The Relationship Between Locus of Control and Career Maturity Among 11th-Grade High School Students

Abdul Hadi; Anifa Tuzzuhroh q Nurbaiti; Listiyani

Authors

Abdul Hadi Universitas Mercu Buana Yogyakarta
Anifa Tuzzuhroh q Nurbaiti Universitas Mercu Buana Yogyakarta
Listiyani Universitas Mercu Buana Yogyakarta

Keywords:

Locus Of, Control Career Maturity, Career Development, High School Students

Abstract

Career maturity is an important developmental capacity that enables high school students to plan their future, explore educational and occupational alternatives, obtain relevant career information, and make appropriate career decisions. One psychological factor that may be associated with career maturity is locus of control, which reflects students’ beliefs regarding the extent to which their actions and efforts influence outcomes. This study aimed to examine the relationship between locus of control and career maturity among Grade XI students at SMA Negeri 1 Sedayu. A quantitative approach with a correlational design was employed. The participants were 168 Grade XI students selected using simple random sampling from a population of 290 students. Data were collected using locus of control and career maturity scales. The instruments demonstrated high internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of 0.868 and 0.968, respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, prerequisite tests, Pearson Product-Moment correlation, and simple linear regression. The results showed that most students had moderate levels of both locus of control (74%) and career maturity (72%). Pearson correlation analysis revealed a very strong positive relationship between locus of control and career maturity (r = 0.842, p < 0.001). Simple linear regression further indicated a significant relationship between locus of control and career maturity. (R = 0.842, R² = 0.710, F = 405.78, p < 0.001). Thus, locus of control accounted for 71.0% of the variance in career maturity within the research model, while the remaining 29.0% was associated with other factors.

References

R. M. Alaydrus and S. R. Abd. Hamid, “‘It is Important to Prepare Ourselves for the Future Career’: A Study of Indonesian Student’s Self-Directed Experience on Career Exploration,” Indonesian Journal of Educational Counseling, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 107–118, Jul. 2019, doi: 10.30653/001.201932.87.

Y. Srianturi and M. Supriatna, “Analysis of Career Maturity on High School Students,” 2020. doi: 10.2991/assehr.k.200814.029.

R. M. Bulgarelli-Bolaños, J. A. Rivera-Rodríguez, and M. A. Fallas-Vargas, “El proceso vocacional del estudiantado universitario en condición de logro y rezago académico: Un análisis desde el enfoque evolutivo de Donald Super,” Revista Electronica Educare, vol. 21, no. 1, 2017, doi: 10.15359/ree.21-1.1.

P. Damodar, A. Shetty, M. P. Dsouza, A. Prakash, and N. Gudi, “Crafting careers through theory-driven interventions: a scoping review of the utility of social cognitive career theory and career maturity inventory,” 2024. doi: 10.1080/02673843.2024.2308081.

Y. Novita, C. Hadi, and Mhd. Subhan, “Career Maturity Factors of Muslim Students of Faculty of Economics in Entrepreneurship Career Planning,” Eklektik : Jurnal Pendidikan Ekonomi dan Kewirausahaan, vol. 6, no. 1, 2023, doi: 10.24014/ekl.v6i1.22285.

M. Munawir, A. M. Yusuf, Z. M. Effendi, and A. Afdal, “Internal Locus of Control and Self-Concept as Factors Affecting the Career Maturity of High School Students,” International Journal of Research in Counseling and Education, vol. 1, no. 2, 2018, doi: 10.24036/0018za0002.

F. Botha and S. C. Dahmann, “Locus of control, self-control, and health outcomes,” SSM Popul. Health, vol. 25, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2023.101566.

F.-I. Lincă and F.-L. Matei, “The Relationship Between Locus of Control and Learning Styles in University Education,” Land Forces Academy Review, vol. 28, no. 1, 2023, doi: 10.2478/raft-2023-0005.

Y. Jia, Z. J. Hou, and D. Wang, “Calling and career commitment among Chinese college students: career locus of control as a moderator,” Int. J. Educ. Vocat. Guid., vol. 21, no. 1, 2021, doi: 10.1007/s10775-020-09439-y.

M. Sholikah and Muhyadi, “Roles of career maturity mediating the effects of locus of control and socioeconomic status on career readiness,” International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education, vol. 10, no. 3, 2021, doi: 10.11591/ijere.v10i3.21127.

J. Wang, J. Zhang, Q. Song, S. Zhao, and A. Zhang, “Latent profiles of career locus of control and associated factors among undergraduate nursing students in China: a cross-sectional study,” BMC Nurs., vol. 25, no. 1, 2026, doi: 10.1186/s12912-026-04748-z.

E. Koyuncu, S. B. Yalçın, and S. Avşaroğlu, “The Relationship Between Career Locus of Control and Career Anxiety in High School Students’ Career Choice,” Journal of Teacher Education and Lifelong Learning, vol. 7, no. 2, 2025, doi: 10.51535/tell.1724106.

G. Şeker, “The mediating role of career decision-making self-efficacy in the relationship between career locus of control and career indecision among Turkish high school students,” BMC Psychol., vol. 13, no. 1, 2025, doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-03410-8.

E. E. Kossek, M. Perrigino, and A. G. Rock, “From ideal workers to ideal work for all: A 50-year review integrating careers and work-family research with a future research agenda,” J. Vocat. Behav., vol. 126, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.jvb.2020.103504.

M. M. Faqih, N. Najiburrohman, and M. Hasanah, “Transformational Leadership in Developing the Quality of Lecturers’ Careers in Islamic Higher Education,” Journal of Educational Management Research, vol. 4, no. 1, 2025, doi: 10.61987/jemr.v4i1.760.

Y. Guan et al., “Career Locus of Control and Career Success Among Chinese Employees: A Multidimensional Approach,” J. Career Assess., vol. 21, no. 2, 2013, doi: 10.1177/1069072712471324.

E. Yıldız and K. Öztemel, “Shaping the Future: Career Locus of Control, Career Distress, and Perceived Social Support as Predictors of Career Adaptability in University Students,” Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Eğitim Dergisi, vol. 42, no. 3, 2025, doi: 10.52597/buje.1757891.

W. Patton and J. Lokan, “Perspectives on Donald Super’s Construct of Career Maturity,” Internat. Jnl. for Educational and Vocational Guidance, vol. 1, 2001.

W. Nisya, F. Firman, and N. Netrawati, “Student Career Planning Through Group Guidance Services,” Widyagogik : Jurnal Pendidikan dan Pembelajaran Sekolah Dasar, vol. 10, no. 2, 2023, doi: 10.21107/widyagogik.v10i2.18081.

S.-H. Yeo and M.-S. Kim, “The Effects of REBT Career Group Counseling on Self-Efficacy and Career Attitude Maturity of the Career-Inturrupted Married Women in Thirties,” Journal of Digital Convergence, vol. 14, no. 9, 2016, doi: 10.14400/jdc.2016.14.9.571.

M. Al-Bahrani, Y. Abu Shindi, S. Allawati, and B. Bakkar, “A path analysis of effects of the career locus of control dimensions and career decision self-efficacy on career aspiration,” Int. J. Adolesc. Youth, vol. 26, no. 1, 2021, doi: 10.1080/02673843.2021.1961831.

S. Purwaningrum and A. Setiowati, “How Can Psychological Capital Influence Student Career Adaptability?,” Indo-MathEdu Intellectuals Journal, vol. 6, no. 4, 2025, doi: 10.54373/imeij.v6i4.3580.