The Effects of Self-Directed Learning Ability on Self-Determination and Career Maturity among Students in the Department of SECURITY Services

Abstract

Human beings always look for a suitable career for them and seek self-realization as well as economic stability through professional activities. Hence, college life can be seen as a particularly important time facing a transition to the world of work in terms of career preparation and career decision making. However, today's society is rapidly changing so that it causes uncertainties about college students' future courses who are supposed to graduate from college, achieve capacities and then contribute to the nation, society and organization. Therefore it seems that colleges need to be more proactive in their students' career issues. This study is to analyze the effect relationship of self-directed learning ability on self-determination and career maturity among students of security services, understand how the causal relationship of variables is, and emphasize the need to conduct research for the development of security industry and universities with the department of security services. Subjects of this study consist of 500 students who attend one of 6 universities with the department related to security services. This study used SPSS 20.0 version. In order to ensure reliability and validity of questionnaires, Cronbach's Alpha of Internal Consistency Method and Exploratory Factor Analysis were conducted. While frequency analysis was conducted to analyze demographic characteristics of this sample, ANOVA was applied for identify differences among variables by each demographic characteristic. Correlation analysis on measurement variables and multiple regression analysis were conducted in order to analyze effects of self-directed learning ability on self-determination and career maturity. First, as results of difference analysis on self-directed learning ability, self-determination and career maturity by each demographic characteristic, mostly there was no significant difference, however, behavioral domain by gender was higher among females than males and compromise was significantly higher among females than males. Cognitive, affective, behavioral domain and competence by grade were significantly higher among those scored higher than those scored lower. Second, as results of effect analysis of self-directed learning ability on self-determination and career maturity, it appeared that self-directed learning ability positively influences on self-determination and career maturity. Sub-factors of self-directed learning ability, cognitive domain(.185), affective domain(.273) and behavioral domain(0.96) all positively influence on self-determination. Also, it appeared that sub-factors of self-directed learning ability, cognitive domain(.109), affective domain(.305), behavioral domain(.095) all positively influence on self-determination. Consequently, through improving self-directed learning ability which enables security services students to take the initiative in their learning, set and conduct learning objectives and strategies and evaluate learning outcomes, they can solve the problems related to college maladjustment and career issues since it can positively influence on their thoughts, behaviors and career issues.