Differences in Career Anxiety of Senior High School Students by Gender: A Comparative Study in East Java
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24235/ccy2vr41Keywords:
Guidance and counseling , career anxiety, gender, high school students , senior high schoolAbstract
Career anxiety is commonly experienced by high school students as they face increasing demands for educational and career planning. However, evidence regarding gender differences in career anxiety at the senior high school level, particularly in Indonesia, remains limited. This study aimed to examine the level of career anxiety among senior high school (or equivalent) students in East Java and determine whether significant differences exist based on gender. A quantitative comparative design was employed involving 128 students (36 males and 92 females) selected through cluster sampling from several senior high schools in East Java. Data were collected using a career anxiety scale with strong psychometric properties (Cronbach's Alpha = 0.927). The data were analyzed using normality and homogeneity tests followed by an Independent Samples t-test. The findings indicated that students generally experienced a moderate level of career anxiety. Female students obtained a slightly higher mean score (M = 79.95) than male students (M = 76.72); however, the difference was not statistically significant (t = -1.137, df = 126, p = .258). These findings suggest that gender is not a significant predictor of career anxiety among high school students. Instead, career anxiety may be more strongly influenced by individual factors, such as self-confidence and career readiness, as well as contextual support. Therefore, career guidance and counseling services should focus on strengthening career readiness, self-confidence, and career decision-making skills while providing equal support for all students regardless of gender.
Downloads
References
Adnan, M. N., & Bhakti, C. P. (2025). The Role of Guidance and Counseling Teachers in Reducing Career Anxiety Faced by Students in the Digital Era. LEARNING: Journal of Research and Learning Innovation, 5(1), 363–373.
Ananda, Y. Y., Sari, T. H., & Nauli, F. A. (2025a). Overview of Anxiety in College Decision-Making in Adolescents. JHCN: Journal of Health and Cardiovascular Nursing, 5(2), 106–114. https://doi.org/10.36082/jhcn.v5i2.2345
Ariyani, D. (2024). The Effect of Career Adaptability on Career Anxiety: Mediated by Perceived Control.
Assyifa, F., Fadilah, S., Wasilah, S., Fitria, Y., & Muthmainah, N. (2023). Gender Relationship with Anxiety Level in Final Level PSKPS FK ULM Students in Final Project Work on Final Projects. Hemeostasis, 6(2), 333–338.
Betz, N. E., & Luzzo, D. A. (1996). Career Assessment and the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale. Journal of Career Assessment, 4(4). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/106907279600400405
Boo, S., Wang, C., & Kim, M. (2021). Career Adaptability Future Time Perspective, and Career Anxiety Among Undergraduate Students: A Cross National Comparison. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education, 29. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2021.100328
Brown, S. D., & Lent, R. W. (2019). Social Cognitive Career Theory at 25: Progress in Studying the Domain Satisfaction and Career Self-Management Models. Journal of Career Assessment, 27(4). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072719852736
Budi, A., Dian, N., & Sawitri, R. (2025). Antecedents and Consequences of Career Decision-Making Self-efficacy in High School Students : A Scoping Review. The Role of Digital Technology in Improving the Efficiency and Quality of HR Management and Education in the Industrial Era 4.0, 201–212.
Carkit, E. (2025). A Social Cognitive Lens on Employment Anxiety and Career Optimism in the Transition from School to Work. The Career Development Quarterly, 09(11), 194–204. https://doi.org/10.1002/cdq.70000
Elfina, M. L., & Andriany, D. (2023). Career Self-Efficacy and Future Career Anxiety on Indonesian Fresh Graduates During Pandemic. Journal of Guidance and Counseling Studies, 8(1), 24–32. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.17977/um001v8i12023p24-32
Febriana, L. Z., & Masykur, A. M. (2021). The Relationship Between Family Social Support and Self-Efficacy of Career Decision Making in Grade XI Students of SMA Negeri 1. Journal of Empathy, 10(Number 06), 390–396. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.14710/empati.2021.33217
Guo, L. (2025). Navigating the Future : Factors Influencing Adolescents ’ Career Expectation Uncertainty in a Dynamic World. The Career Development Quarterly, 73, 2–15. https://doi.org/10.1002/cdq.12372
Haenggli, M., & Hirschi, A. (2020). Career adaptability and career success in the context of a broader career resources framework. Journal of Vocational Behavior.
Hou, C., Wu, Y., & Liu, Z. (2019). Career decision-making self-efficacy mediates the effect of social support on career adaptability: A longitudinal study. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 47, 1–13. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.8157
Jannah, F. N., & Cahyawulan, W. (2023). Overview of Final Year Students' Career Anxiety during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Indonesian Journal of Guidance and Counseling, 12(1), 45–57.
Jiang, H., Zhang, L., & Zhang, W. (2024). Influence of career awareness on STEM career interests: examining the roles of self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and gender. International Journal of STEM Education, 11(22), 1–21. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-024-00482-7
Karakus, E. G. U., Erus, S. M., & Satıcı, S. A. (2026). Exploring the link between family support and career adaptability: a meta-analytic perspective. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 04(06). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s10775-026-09808-z
Karamoy, Y. K., Letisia, M., & Mutakin, F. (2023). The Effect of Cognitive Restructuring Engineering Group Counseling on Career Anxiety of Grade XI Students of SMK Madinatul Ulum. Journal of Guidance and Counseling Ar Rahman, 9(2), 187–194. https://doi.org/10.31602/jbkr.v9i2.12599
Kelmendi, K., & Jemini-Gashi, L. (2022). An Exploratory Study of Gender Role Stress and Psychological Distress of Women in Kosovo. Women’s Health, 16, 1–15. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057221097823
Khadijah, S. S., Nurhikmah, & Zainuddin, N. I. (2025). The Effect of Career Exploration on Career Anxiety in Final Year Students in Makassar City. Journal of Character Psychology, 5(2), 520–526. https://doi.org/10.56326/jpk.v5i2.7488
Maghfiroh, F. F., & Dewi, T. K. (2023). The Relationship of Career Anxiety to the Psychological Well-Being of Final Students. Sikontan Journal: Journal of Psychology and Health, 2(1), 23–38. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.47353/sikontan.v2i1.1122
Marcionetti, J., & Zammitti, A. (2025). Perceived support and influences in adolescents’ career choices: a mixed‑methods study. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 2(09), 423–446. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s10775-023-09624-9
Mariah, W., Yusmami, & Pohan, R. A. (2020). Analysis of Students' Career Anxiety Levels. CONSILIUM Periodical of Counseling and Religious Studies Studies, 7(2), 60–69.
Nugraha, S. P. H. S. (2022). The Role of Contemporary Gender in Indonesia - Change and Sustainability : A Literature Study. Psychology, 27, 351–378. https://doi.org/10.20885/psikologika.vol27.iss2.art9
Purwaningsih, R. I., & Multisari, W. (2026). Counseling on the Contribution of Self-Efficacy and Perceived Parental Expectations to Vocational School Students' Career Decision Making. Horizon of Guidance and Counseling, 1(1), 12–25.
Ramanda, P. (2023). Career Anxiety of Students of the Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training of UIN Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin Banten Reviewed from Gender. Indonesian Journal of Educational Counseling, 7(1), 72–84.
S.Sharf, R. (2013). Applying Career Development Theory Counseling (E. Momb (ed.); Sixth Edit). Jon-David Hague.
Setiawan, E. A., & Musslifah, A. R. (2023). Anxiety in Career Decision Making in Adolescents. Speech: Journal of Social Communication and Humanities, 1(3), 92–101. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.47861/tuturan.v1i3.326
Sharf, R. S. (2012). Theories of Psychotheraphy And Counseling: Concepts and Cases (Fifth Edit). Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.
Sholikah, S. M., Rohmah, S. A., & Asri, D. N. (2025). Anxiety Analysis in Determining the Career Path of Junior High School Students. Journal of Guidance and Counseling of Ar-Rahman, 11, 169–174. https://doi.org/10.31602/jbkr.v11.i1.19019
Sugiyono. (2019). Quantitative, Qualitative, and R&D Research Methods (Sutopo (ed.); 2nd ed.). Alphabet.
Suharto, R. D., Ramli, M., Atmoko, A., & Pramudya, E. (2025). Overcoming Career Anxiety of Grade XII Students with Cognitive Behavioral Counseling. 5(3). https://doi.org/10.17977/um065.v5.i3.2025.2
Tsai, C.-T. (Simon), Hsu, H., & Hsu, Y.-C. (2017). Tourism and Hospitality College Students’ Career Anxiety: Scale Development and Validation. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education, 00(00), 0–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/10963758.2017.1382365
Ullah, S. S. (2025). Impact of Gender Role Expectations on Mental Health Among Working Women in South Asian Households. Journal of Social Science Perspectives, 2(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.65761/jssp.2025.v2.i1.6
Wang, D., Li, Y., & Wang, G. (2024). A systematic review on career interventions for high school students. December, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1461503
Yusuf, A. M., & Daharnis. (2017). Student Career Planning in High School Reviewed from Socioeconomic Status, Gender, and Major. Journal of Biology, 01(3), 8–14. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.26740/bikotetik.v1n1.p8-14
Zulfahmi, A., & Andriany, D. (2021). Vocational Maturity with Anxiety in Facing the World of Work in Final Students. Cognicia, 9(2), 64–75. https://doi.org/10.22219/cognicia.v9i2.15728
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Proposed Policy for Journals That Offer Open Access
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
Proposed Policy for Journals That Offer Delayed Open Access
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication, with the work [SPECIFY PERIOD OF TIME] after publication simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
