From Reflection to Confidence: Student Career Self-Efficacy in Course-Embedded Career Learning at a Minority-Serving Institution

From Reflection to Confidence: Student Career Self-Efficacy in Course-Embedded Career Learning at a Minority-Serving Institution Abstract This study examines undergraduate students’ career decision-making self-efficacy and related performance indicators within course-integrated career readiness assignments at a Hispanic- and minority-serving institution. As higher education institutions seek scalable approaches to workforce preparation, embedding career development into credit-bearing coursework may offer more equitable access to professional learning opportunities, particularly for students at Minority-Serving Institutions. Guided by Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy and the career decision-making self-efficacy framework, this evaluation study analyzes descriptive data from faculty-rated rubric summaries across multiple course-integrated assignments (assignment-level sample sizes varied) and student self-reported surveys (n = 55 respondents). Three embedded assignments were examined: a career reflection essay, a résumé and career research project, and a mock interview and presentation. Results indicated that most students met established performance benchmarks and reported moderate to high confidence across career goal articulation, job search preparedness, and transition readiness. Consistent with the study’s exploratory design, findings are interpreted as associative rather than causal and are discussed in relation to self-efficacy mechanisms and instructional assessment practices. The study offers a transferable example of how routine classroom assessments can serve as scholarship of teaching and learning evidence for evaluating embedded career development.