Associations between intentions to change field of study and experiences of separateness and meaningfulness
Keywords:
vocational education, career change, meaningfulness, existential issues, separateness, social relationsAbstract
This study investigated the relationship between psychological-existential factors and vocational students’ intentions to change their field of study. Changing courses and career paths during the studies has implications for students’ life course, but little research has been conducted on the psychological factors underlying this phenomenon. The study focused on students’ experiences of separateness and meaningfulness and was based on the responses from 8,057 vocational students to the Amisbarometri 2019 questionnaire. The variables describing separateness were constructed based on exploratory factor analysis, and different associations were examined separately for females and males using logistic regression analysis. The results suggested that different levels of separateness, including existential separateness, were significantly associated with intentions to change fields of study. Knowledge of vocational students’ experiences of separateness is important to deepen our understanding of the factors influencing their decisions to change career paths during the studies. The findings can be used to develop a more holistic approach to vocational guidance that takes into account value-based and existentially oriented themes.
