A Conceptual Paper: STEM Career Interest and Career Readiness

Abstract

This conceptual paper examines the role of STEM career interest in predicting career readiness among Malaysian secondary school students in STEM streams. Guided by Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), the paper positions career interest as an affective motivational construct that drives students to engage in exploration, planning and decision-making behaviours associated with readiness for future study and work. Within SCCT, cognitive beliefs such as career self-efficacy and career outcome expectations are recognised as antecedents that shape career interest formation. However, this paper focuses specifically on the direct motivational pathway linking STEM career interest to career readiness. Drawing on theoretical and empirical literature, the discussion explains how sustained career interest in STEM domains enhances persistence, proactive engagement and informed career decision-making, all of which signify readiness to pursue STEM pathways. By synthesising current evidence and highlighting key gaps in Malaysian secondary education research, this paper underscores the importance of prioritising STEM career interest as a central motivational determinant of career readiness and calls for future empirical studies to test this relationship within the Malaysian context.