Psychological Capital as Predictor to Career Readiness of BTLEd Pre-service Teachers

Abstract

This quantitative correlational study investigated the relationship between psychological capital and career readiness among Bachelor of Technology and Livelihood Education (BTLEd) pre-service teachers at Davao del Norte State College, conducted between January and June 2024. The objective was to determine whether psychological capital comprising self-efficacy, optimism, and resilience significantly predicts career readiness. The study involved 93 pre-service teachers selected through complete enumeration sampling. Standardized instruments were utilized to assess the levels of psychological capital and career readiness. Descriptive statistics showed that the participants exhibited a ry high level of psychological capital, with an overall mean of 4.30 (SD = 0.53), and a similarly very high level of career readiness, with an overall mean of 4.34 (SD = 0.43). Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed a strong positive relationship between psychological capital and career readiness (r = 0.844, p < 0.001), indicating that pre-service teachers with higher psychological capital tend to demonstrate greater readiness for their future careers. Multiple linear regression analysis further confirmed this relationship, with an F-value of 74.475 and a p-value less than 0.001. The R² value of 0.715 indicated that 71.5% of the variance in career readiness could be explained by psychological capital. Among its components, self-efficacy, optimism, and resilience were identified as significant predictors. The findings suggest that psychological capital plays a crucial role in enhancing the career readiness of BTLEd pre-service teachers. Therefore, incorporating initiatives that strengthen these psychological traits within teacher education programs may help better prepare future educators for professional success patients. These predictors, however, need further work to validate reliability.