Verification of Career Maturity Changes and Predictive Factors in Male and Female Adolescents Using Growth Mixture Modeling

Career maturity during adolescence can vary by gender and individual factors. This study aimed to identify latent classes of career maturity trajectories during middle and high school periods by gender and to examine the predictors of these latent class classifications. The Growth Mixture Modeling was used to analyze data from the Korea Education Longitudinal Study 2013 (3rd to 8th wave), covering students from 1st year of middle school to 3rd year of high school. The results showed that male students were classified into three latent classes (moderate-stable, low-increasing, high-decreasing), while female students were classified into four latent classes (moderate-stable, moderately high-decreasing, moderate-decreasing-increasing, high-decreasing-stable). Predictors that were found to be important for both genders included self-concept, interactions with parents, and relationships with teachers. The degree of reading enjoyment was a significant predictor only for male students, while the number of school club activities and the perceived helpfulness of career activities by parents were significant only for female students. Based on these findings, the study suggests implications for the development of career maturity, such as the importance of support from parents and teachers and the need for qualitative improvement in career programs.