TPC-Journal-V4-Issue2

The Professional Counselor \Volume 4, Issue 2 143 4.09, SD = .57; members: M = 4.17, SD = .58); control: t (134) = –.022, p = .983, r = .05 (mentors: M = 4.3, SD = .87; members: M = 4.3, SD = .91); support: t (134) = –1.681, p = .095, r = –.14 (mentors: M = 3.67, SD = .51; members: M = 3.83, SD = .57); decision independence: t (134) = –.540, p = .590, r = .04 (mentors: M = 3.71, SD = .90; members: M = 3.79, SD = .75); and life satisfaction: t (134) = –.221, p = .826, r = –.20 (mentors: M = 5.57, SD = .12; members: M = 5.62, SD = .12) . Therefore, a decision was made not to disaggregate the data into member and mentor groups, since there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups, and smaller group samples would reduce the validity of the findings. Life Satisfaction and Career Transition Reliability was reported for each career transition variable using Cronbach’s alpha (life satisfaction = .87, readiness = .87, confidence = .83, control = .69, support = .66, decision independence = .67). All transition vari- ables had positive, statistically significant correlations with one another (ranging from .25 to .56). Results from the SWLS indicated satisfied to average level of satisfaction ( M = 5.59; SD = 1.21) for participants. To address the hypothesis that all transition variables correlated with life satisfaction, bivariate correlation analysis using Pearson’s r was utilized. Using the SWLS and the CTI means for each variable (readiness, con- fidence, control, support and decision independence), a correlation matrix was developed (Table 1). Two tran- sition variables, confidence ( r = .23) and control ( r = .31), demonstrated little statistically significant positive correlations to life satisfaction. Thus, the overall hypothesis stating that all variables would be correlated with life satisfaction was not supported. Table 1 Means, Standard Deviations and Correlations for Life Satisfaction and Career Transition CTI M SD Life Satisfaction 1 2 3 4 5 Life Satisfaction 5.59 1.21 1.00 Readiness 2.89 .58 –.09 1.00 Confidence 4.11 .57 .23** .38** 1.00 Control 4.29 .88 .31** .41** .56** 1.00 Support 3.72 .53 .11 .25** .50** .39** 1.00 Decision Independence 3.73 .85 .10 .30** .51** .39** .35** 1.00 Note: CTI = Career Transitions Inventory. ** p < 0.01 (two-tailed). Results from multiple regression analyses were used to address the main research question: To what extent is the life satisfaction of military members who are transitioning or have transitioned to teaching explained by the five career transition factors (readiness, confidence, control, perceived support, and decision independence)? Of the five predictor variables, control was the only transition variable found to explain life satisfaction (Table 2). Control was responsible for 10% of the variance in life satisfaction ( F (1, 134) = 14.60, R = .10, beta = .31, p < .001); whereas readiness was responsible for adding approximately 6% ( F (3, 133) = 8.87, R = .16, beta = –.28, p < .01). Combined, control and readiness accounted for approximately 16% of the variance in life satisfaction,