The Mediating Role of Academic Motivation in the Relationship between Career Engagement and Personal Responsibility in University Students

The increasing potential of higher education to find a good job in recent years directs millions of young people to these institutions every day. This increases the role of higher education in the career development of many individuals who plan for their future. In this context, this study aims to examine the structural relationships between career engagement, personal responsibility, and academic motivation in university students. The study was conducted with a total of 714 university students aged between 17 and 25 (M= 21; SD= 4.09), 61.1% female (n=436) and 38.9% male (n=278). The data of the study were collected through the Career Engagement Scale (CAS), Personal Responsibility Scale (PRS), and Academic Motivation Scale (AMS). In the study, a significant positive relationship was found between personal responsibility and intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and a significant negative relationship was found with amotivation. In addition, career engagement was found to be positively correlated with intrinsic and extrinsic motivation as well as personal responsibility and negatively correlated with amotivation. In addition, personal responsibility was found to have an indirect relationship with career engagement through intrinsic motivation and amotivation. It is thought that these findings will enrich the existing knowledge about the career development of university students and reveal which variables should be paid attention to by experts in career development practices.