A study on the relationship between cooperative education, self-efficacy, and employability of sports major students

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected the normal operation of the global economy, leading to a significant decline in demand in the job market, leaving sports major students unemployed. In light of this, the present study aims to examine the associations between cooperative education (i.e., family-school-industry partnerships), self-efficacy, and employability of Chinese sports major students. Data was collected from a sample of 384 Chinese university students, consisting of 68.8% males and 31.2% females. Participants completed questionnaires on cooperative education, self-efficacy, and employability. Descriptive statistics and mediation analysis were employed to analyze the obtained data. The findings revealed a positive correlation between cooperative education and employability, with the mediating role of self-efficacy in this relationship. These significant findings serve as a foundation for future researchers to further.