The aim of this work in progress project is to: - investigate the role of coaching in raising employability of Higher Education students; - provide the empirical evidence of the effectiveness of coaching; - examine the link between career coaching, career self-efficacy and job-search behaviours. Coaching, as an industry, requires empirical studies in order to establish its effectiveness (de Haan, Culpin and Curd, 2011). Also a shift in an educational approach is needed due to the employability agenda being imposed by governments onto HEI’s agendas (HEA, 2012). This study uses the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) as its framework. The SCT links self-efficacy to job seeking efforts, to career behaviour (Hackett & Betz, 1981; Lent & Hackett, 1987) and to the career development process (Niles & Sowa, 1992). Career self-efficacy is a mediator between personality traits and job search outcomes and one of the best predictor of job-searching behaviours (Zimmerman et al., 2012; Niles and Sowa, 1992). Coaching - linked to self-efficacy (Evers et al, 2006) - has been confirmed as an effective learning tool (HEA, 2012). Self-efficacy is a person’s belief about successfully performing behaviours (Bandura, 1977) and is linked to career behaviours (Hackett & Betz, 1981). Research Design The study will use a quasi-experimental mixed-method appraoch. Data will be collected from the undergraduate Business School students at the University of Greenwich. Both control and an experimental group will be tested for their career self-efficacy and their job seeking behaviour levels -prior to (Time 1) and -post (Time 2) a career coaching intervention. A sample of students and coaches will be interviewed at Time 2 to explore students' self-efficacy beliefs and coaching relationship factors contributing most to career coaching effectiveness. The main contributions of this study are as follows: -impact on the university policy with regard to a selection criteria and training of potential career coaches; -providing an empirical study of coaching effectiveness; -examining the role of coaching in the HE in the employability context. At the time of presentation the study will complete a pilot stage and will be collecting data at Time 1 stage. Selected References Bandura, A. (1977), ‘Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavioural change’, Psychological Review 41: 195-215 Brown, S.D. and Lent, R.W. (2013), Career Development and Counseling: Putting Theory and Research to Work (2nd ed.), New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. de Haan, E. Culpin, V., Curd, J. (2011), ‘Executive coaching in practice: what determines helpfulness for clinets of coaching?’, Personnel Review 40(1): 24-44 Hackett, G., & Betz, N. E. (1981). ‘A self-efficacy approach to the career development of women.’, Journal of Vocational Behavior, 18, 326-339 Lent, R. W., & Hackett, G. (1987). ‘Career self-efficacy: Empirical status and futur

1. Measuring the Effectiveness of Career Coaching in Increasing Higher Education Students’ Career Self-Efficacy
This research is driven by both the need to provide empirical
evidence of the effectiveness of coaching as well as by the desire
to examine the role of coaching in Higher Education in the
employability context.
The aims of the study are as follows:
• To examine the role of coaching in HE.
• To examine empirically the effectiveness of coaching.
• To examine the link between career coaching, career self-efficacy
and job-search behaviours in Higher Education (HE)
context.
• To investigate whether career coaching can be effective in
increasing HE students’ levels of career self-efficacy job-search
behaviours.
The following research question guide this study:
• Is coaching effective in raising career self-efficacy of HE
students?
• What aspects of career coaching relationships are
perceived by students and coaches as most effective in
increasing students’ career self-efficacy?
• Is self-efficacy a significant factor in changing job
search behaviors of HE students?
• What are the self-efficacy beliefs of HE students? Are
they different for different groups of students?
The hypothesis of the study are depicted in the Figure 1.
below:
H1: Coaching intervention is an effective tool in raising career
self-efficacy of HE students and in increasing their job search
behaviours.
H2: Career self-efficacy of HE students is positively linked to
their job search behaviours.
H3: Different genders of students have different career self-efficacy
levels.
H4:Different ethnic groups of students have different career
self-efficacy levels.
RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION DESIGN © 2012
www.PosterPresentations.com
THE AIM OF THE STUDY
and Job Search Behaviours
RESEARCH RATIONALE
1. Coaching, as an industry, requires empirical studies in order to establish its effectiveness (de Haan, Culpin and Curd, 2011).
2. Effectiveness of coaching relationships required more empirical research.
3. A shift in an educational approach is needed due to the employability agenda, higher fees and higher expectations of students.
4. Studies on self-efficacy for different educational groups and domains are needed (Shunk & Pajares, 2001).
MODE OF INQUIRY
A longitudinal quasi-experimental mixed method study conducted using the Business Faculty of the University of Greenwich, London,
populations of Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 undergraduate students. The initial sample consists of 1000+ students.
The experimental group includes students taking part in a career coaching (known as mentoring) scheme run by the University of
Greenwich. Career coaches are managers working for the City companies.
The experimental group is matches exactly with the control group in terms of its initial levels of career self-efficacy consists of students
who are not taking part the career coaching scheme.
Pre- and post- career self-efficacy and job seeking behaviour measures use validated scales
to discuss what aspects of career coaching were most effective in increasing students’ self-efficacy and job seeking behaviours
RESEARCH DESIGN
DATA ANALYSIS
Quantitative Methods
Comparing Two Means (systematic variation)
Independent means t-test
A bivariate correlation for an experimental group
A simple regression for an experimental group
ANCOVA analysis to compare the pre-test scores of two groups
Qualitative Methods
Interviews will be conducted to discover what aspects of
career coaching relationships are perceived by students as
most effective in increasing their career self-efficacy;
to explore any transitions in students’ self-efficacy;
to establish whether coaching is effective in raising career self-efficacy
of HE students and, finally, to explore the self-efficacy beliefs of
HE students.
CONCLUSION
It is expected that this study will confirm the impact of career
coaching on career self efficacy and job seeking behaviors of students.
This research will contribute to the coaching literature, as it will
empirically examine the effectiveness of coaching in increasing career
self-efficacy levels of students.
It will investigate the aspects of career coaching relationships which are
most helpful to students and its findings will have an impact on university
policy with regard to selection criteria and training of potential career
coaches. It will also examine the role of coaching in the HE context and
its role in enhancing students’ job search behaviours. This study will
contribute to the research on the relationships between career self-efficacy
beliefs and job search behaviours.
REFERENCES
Bandura, A. (1977), ‘Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of
behavioural change’, Psychological Review 41:195-215
de Haan, E. Culpin, V., Curd, J. (2011), ‘Executive coaching in practice:
what determines helpfulness for clients of coaching?’, Personnel Review
40(1): 24-44
Evers, W.J.G., Brouwers, A. and Tomic, W. (2006), ‘A quasi-experimental
study of management coaching effectiveness’, Consulting Psychology
Journal: Practice and Research, 58(3):174-82.
Harvey, L. (2000), ‘New Realities: The Relationship between Higher
Education and Employment’, Tertiary Education and Management 6: 3-17
Van Hoye, G. (2013), ‘Job Search Behavior as a Multidimensional
Construct: A Review of Different Job Search Behaviors and Sources’ In U.
C. Klehe & E. A. J. van Hooft (Eds.),
Oxford Handbook of Job Loss and Job Search (in press). New York: Oxford
University Press.
Joanna Molyn
University of Greenwich, London, UK
Initial sample
size
n=1,000+
6 career coaching sessions
Career-coached
students
n=200+
Control group
n= 200+
Quantitative Approach
Measuring career-self
efficacy using the
Career Decision Self-
Efficacy Scale – Short
Form (CDSE: Taylor &
Betz, 1983
Measuring job-seeking
behaviours
using a modified Job
Search Behaviour
Scale (Saks &
Ashforth, 1999)
Quantitative
Approach
Time 1 measures
repeated for a control
and an experimental
group.
Qualitative Approach
Key students, selected
from the control and
the experimental
group will be
interviewed.
TIME 1
(Oct – Nov 2014)
TIME 2
(Jun – July 2015)