Career Adaptability of Higher Vocational College Students under Home-School Collaboration in China

Despite growing interest in family influences on career development, little is known about how parental involvement shapes career adaptability among Chinese higher vocational college students and through what psychological mechanisms. This study examines the effect of students’ perception of parental involvement on career adaptability, with self-leadership as a mediator. Survey data were collected from 939 students in several higher vocational institutions in China. Reliability and validity were assessed using SPSS and AMOS, and hypotheses were tested using regression-based mediation analysis with bootstrapping. Perception of parental involvement positively predicted self-leadership (? = .320, p < .001) and career adaptability (? = .340, p < .001), and self-leadership positively predicted career adaptability (? = .474, p < .001). Bootstrapping results indicated a significant partial mediating effect of self-leadership. These findings suggest that students who perceive higher levels of parental involvement are more likely to develop stronger self-leadership skills, which in turn enhance their ability to cope with career-related challenges and transitions. These findings advance understanding of the mechanisms linking family factors to students’ career development in Chinese higher vocational education, and offer practical implications for parents, higher vocational colleges, and policymakers to develop coordinated home-school career interventions that cultivate students’ self-leadership and ultimately strengthen their career adaptability.