ERIC Number: EJ972525
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 29
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1380-3611
EISSN: N/A
Educational Choice in Secondary School in Flanders: The Relative Impact of Occupational Interests on Option Choice
Pinxten, Maarten; De Fraine, Bieke; Van Den Noortgate, Wim; Van Damme, Jan; Anumendem, Dickson
Educational Research and Evaluation, v18 n6 p541-569 2012
The present study aims at unravelling the myriad of student-level (i.e., gender, socioeconomic status [SES], academic self-concept, achievement, ability, and occupational interests) and school-level (i.e., gender composition, maths composition, and SES composition) determinants of option choice in the academic track of secondary school in Flanders. We focused on 2 decisional thresholds in Flemish secondary education, namely, the transition from Grade 8 to Grade 9 (N = 2518) and from Grade 10 to Grade 11 (N = 2871). Data were analyzed through multinomial multilevel analysis. Our results strongly confirm Lent's (2005) jigsaw puzzle metaphor in that different factors go into a complex and dynamic interplay. Especially in the first grades, prior achievement is a major predictor of option choice in secondary education, whereas in the last years occupational interests become increasingly important. From a gender perspective, boys rather choose math/sciences-oriented options than girls. Option choice is mainly determined by student-level rather than school-level predictors. (Contains 5 tables and 1 figure.)
Descriptors: Secondary Education, School Choice, Grade 9, Grade 8, Grade 11, Grade 10, Foreign Countries, Gender Differences, Socioeconomic Status, Self Concept, Academic Achievement, Academic Ability, Occupational Aspiration, Student Interests, Mathematics Achievement, Predictor Variables, Sciences, Language Arts, Humanities, Career Development
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Grade 10; Grade 11; Grade 12; Grade 9; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Belgium
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A