The Moderating Effect of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Student Intervention Program on the Relationship between School Career Guidance and Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy in Oman

Undecidedness about career can cause significant disruption in the pursuance of tertiary education and wrong career choice. Hence, students need self-efficacy in career decision-making. At Sultan Qaboos University, a career intervention program based on augmented reality and virtual reality is offered to students prior to enrolment in this university as a means of enhancing their learning experiences about career prospects. This study aimed at determining the role of a career intervention program at the university entrance level to boost students’ efficacy about career decision-making that they learn from career guidance and counseling in school. Using a Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling approach, this study had examined the direct and indirect relationship of school career guidance and counseling moderated by AR/VR student intervention program with career decision-making self-efficacy. A total of 222 students were randomly selected to participate in this study. Findings indicated that both school career guidance and counseling and AR/VR student intervention program significantly influence career decision-making self-efficacy with a predictive accuracy of 68.9 percentage It was also found that AR/VR student intervention program significantly moderate the relationship of school career guidance and counseling with career decision-making self-efficacy. In comparison, AR/VR student intervention program has a larger effect size on career decision-making self-efficacy compared to school career guidance and counseling. These findings stressed on the need for career intervention program prior to university enrolment and using current technologies like AR/VR to enhance students’ efficacy about career<br>