What Influences the Success of Career Exploration in School?

Introduction. Career exploration is an individual's efforts to gain a better understanding of career-related information, alternatives, and choices. Through career exploration, individuals develop self-awareness and knowledge about future work, which may contribute to forming a commitment to a career choice. Career exploration behavior encompasses self-assessment and external search activities that provide information to support career choice and adjustment. Aim. The aim of this study was to determine the factors that influence the success of career exploration in schools. Career exploration is one of the important stages in the process of making informed career decision, as it can be linked to difficulties in making career decisions due to a lack of maturity in career exploration. Methodology and research methods. This article presents a systematic literature review on the factors influencing career exploration in schools, using the Scopus and Web of Science databases. The research examines career exploration in schools between 2018 and 2023. A total of 137 articles were reviewed, and 36 were selected based on inclusion criteria. A bibliometric review was then conducted, involving empirical and theoretical analysis of the available data related to the phenomenon of career exploration in schools and the factors that influence it. Result. The bibliometric results and the influential factors related to career exploration in schools are presented. The largest number of affiliated journals and authors studying this phenomenon originate from the United States of America. The research findings indicate that the influential factors of career exploration can be categorized into four groups: in-depth self-exploration, extensive self-exploration, in-depth environmental exploration, and extensive environmental exploration. Scientific novelty. The scientific novelty of this research lies in the discovery of factors that influence the success of career exploration in schools. This includes the initial grand theory of career exploration trends, the distribution of best practices for successful career exploration across various countries representing different continents, and up-to-date literature from the last five years. Practical significance. This systematic literature review has addressed how career exploration activities are conducted in schools, highlighting the influencing factors and their correlations with other fields. The results of this research have implications for future studies, particularly regarding career exploration as an individual decision-making preference. For educators, the findings suggest a need for individualized planning services to enhance students' career exploration, making it more focused and measurable in the context of career decision-making.