Career Construction Model of Adaptation in Academics: Temporal Associations Among Personal Growth Initiative, Career Adaptability, Academic Self-Efficacy, and Academic Well-Being in Pakistani Undergraduates

Academic well-being is not a fixed educational outcome, but may reflect a form of adaptation associated with students’ efforts to manage their academic lives. This four-wave longitudinal study examined the proposed Career Construction Model of Adaptation (CCMA) among Pakistani undergraduates. It examined whether personal growth initiative was associated with later academic well-being through the two sequential mediators, career adaptability and academic self-efficacy. Results indicated that personal growth initiative at Time 1 was positively associated with academic well-being at Time 4. Moreover, career adaptability at Time 2 and academic self-efficacy at Time 3 serially mediated this relationship, collectively accounting for 45% of the variance in academic well-being. This research extends the career construction model into the academic domain by providing evidence in line with the proposed temporal ordering of associations, in which personal growth initiative was associated with later academic well-being through career adaptability and academic self-efficacy. The findings suggest that institutions should move beyond isolated interventions aimed at supporting academic well-being among university students. Holistic developmental programs may provide a meaningful framework for supporting personal growth, career adaptability, and academic self-efficacy. These capacities may, in turn, be associated with students’ more proactive management of academic challenges and future uncertainties.