The Role and Effectiveness of Coaching in Increasing Self-Efficacy and Employability Efforts of Higher Education Students

The purpose of this quasi-experimental, longitudinal mixed-methods research was to examine the link between coaching, self-efficacy and the employability efforts of students from a widening participation university (a university which aim to offer education to students regardless of their socioeconomic status, income, age, disability or ethnicity) in the United Kingdom. It investigated effectiveness of coaching in increasing students’ career decision self-efficacy, outcome expectations and their employability efforts. This study also examined what aspects of coaching relationship are most effective in changing students’ career self-efficacy beliefs, outcome expectations and employability efforts. It explored impact of gender, ethnicity, perceived social support, socioeconomic status, cultural influences and gender role models on students’ employability efforts. It used Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) as the main theoretical framework as SCCT recognizes the links between psychological and social effects of gender and ethnicity, the social-cultural environment and career opportunity structures. The research analyzed the above factors in the context of the changing role of Higher Education. It explored a need for the widening participation universities in the United Kingdom to address the issues of gender, ethnicity, perceived social support, socioeconomic status, cultural influences and gender role models in their employability strategy. It positions coaching as an employability-enhancing strategic tool