The Relationship between Career Aspirations and Academic Self-Efficacy in Students of Wasit City: The Moderating Role of Educational Justice and Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy

Academic self-efficacy is a crucial variable for the academic success of students. This study aimed to determine the relationship between career aspirations and academic self-efficacy, considering the moderating roles of educational justice and career decision-making self-efficacy among students in Wasit City, Iraq. The research employed a correlational design, and the statistical population consisted of students enrolled in universities in Wasit City, Iraq, during the spring and summer of 1403 (summer of 2024). From this population, 250 students were selected through convenience sampling and subsequently responded to three questionnaires: the Career Aspirations Questionnaire (Danziger et al., 2008), the Academic Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (Midgley et al., 2000), the Educational Justice Questionnaire (Golparvar, 2010), and the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (Betz et al., 1996). The research data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient and hierarchical regression analysis through SPSS version 26. The results indicated that among the eight components of career aspirations, educational justice only moderated the relationship between security and stability with academic self-efficacy, and career decision-making self-efficacy only moderated the relationship between technical and functional competence with academic self-efficacy (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01). Based on the findings of the present study, the roles of career aspirations, educational justice, and career decision-making self-efficacy should be considered in academic environments to enhance students' academic success.