Career Orientation of Vocational Students: The Role of Socioeconomic Status

Abstract

Vocational (SMK) students must commit to educational and occupational pathways earlier than their peers in general schooling, yet socioeconomic conditions may constrain the resources, guidance, and role models that inform such decisions. Grounded in Social Cognitive Career Theory and Gottfredson’s theory of circumscription and compromise, this study examined how socioeconomic status (SES) and parental background shape career orientation among 124 students at SMK Muhammadiyah 2 Malang. Using an explanatory quantitative design, data were collected with a validated five point Likert questionnaire (9 SES items, α = .89; 16 career orientation items, α = .94) and analysed using descriptive statistics, simple linear regression, one way ANOVA, and correlation analysis. SES significantly and positively predicted career orientation (β = .526; B = 0.862; t = 6.83; p < .001), explaining 27.7% of its variance (R² = .277; f² = .38, a large effect). Career orientation increased monotonically across SES terciles (53.9, 60.0, 68.0; F(2,121) = 20.95, p < .001, η² = .257). Students’ plans also mirrored their fathers’ occupations: 80% of those whose fathers were professionals or civil servants planned to enter university, compared with roughly 20% of children of manual labourers, most of whom intended to work immediately. The findings position career orientation not as a purely individual disposition but as a socially situated process reproduced through family economic context and observable role models. They also highlight the need for inclusive career guidance that compensates for unequal access to such role models.