Co-development of career adaptability and academic self-efficacy in college: A four-wave investigation

This study examined the co-development of career adaptability and academic self-efficacy during college and their associations with earlier self-determined motivations for choosing college majors (SDMM). Participants were 744 college students ( M age = 18.63 years) in China taking online surveys annually from freshman to senior years. Participants reported on career adaptability and academic self-efficacy from sophomore to senior years, with SDMM assessed in freshman year. Latent growth modelling showed generally linear increases in career adaptability and academic self-efficacy from sophomore to senior years. Students with higher career adaptability in sophomore year had higher academic self-efficacy in sophomore year; similar positive associations emerged for the change rates of career adaptability and academic self-efficacy over time. Importantly, SDMM in freshman year predicted higher academic self-efficacy in sophomore year and faster increases in career adaptability from sophomore to senior years. These findings underscored the significance of SDMM in students' later career and academic development. • Career adaptability (CA) increased from second to fourth years in college. • Academic self-efficacy (ASE) increased from second to fourth years in college. • The initial levels of CA and ASE were positively related to each other. • The change rates of CA and ASE were positively related to each other. • Self-determined motivation to choose college majors predicted higher initial levels of ASE and faster increasing rates of CA.