Educational Choice and the Willingness to Apply of Higher Vocational Students in Guangdong Province, China: The Mediating Role of Career Decision-making Self-efficacy

This study explores the influence of educational choice on the willingness to apply and career decision-making self-efficacy. A questionnaire was conducted on 1,391 freshmen from six higher vocational colleges in Guangdong Province, China, using educational choice, career decision-making self-efficacy and the willingness to apply scales. The results showed that career decision-making self-efficacy has a mediating role in the significant positive effect of educational choice on the willingness to apply. Therefore, Chinese educational institutions and policy makers should cultivate vocational students' career decision-making self-efficacy to improve the confidence and ability in career decision-making, and better understand professional career field.