Career adaptability and individual factors in Greek secondary education

Abstract

This study investigates the factors shaping students’ career orientations and adaptability in Greek education, emphasizing the interaction between individual characteristics and contextual influences. Grounded in Super’s life-span, life-space theory, Savickas’ career construction paradigm, and Bandura’s concept of self-efficacy, career development is approached as a dynamic process influenced by identity, social context, and ongoing change. Quantitative analyses (t-tests, correlations, and ANOVA) were conducted on data collected from 627 students. Findings revealed that students demonstrate high levels of autonomy, self-efficacy, and proactive career management. However, the school environment was perceived as inadequate in offering systematic and meaningful career guidance. Instead, students rely heavily on social media and external sources for vocational information. Personalized interventions by career advisors were found to be significantly more effective than general institutionalized approaches. Moreover, age, educational level, and family-professional alignment emerged as significant predictors of career orientation, while sex, place of residence, and previous work experience showed no meaningful impact. These results underscore the importance of integrating personalized, developmentally informed, and contextually relevant counseling practices within Greek schools. Enhancing collaboration between educational institutions, families, and external career professionals could foster students’ self-directed career development and adaptability to future labor market challenges. Overall, the study highlights the need to reframe career guidance as a continuous, student-centered process that supports autonomy and informed decision-making.