The role of career motivation and narrative identity in the career choice of counseling students

Research Objective: The present study was conducted to investigate the role of career motivation and narrative identity in career path selection of counseling students in 2023. Career path selection is one of the most important decisions in each individual’s life that can affect their professional future and job satisfaction. Therefore, identifying the factors influencing this choice, especially among counseling students, is of great importance. Research Methodology: This study is descriptive-correlational. The statistical population consisted of 400 counseling students at Mohaghegh Ardabili University, of whom 200 were selected using simple random sampling based on the Morgan table. The data collection tools included Herzberg’s Job Motivation Questionnaire (Bakhshi et al., 2004), Narrative Identity Awareness Questionnaire (ANIQ), and Adkola’s Career Path Management Questionnaire (2011). For data analysis, structural equation modeling and statistical methods such as confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis were used. Also, the data were analyzed using SPSS and SMART-PLS software. Findings: The results of data analysis showed that both career motivation and narrative identity have a positive and significant effect on students' career path choice. Accordingly, the estimated path coefficient for career motivation (β=0.770) was obtained, which indicates a strong effect of this variable on career path choice. Also, the estimated path coefficient for narrative identity (β=0.625) was obtained, which indicates a positive and direct effect of this variable on career path choice..

The role of career motivation and narrative identity in the career choice of counseling students Keywords:

career motivation , narrative identity and choosing a career path