Educational and Occupational Aspirations: A Longitudinal Study of Vienna Youth

22. April 2022 / Sowi IV

By Ona Valls, Franz Astleithner, Brigitte Schels, Susanne Vogl and Raphaela Kogler

During their transition from lower to upper secondary education, young people make educational and occupational choices driven by their aspirations. Such aspirations are shaped by the individuals’ social environment, their idea of what seems achievable and desirable, and their experiences. Therefore, aspirations can change during the transitional phase. In this article, we explore the development of educational and occupational aspirations of young people over three years. Drawing on the panel survey data (2018–2020) of the Pathways to the Future project, we simultaneously explore stability and change of educational and occupational aspirations. We describe different patterns of change in aspirations and analyse the influence of sociodemographic characteristics and prior achievement on these patterns. Using latent transition analysis, we identify 11 patterns of aspirations with important differences depending on social background. Most of the students have stable aspirations. However, the results show that school performance, migration background, and the level of parental education play important roles in explaining different levels and patterns of aspirations over time. 

PDF (free Download)

Zum Seitenanfang