WiSel II (waves 4-5): Individual and contextual determinants of vocational choice and entrance into vocational education and training

During lower secondary education young adults deal more and more with the upcoming career choice. Studies have shown that career choice is not implemented only by adolescents themselves but interacts with persons of reference and further social environment. However, the extent of fit between a person’s characteristics (interests, skills) and the job requirements in the apprenticeship generally manifests after the transition to vocational education and training (VET). With that in mind, the key questions focus on two important research topics: 1) To what extent do personal characteristics and contextual factors influence and predict choice actions and corresponding outcomes in lower secondary school as well as educational decisions and the choice of the apprenticeship’s professions at the end of lower secondary school? 2) To what extent do characteristics of choice actions, characteristics of persons of reference in school and family and the companies’ socialization tactics after transition influence performance indicators at the end of the first year of post-compulsory education? Primary theoretical starting point is the social-cognitive career model (Lent, Brown and Hackett, 1994). The planned study is based on the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) project “Institutional Determinants of Tracking during the Transition in Lower Secondary Education (Effects of Tracking)”. It longitudinally extends the project with two additional waves of measurement. The ninth grade adolescents that have participated in previous waves of measurement are surveyed one more time. The sample is enhanced with supplementary ninth graders. In ninth grade, data on aspects of choice actions, choice attitudes and associated contextual factors are collected. In the first year of post-compulsory education, the experienced socialization tactics employed by the company and the performance indicators are measured. Additionally, teachers are asked about the post-compulsory education of their students at the end of ninth grade in order to validate the adolescents’ information. For the first time in the Swiss educational context, this study examines, on a longitudinal basis and starting from the end of primary school, how educational and career decision-making processes interact with one another resulting in more or less successful performances after transition to post-compulsory education. In a theoretical perspective, this project enables further development of models on career choice and on transition to post-compulsory education. In practical term (valorization), this project provides schools, career counseling and teacher education administrations helpful basics to support adolescents in the process of career decision-making (optimization of school-to-work transition). Finally, this project provides insights on how companies may introduce and support newcomers. The project implements the project "Institutional conditions of selection in the transition to lower secondary education". (Effects of selection WiSel I, No. 11063). The two datasets can be linked: https://forsbase.unil.ch/dataset/dataset-detail/16266/1473/