Subjective factors of career choice at the heart of pedagogical supportfor contemporary adolescents

Abstract

Introduction. Contemporary adolescents engaged in career choice are affected by a wide range of factors, including advances in industrial and information technologies, the influence of parents, teachers and peers, the attractiveness of a profession or university, the specific features of a chosen profession, as well as the adolescent’s own personality, abilities and interests. The multifaceted and complex nature of this process calls for new forms of pedagogical support that emphasise the utilization of subjective factors initiated by adolescents themselves, thereby enabling them to become genuine agents of their career choice. The article aims to identify, substantiate and facilitate utilization of the subjective factors of career choice within the framework of pedagogical support for contemporary adolescents.
Materials and Methods. The research employed theoretical analysis, content analysis of psychological and pedagogical literature, classification, and generalisation. Subjective factors were identified and substantiated through the analysis of previous studies and the theoretical framework of personal choice. Empirical methods included surveys and questionnaires. The pedagogical support strategies proposed in the article are grounded in the phenomenological approach in pedagogy.
Results. The study presents a classification and description of the factors influencing career choice, substantiates subjective factors such as activity, independence, awareness, reflection and readiness for choice, and empirically demonstrates their decisive role in the process of choice. It also provides examples of pedagogical support within the phenomenological approach that foster the development of these subjective factors in adolescents.
Conclusions. The research highlights the relevance of career choice for contemporary adolescents who encounter obstacles in this process. The substantiated subjective factors — activity, independence, awareness, reflection, and readiness for choice — are often insufficiently utilized and are not adequately considered by adolescents themselves. To address this issue, the article proposes the phenomenological approach as a framework for implementing pedagogical support in career choice. Pedagogical support based on the utilization of subjective factors offers new opportunities for assisting adolescents and young people in navigating career choice in a dynamically changing world.