Marzieh Jalali, Fatemeh Samiee, Parisa Nilforooshan, Ali Zakery,
Volume 24, Issue 95 (12-2025)
Abstract
Aim: Given the lack of future-oriented and multi-level frameworks for explaining adolescents’ career aspirations under the uncertain conditions of the future of work, this study aimed to identify key influencing factors and emerging patterns shaping these aspirations toward the 2050 horizon. This was achieved by analyzing the interaction of political, economic, social, technological, legal, environmental, and psychological factors within the extended PESTEL-P model. ▌Methods: This study employed an exploratory mixed-methods design, integrating expert interviews with a scoping review of the scientific literature. In the qualitative phase, 14 experts from relevant fields were purposively selected and interviewed using semi-structured protocols. In the scoping review phase, 16 peer-reviewed articles indexed in the Scopus database (2000–2024) were analyzed based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. ▌Findings: Five emerging patterns were identified: (1) a semantic shift in career aspirations from stable, status-oriented goals toward immediate and symbolic success; (2) increasing economic pressures accompanied by fragmentation of career identity coherence; (3) the growing influence of technology, digital media, and virtual identities; (4) the declining authority of family and educational institutions alongside the rise of media-based role modeling; and (5) a widening gap between formal policymaking and generational realities, resulting in unstable and short-term career choices. ▌Conclusion: Adolescents’ career aspirations are increasingly shifting from traditional, meaning-oriented goals toward technology-driven, media-influenced, and short-term pathways. These findings underscore the need to critically rethink educational policies, skill-development programs, and career counseling practices in order to better support adaptive and future-oriented career design.
Yussef Piltan, Mohammad Rabiee, Rezvan Salehi, Mohammad Reza Abedi,
Volume 24, Issue 96 (1-2026)
Abstract
▌Aim: Identifying vocational interest assessment tools that both possess acceptable psychometric properties and remain aligned with contemporary developments represents a current challenge in Iran. The objective of this scoping review was to compile a comprehensive inventory of vocational interest assessment tools available in Iran for which psychometric properties have been examined. ▌Methods: This study was conducted as a scoping review. The study corpus consisted of Persian-language articles on educational and vocational interest inventories published in Iran. A total of 54 articles were retrieved from the Civilica, Comprehensive Portal of Humanities, Noormags, MagIran, and SID databases. The article selection process followed the PRISMA-ScR flow diagram, and after screening, 12 articles published between 1377 and 1397 (Solar Hijri calendar) were included in the final review. ▌Findings: The review identified five vocational interest assessment instruments. Analyses indicated that the majority of research focused on Tracey’s Personal Globe Inventory (8 studies), followed by instruments based on Holland’s Hexagonal Model (4 studies). ▌Conclusion: Examination of the psychometric properties of these instruments revealed a predominant emphasis on internal structure validity and internal consistency reliability. Notably, no vocational interest assessment tool grounded in Iran’s indigenous cultural context has yet been developed. Future research is therefore necessary to address existing gaps in validity evidence for vocational interest assessment tools in Iran.
