT model was partially supported to predict students' intent to pursue graduate education accounting for 26.2% to 39.4% of the variance. This study offered several unique findings. It was the first study to expand and adapt SCCT theory to understand how undergraduate nursing students perceived a future nursing faculty role and graduate education. The measures demonstrated good reliability overall providing a solid foundation for future research on this topic. The knowledge gained in this study could be used to develop and test effective strategies to interest students in a future nursing faculty role and graduate education. 

Additional Information

Publication

Dissertation

Date: 2012

Keywords

Nursing, Higher education, Occupational psychology, Education, Faculty, Graduate Education, Nursing students, Social Cognitive Career Theory

Email this document to