ERIC Number: EJ1303684
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Jul
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-0663
EISSN: N/A
Vocational Interest Profiles in Secondary School: Accounting for Multiplicity and Exploring Associations with Future-Oriented Choices
Slot, Esther M.; Bronkhorst, Larike H.; Akkerman, Sanne F.; Wubbels, Theo
Journal of Educational Psychology, v113 n5 p1059-1071 Jul 2021
Secondary school students in the Netherlands already face future-oriented decisions about their educational careers, which are expected to be informed by their interests in specific vocations or occupations. However, vocational interest assessment tools generally do not account for the possibility that students are interested in multiple vocational domains, potentially challenging students' future-oriented decision-making processes. The present study examines the different combinations of vocational interests that secondary school students have and explores how the both differentiated and nondifferentiated character of these interests' structures is associated with students' educational and career-oriented decision-making processes. A latent profile analysis on six realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, and conventional interests revealed seven distinct vocational interest profiles across a sample of 358 Grade 9 students, of which 40.8% had a nondifferentiated interest structure (i.e., a low, neutral, or broad vocational interest) and 59.2% had a differentiated interest structure (i.e., a social dominant, enterprising-conventional dominant, realistic-investigative dominant, or artistic-social-enterprising dominant interest). This finding shows that many secondary school students show similar levels of interest across different vocational activities. Additionally, associations between the differentiated and nondifferentiated structure of these profiles and students' educational track choices and career image specificities were examined. Our results extend prior work by showing that having a nondifferentiated interest structure does not necessarily mean that students are more uncertain about their educational or career choice. We suggest that future research can further explore the associations between vocational interest structures and future-oriented decisions.
Descriptors: Secondary School Students, Adolescents, Grade 9, Career Choice, Vocational Interests, Occupational Aspiration, Decision Making, Track System (Education), Individual Characteristics, Career Counseling, Gender Differences, Holistic Approach, Foreign Countries
American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education; Grade 9; High Schools; Junior High Schools; Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Netherlands
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A