Being over- or underchallenged : effects on students' career aspirations via self-concept and boredom

Abstract

In a school context, heterogeneous classes regarding cognitive capabilities and previous knowledge are one challenge teachers are confronted with. Consequently, the same instructional setting could result in students being overchallenged due to task demands above their abilities and students being underchallenged due to task demands below their abilities. Being over- or underchallenged 1st) plays a crucial role for the students’ expectancy of success which in turn influences their career aspirations and 2nd) is important for the level of boredom which the students experience. Furthermore, high levels of boredom could also decrease career aspirations. The present study investigates the influence of students’ being over- or underchallenged on their career aspirations mediated by academic self-concept and academic boredom. We tested these mediation hypotheses with a sample of N = 662 Swiss high-school students (Mage = 17.69) from 35 classes by using a questionnaire-based trait assessment of subject specific (i.e., German, French, mathematics) perceived challenge, self-concept, boredom and career aspirations. Results showed that being overchallenged reduces students’ career aspirations while taking self-concept into account, whereas being underchallenged enhances these aspirations via self-concept. Furthermore, we could also show a negative effect of both, being over- and underchallenged, on students’ career aspirations mediated by boredom. As such, the results of our study indicate effects of heterogeneity (being over- or underchallenged) on students’ career aspirations and suggest that boredom – as the most frequently experienced emotion at school – shouldn’t be neglected when looking at future career choice.