초등학생의 진로성숙도 변화에 영향을 미치는 요인: 전남교육종단연구 활용

Factors Influencing Changes in Career Maturity among Elementary School Students: Evidence from the Jeonnam Education Longitudinal Study

This study examined longitudinal changes in career maturity among elementary school students and identified factors influencing these changes from an ecological systems perspective. Data were obtained from the Jeonnam Educational Longitudinal Study (JELS), which initially included approximately 1,800 students; 479 cases that met the inclusion criteria were analyzed. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted by sequentially entering variables at the individual, family, and school levels. The results showed that career maturity did not consistently increase with age; rather, some students exhibited stagnation or decline. Among the predictors, emotional interaction within the family was the most significant factor affecting changes in career maturity (β = −186, p < .01). Although school-level variables had limited explanatory power overall, school location showed a statistically significant effect (β = −110, p < .05). The final model accounted for a small proportion of the variance (R² = .085), indicating that career maturity is a complex and multidimensional construct that cannot be explained by a single factor. These findings emphasize the importance of emotional support and career-related communication with parents, particularly during the upper grades of elementary school. Career education should extend beyond the delivery of information and incorporate family-linked approaches that foster open dialogue, emotional support, and realistic parental expectations. Future studies should address the limitations of this research—particularly its regional sample and modest sample size—by employing extended longitudinal designs that include middle school students and integrating qualitative methods to explore the contextual and developmental dynamics of career maturity more comprehensively.