The influence of internal locus of control and vocational identity on career maturity

Abstract

Career maturity is a main aspect for students in preparing themselves to enter the workforce or continue their education. Regarding this issue, the present study aimed at analyzing influence of internal locus of control and vocational identity on the career maturity of students at SMK Pelayaran AKPELNI Semarang. It employed an ex post facto method used and involved 164 students selected using the proportionate stratified random sampling technique. Their data were collected using the internal locus of control scale, vocational identity and career maturity, then analyzed using multiple linear regression tests. Based on the findings, internal locus of control had a positive effect on career maturity, vocational identity had a positive effect on career maturity, and internal locus of control and vocational identity jointly influenced career maturity by 74% (R² = 0.74). It urges guidance and counseling to make some improvement in students' career maturity. Future studies should involve diverse schools to enhance generalizability and use qualitative approaches like interviews or case studies to explore factors influencing career maturity, including career adaptability and personal and contextual factors.