Socioeconomic Status and the Career Aspirations of Australian School Students: Testing Enduring Assumptions

Autor/inn/en	Gore, Jennifer; Holmes, Kathryn; Smith, Max; Southgate, Erica; Albright, Jim
Titel	Socioeconomic Status and the Career Aspirations of Australian School Students: Testing Enduring Assumptions
Quelle	In: Australian Educational Researcher, 42 (2015) 2, S.155-177 (23 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0311-6999
DOI	10.1007/s13384-015-0172-5
Schlagwörter	Socioeconomic Status; Occupational Aspiration; Demography; Predictor Variables; Career Choice; Student Educational Objectives; Educational Practices; Educational Policy; Cohort Analysis; Student Participation; Access to Education; Outreach Programs; Developmental Studies Programs; Low Income Groups; Student Surveys; Academic Aspiration; Foreign Countries; Secondary School Students; Australia + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Socio-economic status; Sozioökonomischer Status; Berufsneigung; Berufsziel; Demografie; Prädiktor; Bildungspraxis; Politics of education; Bildungspolitik; Kohortenanalyse; Schülermitarbeit; Schülermitwirkung; Studentische Mitbestimmung; Education; Access; Bildung; Zugang; Bildungszugang; Jobcoaching; Developmental studies; Developmental psychology; Study; Studies; Entwicklungspsychologie; Studium; Schülerbefragung; Ausland; Sekundarschüler; Australien
Abstract	Recent Australian government targets for higher education participation have produced a flurry of activity focused on raising the aspirations of students from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. In this paper we test two key assumptions underpinning much of this activity: that students from low-SES backgrounds hold lower career aspirations; and that outreach activities appropriately target secondary school students, given that younger students' aspirations are relatively under-developed. Drawing on a sample of 3,504 students, we map the intersection of the career aspirations of students in Years 4, 6, 8, and 10 with SES and other demographic variables in order to contribute to the evidence base for academic, educational, and political work on access to higher education and the policies, practices, and outcomes that might ensue. Aspirations are assessed in terms of occupational certainty, occupational choice, occupational prestige, and occupational justification. We found fewer differences by year level and by SES than expected. Our analyses demonstrate both the complexity of students' career aspirations and some of the challenges associated with undertaking this kind of research, thus signalling the need for caution in the development of policy and interventions in this field. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Springer. 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-348-4505; e-mail: service-ny@springer.com; Web site: http://www.springerlink.com
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01