Teacher Support, Academic Adaptation, and Perceived Career Barriers Among Adolescents in Multicultural Families in South Korea

Background: The role of teacher, and academic achievements -sometimes underestimated in the studies- are one of the most influential factors on adolescent’s career developments. They help adolescents find their career aspiration, choose their job, and prepare for their future job. On the other hand, adolescents who lack of social supports and learning interests can perceive more career barriers. Moreover, previous studies have reported ethnic minorities (e.g. Mexican American or African American) and adolescent from low-income families have higher levels of perceived career barriers than their peers. However, not many studies in South Korea have explored the career barriers among multicultural adolescents, the children born to a foreign mother and Korean father. A few previous studies on career barriers among multicultural adolescents in South Korea have heavily focused on parental support or achievement motivation. This study posited that teacher’s role is pivotal in career development as adolescents spend lots of time with teachers whose role is to provide career counseling or to be a career role model. Therefore, this study aimed to understand the association of teacher support with perceived career barriers. In addition, it explored the mediating effect of academic adaptation -learning attitude- which has high relationship with perceived career barriers.

Methods: The study utilized the 6th wave of the Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study (MAPS, 2016). The independent variable, teacher support, consists of two subscales: teacher support and teacher-student intimacy. The dependent variable, perceived career barriers, was assessed with career barriers (Lee, 2005) and sum scores of 9 items were sued in this study. The higher scores indicated the higher level of career barriers perceived by multicultural adolescents. The mediator, academic adaptation, was measured with 5 items about learning attitude. Gender, perceived household financial status, mother’s educational attainment, and mother’s nationality were control variables in this study. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the mediation model (Baron & Kenny, 1986).

Results: Teacher support was significantly associated with perceived career barriers (β = -.146, p < .001, β = -.171, p < .001), and this relationship was significantly mediated by academic adaptation (β = .143, p < .001, β = .350, p < .001). On the other hand, the association between teacher-student intimacy and perceived career barriers were fully mediated by academic adaptation (β = -.119, p = .068).

Conclusions: Building up career plans and career aspirations are essential in adolescence because they manage the direction of their future career which helps to achieve individual’s self-realization. However, multicultural adolescents show higher level of language barriers, and academic challenges alongside with experiences of social discrimination or bullying. These negative experiences have directly influenced on career developments of multicultural adolescents, and it can lead to perceived career barrier. Based on the results of this study, teacher support and teacher-student intimacy contribute significantly to lowering perceived career barriers and it implies teachers can facilitate career advancement and reduce perceived career barriers of multicultural adolescents. Therefore, school itself is imperative to provide solid career development programs, and services for multicultural adolescents.