Ecological barriers to career adaptability and related career constructs among socioeconomically disadvantaged university students: a systematic review

Socioeconomically disadvantaged university students develop career adaptability under unequal material, relational and institutional conditions. This systematic review synthesised ecological barriers to career adaptation and their conceptualisation across 31 empirical studies (2010–2024). Searches covered Web of Science, Scopus and CNKI, and reporting followed PRISMA 2020. The career construction model of adaptation distinguished career adaptability from related constructs, while a Person-in-Environment perspective organised barriers across individual, family, social and institutional levels. Social-level barriers were coded in 28 studies and institutional-level barriers in eight, with all studies coded at more than one level. Only three studies used a dedicated career adaptability measure. Evidence was concentrated in the United States and China, with quantitative, mostly cross-sectional designs and Social Cognitive Career Theory predominating. These findings support career guidance that considers psychosocial resources alongside access to information, networks and institutional support, with implications for SDGs 4, 8 and 10.