Student-Centered Pedagogical Practices and Perceived Graduate Employment Readiness in Selected Chinese Public Universities: The Mediating Role of Career Decision Self-Efficacy

Liya Ma; Izazol Binti Idris

doi:10.56868/jadhur.v5i2.351

Authors

Liya Ma Faculty of Human Development, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia
Izazol Binti Idris Faculty of Human Development, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56868/jadhur.v5i2.351

Keywords:

Student-centered pedagogical practices, Career decision self-efficacy, Graduate employment readiness, Social Cognitive Career Theory, Equity in higher education, PLS-SEM

Abstract

Guided by a selective application of Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), this study examined the relationships among student-centered pedagogical practices (SCPP), career decision self-efficacy (CDSE), and perceived graduate employment readiness (GER) among final-year undergraduate students at five selected public universities in China. A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed, and data from 589 students were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4.0. The results showed that SCPP was positively associated with CDSE (β = 0.45, p < 0.001) and GER (β = 0.22, p < 0.001), while CDSE was positively associated with GER (β = 0.41, p < 0.001). The indirect association between SCPP and GER through CDSE was also significant (β = 0.18, p < 0.001). The model explained 39.8% of the variance in perceived GER. The study applies, rather than extends, a focused SCCT-consistent pathway linking perceived educational experiences, CDSE, and perceived GER. The results suggest that universities may align student-centered learning with career-development activities intended to support students' career-related confidence and perceived readiness for the university-to-work transition.

References

Ahmad, B., & Nasir, N. (2023). Positive career shocks and career optimism: Testing the mediating role of career decision-making self-efficacy. Journal of Asian Business and Economic Studies, 30(2), 105–125. https://doi.org/10.1108/JABES-07-2021-0110

Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W. H. Freeman.

Behle, H. (2020). Students’ and graduates’ employability. A framework to classify and measure employability gain. Policy Reviews in Higher Education, 4(1), 105–130. https://doi.org/10.1080/23322969.2020.1712662

Betz, N. E., Klein, K. L., & Taylor, K. M. (1996). Evaluation of a short form of the career decision-making self-efficacy scale. Journal of Career Assessment, 4(1), 47–57. https://doi.org/10.1177/106907279600400103

Bi, Y., Mou, S., Wang, G., & Liao, M. (2023). The relationship between professional self-concept and career decision-making difficulties among postgraduate nursing students in China: The mediating role of career decision-making self-efficacy. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1198974. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1198974

Brislin, R. W. (1970). Back-translation for cross-cultural research. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 1(3), 185–216. https://doi.org/10.1177/135910457000100301

Cai, Y., Arumugam, N., & Chen, Y. (2025). Design thinking pedagogy effects on undergraduates' career decision-making self-efficacy and employability: A pilot intervention study. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 35(3), 327–333. https://doi.org/10.32604/jpa.2025.068042

Chhetri, S. B., & Baniya, R. (2022). Influence of student-faculty interaction on graduate outcomes of undergraduate management students: The mediating role of behavioral, emotional and cognitive engagement. The International Journal of Management Education, 20(2), 100640. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2022.100640

Gregory, A. M., & Penela, D. (2023). Context-specific elective coursework and student’s employability development: Application of social cognitive career theory in hospitality education. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education, 33, 100465. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2023.100465

Hair, J. F., Risher, J. J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C. M. (2019). When to use and how to report the results of PLS-SEM. European Business Review, 31(1), 2–24. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-11-2018-0203

Hair, J., & Alamer, A. (2022). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) in second language and education research: Guidelines using an applied example. Research Methods in Applied Linguistics, 1(3), 100027. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmal.2022.100027

Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(1), 115–135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8

Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T., & Smith, K. A. (2014). Cooperative learning: Improving university instruction by basing practice on validated theory. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 25(3–4), 85–118. https://celt.miamioh.edu/index.php/JECT/article/view/454

Knight, P. T., & Yorke, M. (2002). Employability through the curriculum. Tertiary Education and Management, 8(4), 261–276. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021222629067

Kong, S. C., & Wang, Y. Q. (2024). The impact of school support for professional development on teachers' adoption of student-centered pedagogy, students’ cognitive learning and abilities: A three-level analysis. Computers & Education, 215, 105016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2024.105016

Law, B., & Watts, A. G. (1977). Schools, careers and community: A study of some approaches to careers education in schools. Church Information Office.

Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., & Hackett, G. (1994). Toward a unifying social cognitive theory of career and academic interest, choice, and performance. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 45(1), 79–122. https://doi.org/10.1006/jvbe.1994.1027

Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., & Hackett, G. (2000). Contextual supports and barriers to career choice: A social cognitive analysis. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 47(1), 36–49. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.47.1.36

Li, J. (2023). A research on relationship between student-centered approach and student competence development in higher education: Case studies in China and Italy [Doctoral dissertation, University of Padua]. University of Padua Research Archive. https://hdl.handle.net/11577/3484866

Liu, X., Zhang, X., Dang, Y., & Gao, W. (2023). Career education skills and career adaptability among college students in China: The mediating role of career decision-making self-efficacy. Behavioral Sciences, 13(9), 780. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13090780

MacKinnon, D. P., & Luecken, L. J. (2008). How and for whom? Mediation and moderation in health psychology. Health Psychology, 27(2S), S99–S100. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.27.2(Suppl.).S99

Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China. (2020, December 5). MOE press conference to highlight breakthroughs in higher education during the 13th Five-year Plan period. The Government of the People's Republic of China. http://en.moe.gov.cn/news/press_releases/202012/t20201230_508196.html

Pignault, A., Rastoder, M., & Houssemand, C. (2023). The relationship between self-esteem, self-efficacy, and career decision-making difficulties: Psychological flourishing as a mediator. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 13(9), 1553–1568. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe13090113

Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J. Y., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879–903. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879

Rothwell, A., Herbert, I., & Rothwell, F. (2008). Self-perceived employability: Construction and initial validation of a scale for university students. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 73(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2007.12.001

Sofyan, H., Mutohhari, F., & Nurtanto, M. (2022). Students' career decision-making during online learning: The mediating roles of self-efficacy in vocational education. European Journal of Educational Research, 11(3), 1669–1682. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.11.3.1669

Sørensen, A., Lagestad, P., & Mikalsen, H. K. (2023). Student teacher experiences of learning and pedagogical involvement using a student-centered learning approach. Education Sciences, 13(9), 965. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13090965

Succi, C., & Canovi, M. (2020). Soft skills to enhance graduate employability: Comparing students and employers’ perceptions. Studies in Higher Education, 45(9), 1834–1847. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1585420

Taylor, K. M., & Betz, N. E. (1983). Applications of self-efficacy theory to the understanding and treatment of career indecision. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 22(1), 63–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/0001-8791(83)90006-4

Tomlinson, M. (2012). Graduate employability: A review of conceptual and empirical themes. Higher Education Policy, 25(4), 407–431. https://doi.org/10.1057/hep.2011.26

Tomlinson, M. (2016). The impact of market-driven higher education on student-university relations: Investing, consuming and competing. Higher Education Policy, 29(2), 149–166. https://doi.org/10.1057/hep.2015.17

Tomlinson, M. (2017). Forms of graduate capital and their relationship to graduate employability. Education + Training, 59(4), 338–352. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-05-2016-0090

Tomlinson, M., McCafferty, H., Port, A., Maguire, N., Zabelski, A. E., Butnaru, A., Charles, M., & Kirby, S. (2022). Developing graduate employability for a challenging labour market: The validation of the graduate capital scale. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 14(3), 1193–1209. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-04-2021-0151

Wang, S., Peng, M. Y. P., Xu, Y., Simbi, V. T., Lin, K. H., & Teng, T. C. (2020). Teachers' transformational leadership and students' employability development: A social cognitive career perspective. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 48(5), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.8594

Zhao, F., Li, P., Chen, S., Hao, Y., & Qin, J. (2022). Career exploration and career decision self-efficacy in northwest Chinese pre-service kindergarten teachers: The mediating role of work volition and career adaptability. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 729504. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.729504

Zhou, A., Liu, J., Xu, C., & Jobe, M. C. (2024). Effect of social support on career decision-making difficulties: The chain mediating roles of psychological capital and career decision-making self-efficacy. Behavioral Sciences, 14(4), 318. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14040318