• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.101-118
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• 2014

"Career maturity" is very crucial for high school students since it has an impact on their career path and decision-making. Not only that, it is also important in self-realization and happiness as well as maximizing human resources. When it comes to understanding high school students' career path, it is necessary to know how they perceive school life since they spend most of their time in school. It's also vital to observe in the perspective of students' personal growth. This study seeks to understand the relationship between "adaptation to school life" "self-esteem" and "career maturity". To accomplish this, the 7th additional surveys conducted by Welfare Panel Study were used. The survey was conducted among 496 high school students in order to come up with descriptive statistics and correlation between "adaptation to school life" and "self-esteem" as well as the level of "career maturity". Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to understand the effects of "adaptation to school life" and "self-esteem" on "career maturity." The Baron and Kennny mediation analysis were used to understand the effects when the mediating role of "self-esteem" comes into the relationship between "adaptation to school life" and "career maturity". The results of the analysis are as follows: First, the average age for high school students' "career maturity" is 2.07, while it is 1.91 for "self-esteem". For "adaptation to school life," the relationship between "obedience to school regulations" and "relationship with friends" was relatively higher than the relationship between "attitude toward school life" and "interest in school life" Second, high school students' "career maturity" "adaptation to school life" and "self-esteem" were thought to be statistically meaningful since it showed that they had a positive relationship with each other. Third, "interest in school life" "attitude toward school life" and "obedience to school life" and "relationship with friends" in which all of these are the sub factors for "adaptation to school life" together with "self-esteem" had an influence on high school students' "career maturity". Lastly, the relationship between "adaptation to school life" and "career maturity" was proved to be influenced by the partial mediating role of "self-esteem". As the study seeks to find relationships and the factors that affect high school students' "career maturity" meaningful information is given out for the development and progress of educational programs for "career maturity". This was done by understanding the fundamental and systematic approach towards "career maturity" in the students' perspective.