Aspirations Of Adolescents Research Articles

Tracking adolescent students’ educational pathways to university through school engagement, parental expectations, and student aspirations

Although improvements have been made in terms of enhancing the number of students that enrol in higher education, the long-term educational pathways of adolescents to university studies are understudied. This calls for further research into the mechanisms that underpin the long-term educational pathways of adolescents who study at university versus those who do not. The present study examines an innovative model that tracks adolescents’ educational pathways to university in England through the developmental dynamics of emotional school engagement, parental educational expectations, and adolescent aspirations. The data came from 9173 adolescents (51.63% female) from six waves of the Next Steps cohort study in England. The data were analysed using longitudinal structural equation modelling and cross-lagged panel modelling. The results of random-intercept cross-lagged panel modelling revealed positive within-person reciprocal relations between emotional engagement, parental educational expectations, and adolescent university aspirations only between specific ages. Latent regression analysis showed that greater levels of sustained parental expectations, emotional school engagement, and adolescent university aspirations were linked to greater likelihood of pursuing university-entrance exams (A-Levels, age 17). Sustained engagement had only an indirect effect on university attendance via university-entrance exams and educational persistence (age 18). Sustained high parental educational expectations were the most direct and robust predictor of adolescents’ university attendance. The findings underscore a synergistic effect between sustained parental expectations, emotional school engagement, and adolescent university aspirations as the mechanisms that lead adolescents to university studies.

COVID-19, school closures and the retreat from educational aspirations.

As a shared external shock, the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) impacted health and well-being around the world. Mitigation strategies employed in many locations included school closures and travel restrictions. These strategies directly impacted educational access and opportunities and created economic stressors for families. This study examines how these direct impacts also altered educational aspirations for children and adolescents, an important predictor of educational attainment. We estimate multilevel regression models using two waves of data, collected in 2017-18 and 2020-21, from 1294 children and adolescents (Mean age = 13.1, SD = 2.8; 50.3% female) in Jalisco, Mexico, and 2201 children and adolescents (Mean age = 14.7, SD = 2.6; 49.1% female) in Chitwan Nepal. We examine changes in educational aspirations between the two waves (pre- and post-COVID-19 onset). Initial aspirations are positively associated with household wealth, caregiver education, and prior commitment to education. Multilevel regression models predicting changes in educational aspirations demonstrate these resources are important for maintaining high educational aspirations. But children and adolescents in households that experienced more economic loss following the external shock of the pandemic had lowered aspirations over time. Disruptions to schooling and economic shocks to households curtailed educational aspirations among children and adolescents in a similar way in two disparate settings. These results raise concerns about the educational attainment of children in the face of external shocks and the possibility that educational progress will stall in low resourced environments among the most vulnerable youth.

Educational aspirations of school adolescents in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan: how are these aspirations shaped?

PurposeThis study examines the factors influencing educational aspirations among adolescents in secondary and high schools across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan (officially Kyrgyz Republic), and Tajikistan, with a focus on their aspirations for higher and postgraduate education. Through an analysis of a sample comprising 1360 students from grades 7 to 11, the research explores the likelihood of these students pursuing tertiary education.Design/methodology/approachThe ordered logit regression models were used to analyze the impact of variables related to family background, including parents’ education, family support and SES, and school grade. Additionally, the Exploratory Factor Analysis was utilized to distill a smaller set of underlying factors or constructs from the measured variables.FindingsThe findings indicate that the mother's education level is significantly more influential compared to the father's education in shaping adolescents' aspirations for higher and postgraduate education in the Central Asian context. Additionally, hypotheses concerning the influence of family socioeconomic status (SES), family support, and grade-level differences on adolescents' higher educational aspirations have only been partially confirmed.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, no prior research work has indicated a significant impact of a mother's education on the educational aspirations of her offspring in the Central Asian region. This trend is consistent with the concept of educational hypogamy, wherein mothers possess higher educational levels than fathers, a phenomenon that is gaining prominence in contemporary family dynamics.

Intergenerational adverse childhood experiences and adolescent migration aspirations in Nicaragua

AbstractAdolescents' aspirations are strong predictors of their future outcomes, including later migration experiences. Adversity also shapes aspirations for and decisions about the future. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are measures of early exposure to adversity and may be associated with migration aspirations, though this relationship is understudied. Given high rates of gender‐based violence, single‐headed households and economic insecurity, Nicaragua is an important context to study this relationship. Drawing on Nicaragua Health and Stress Study data, we estimate multinomial logistic regressions to examine the association between adolescents' and mothers' ACEs and adolescent migration aspirations. We find that mothers' ACEs, but not adolescents' ACEs, are positively associated with adolescent migration aspirations. We also find that girls are more likely than boys to aspire to migrate. Results highlight how family and gender work together to shape young people's migration goals, with important implications for migration flows within and outside Central America.

A cross-cultural examination of adverse childhood experiences in low-and middle-income countries and their relation with adolescent educational aspirations

BackgroundAdverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that occur before the age of 18. Researchers have examined the negative associations between adversity and adolescent and adult outcomes, such as education and physical health. However, research on ACEs, and their association with other outcomes in non-western contexts is sparse. ObjectiveThe present study aims to increase our understanding of the prevalence of ACEs – and their association with educational aspirations – in low- and middle-income country contexts. Participants and settingWe utilize data from the Family Migration and Early Life Outcomes (FAMELO) project, a multi-site survey project that collected data from families in historically high-migration contexts. ACEs and educational aspirations were measured in children aged 11 to17 years in Mexico (n = 853), Mozambique (n = 651), and Nepal (n = 1180). MethodsWe use Poisson regressions to examine the prevalence of ACEs in multiple cultures, and then use multinomial logistic regressions to examine whether ACEs are associated with educational aspirations, as a practical application of the utility of the ACEs framework in cross-cultural contexts. ResultsOur results suggest that adolescents in Mozambique have a higher average number of ACEs (2.7) than adolescents in Mexico (1.4) and Nepal (1.3). Female adolescents reported fewer ACEs, while socioeconomic vulnerabilities (low-income and low parental education) were associated with higher exposure to ACEs, with differences by country. Lastly, ACEs were associated with lower educational aspirations in Mexico and Nepal. ConclusionsOur study attempted to heed the call of many scholars who have pushed for an expansion of research on ACEs in non-western, low- and middle-income country contexts.

STEM learning opportunities and career aspirations: the interactive effect of students’ self-concept and perceptions of STEM professionals

BackgroundStudents’ positive perceptions of scientists or engineers have been reported to be positively related to their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) career aspirations. However, other research indicates that positive perceptions of experts in these fields might not necessarily lead to students’ pursuit of STEM careers. Self-concept, defined as one’s perceived abilities in specific academic domains, likely plays a moderating role in the relationship between perceptions and career aspirations according to the motivational theory of role modelling. Moreover, students’ perceptions of STEM professionals might be sourced from STEM-related media and school experiences. Therefore, through running a moderated mediation model, this study examined whether and how the influences of media consumption and school STEM learning opportunities on career aspirations would be mediated by perceptions of STEM professionals, and whether the mediation effect would be conditional on students’ self-concept.MethodsData were collected through an online survey of 608 primary and secondary school students from Hong Kong, and were analysed using structural equation modelling.ResultsResults revealed that the students’ positive perceptions of STEM professionals were positively associated with their career aspirations, and mediated the links from media consumption and school opportunities to career aspirations. In addition, this mediated pathway depended on STEM self-concept, such that perceptions of STEM professionals were only linked with STEM career aspirations for adolescents with average or high levels of self-concept.ConclusionsThe findings of this study suggest the need to pay attention to the STEM perceptions and self-concept interaction while designing and implementing learning activities to connect a diversity of students with STEM careers. It is not only important to foster students’ self-concept, but also to enrich their knowledge of diverse occupations, so as to help diversify their perceptions that being professionals in these fields is desirable and attainable, and to eventually inspire more student engagement and participation in STEM.

The relationship between overweight and education revisited: a test of the selection hypothesis based on adolescents’ educational aspirations

ObjectivesThis paper examines the selection mechanism underlying the association between overweight/obesity and educational aspirations of adolescents. Study designThis is a cross-sectional study based on a survey conducted in secondary schools in Spain in 2016. MethodsWe estimate linear probability models to determine the association between adolescents’ body mass index (BMI) and their expectations to obtain a university degree, as well as their school choices representing the most usual path towards higher studies. To address the potential endogeneity of BMI, we use the instrumental variables (IV) method. Additionally, we account for potential unobserved heterogeneity by including school fixed-effects and a wide set of individual and family characteristics in our analysis. ResultsOur results indicate that adolescents with a higher BMI have lower expectations to obtain a university degree and are less likely to enrol in high school with the intention to pursue higher education in the future. The estimated effect is quite sizable and statistically significant only for girls. We estimate that a five-unit increase in BMI (e.g., the change between healthy weight and overweight) reduces girls’ expectations to complete higher education by 19 percentage points and odds of enrolling in high school (vs. vocational training) by 21 percentage points. ConclusionsWe provide empirical evidence supporting the selection hypothesis behind the relationship between BMI and adolescents’ educational aspirations. That is, unhealthy weight in adolescence is associated with poorer aspirations for further education. Lower educational aspirations during adolescence can lead to lower academic achievement, which in turn, may result in poorer health, labour market outcomes, and well-being during adulthood.

How is the Coping Mechanism, the Function of Adolescent Role in the Implementation of Vaccination of Covid-19 Vaccine Based on Psychological Distress? : Cross-sectional Study

Background: The role of Adolescent in implementing the Covid-19 vaccine is still lacking due to their maladaptive coping mechanisms, as indicated by unstable emotions. Maladaptive coping mechanisms hinder the optimal functioning of adolescent in vaccine implementation. Therefore, improvements in coping mechanisms are needed to enhance the optimal functioning of teenagers in this regard. This shows that the role of teenagers in implementing the Covid-19 vaccine is still low. Purpose: The aim of this research is to examine, using Callista Roy's theory, the relationship between coping strategies and the role of adolescents in implementing the Covid-19 vaccine. Methods: This study's design employed a cross-sectional analytical survey method with a population of 132 and a sample of 127 families utilizing proportionate stratified random. A questionnaire on coping strategies, social roles, and psychological discomfort was employed in this study, and the Spearman Rank test was used to analyze the results. Results: Based on the Spearman's Rank results, there is a relationship between coping strategies, adolescent role function, and psychological pressure in the implementation of the Covid-19 vaccine because the p-value is smaller than 0.05. Conclusion: Coping strategies, adolescent role functions, and psychological pressure have a significant relationship with the implementation of the covid vaccine in adolescents. As a result, it is recommended to maximize the role of adolescents, one of which is by empowering adolescent Vaccine Ambassadors who can serve as a platform for the aspirations of adolescents in the implementation and socialization of vaccines while also supporting it as a government program.

The role of sexual and gender identity in the life aspirations of Portuguese youth

Positive life aspirations among adolescents and young adults have been associated with greater wellbeing in the future. However, belonging to a stigmatized minority may jeopardize this process. In this work, we sought to understand the role of sexual and gender identity in the life aspirations (desires and expectations) of adolescents and young adults (14–19 years), attending secondary education in Portugal (N = 888). Two MANOVAs with sexual and gender identity as a between-subjects factor (LGBTQ+ vs. Cis-heterosexual) were conducted to inspect differences in future desires and expectations in three life domains: family, social, and material. LGBTQ + youth expressed lower desires and expectations regarding all future life domains, when compared to their cis-heterosexual peers, with greater effect sizes detected for the family domain. In general, results suggest that when contemplating their future, LGBTQ + youth may be at a disadvantage. The findings highlight the need for parents, teachers, and policymakers to recognize the adversities LGBTQ + adolescents and young people still face in the present which and might extend to their future.

The Multicultural Politics of Opportunity: A Comparative Analysis of the Occupational Aspirations of Immigrant Adolescents

Despite the growing volume of research on multiculturalism, disagreements abound regarding whether multiculturalism is truly effective for the integration of immigrant youth. However, little effort has been made to make sense of these disagreements. In the present study, we raise the possibility that multiculturalism is more likely to achieve its intended goal in countries that have developed egalitarian structures of opportunity. Cross-national multilevel data were used to analyze the occupational aspirations of 41,235 immigrant adolescents from 31 countries. The data reveal that immigrant adolescents tend to show a higher level of occupational aspirations in countries with stronger multiculturalism, but this pattern holds only among countries that have developed egalitarian economic systems. We conclude that the aspirations of immigrant adolescents depend not only on the “politics of identity” but also on its interplay with the “politics of opportunity”—the politico-economic landscape of the distribution of opportunities.

DEVELOPMENT OF A CAREER INFORMATION SERVICE MODEL THROUGH WORK TOURISM TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE YOUTH CAREER ASPIRATIONS AT SMPN 1 ENREKANG

This research is research Development of a career information service model through work tourism techniques to improve youth career aspirations. The purpose of this research is to; (1) knowing the need to develop a model of career information services through field trip techniques to increase the career aspirations of adolescents at SMPN 1 Enrekang. This type of research uses R & D (Research and Development) using the Borg & Gall model, namely the development model used to develop products career information services through field trip techniques. Data collection was carried out using interview techniques, questionnaires, and product validity, practicality and effectiveness assessment sheets. The data obtained was then analyzed with statistics. The results of the study indicate that it is necessary to develop a career information service model through field trip techniques. Based on the needs analysis related to the development of the service model, it was found that students needed career information services through field trip techniques. From the results of a questionnaire given to 32 class VIII A students at SMPN 1 Enrekang, the result was that around 75% of students did not know their career aspirations. Information was also obtained regarding the field trips needed by students based on a questionnaire given to 60 students from SMPN 1 Enrekang and SMPN 2 Enrekang, namely 30 police stations, 10 Kodim offices, 6 agency offices, 5 banks, and 4 printers. the results of the needs analysis determine the location or object of the career field trip, namely the police office, district military command office, agencies, banks and printing houses.

The influence of individual, peer, and family factors on the educational aspirations of adolescents in rural China

Educational aspirations are an important predictor of academic outcomes. While there has been considerable research on educational aspirations in the West, there has been little research in East Asia, and the investigation of factors influencing adolescent aspirations has been neglected, particularly in rural areas. Drawing on ecological systems theory and social cognitive career theory, this study investigated the associations between educational aspirations and factors at the individual, peer, and family levels among rural Chinese adolescents. A total of 606 students (Mage = 14.85 years; 50% boys) from a rural town in Central China completed questionnaires assessing their educational aspirations, individual factors (academic performance, academic self-perception, academic self-regulation, attitudes toward teachers, and goal valuation), and contextual factors (family socioeconomic status, parent and peer relationship quality, and parental and close friends’ aspirations). Individual factors and aspirations of others had significant direct effects on adolescents’ educational aspirations, while parent and peer attachments were significantly related to educational aspirations via individual factors. Family socioeconomic status was not significantly related to adolescents’ educational aspirations. The findings highlight the importance of individual factors as mechanisms explaining the link between contextual factors and rural Chinese adolescents’ educational aspirations. Our results suggest that interventions can be designed to increase and maintain the aspirations of rural Chinese youth by targeting multiple domains of influence.

How do occupational goals influence adult women’s and men’s decisions to opt out of aspired mathematics-related careers during adolescence?

An explanation for the underrepresentation of women in mathematical fields is the communal goal congruity perspective; that women tend to value communal over agentic goals, perceived to not be afforded by mathematical careers. Less is known about how agentic and communal goals may interact to influence mathematical career trajectories. Analysing a longitudinal dataset, we examined gender differences and combinations of agentic and communal goals, and how goal groups associated with trajectories from adolescent aspirations until actual careers. Among 279 participants followed from secondary school until approximately 20 years later, women valued communal goals higher than men but agentic goals similarly. Despite similar mathematical achievement, the low agentic/high communal goal group was the only group to decline in their choice of a mathematics-related career. There were more women in this group than men, concordant with the communal goal congruity perspective. Implications for future research and educational practice are discussed.

Career Values and Occupational Aspirations of Adolescents and Their Parents Aspire for the Future of Their Child

This qualitative explorative case study investigated career values and occupational aspirations of adolescent girls and boys and those that their parents aspired to for their child’s future. 45 high school students (53% girls) and their parents (n=45), from a relatively collectivist city in the Southeast region of Turkey participated to the study. Results showed that girls and their parents noted economic security; boys and their parents mentioned cultural identity, in common. Girls, boys, and their parents, all, attached importance to prestige, achievement, and loyalty to family. It was seen that both girls and boys appreciated leisure time besides work and life style, differently from their parents. In terms of occupational aspirations, while adolescent girls aspired to be English language teacher, doctor, nurse, and architect, mostly, adolescent boys aspired to be military pilot and officer, police officer, and doctor in the future. Girls' parents mentioned doctor, nurse, teacher, and lawyer and boys’ parents underlined engineer, lawyer and police officer as their aspirations for their children’s future occupations. The results implied the role of parental and contextual influences within a communal culture as well as adolescents’ own generational characteristics on career values and occupational aspirations.

Incongruence between parental and adolescent educational aspirations hinders academic attainment.

Previous research has shown that parental educational aspirations for their children are an important predictor of children's academic attainment. However, recent studies have pointed to potential negative effects, in particular if there is a mismatch between parental educational aspirations and the aspirations of their children. This study examines (1) the role of socio-demographic and school achievement-related factors in shaping a potential (mis)match between parental educational aspirations and the aspirations of their children, and (2) whether incongruence between parental and their children's educational aspirations hinders academic attainment in times of social change. We use data collected for the 1970 British Birth Cohort Study (BCS70) and Next Steps (formerly known as the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England), a cohort of young people born in 1989/90. We find that in both cohorts socio-demographic and achievement-related characteristics are associated with incongruent aspirations, and that incongruent aspirations between parents and their children are associated with a decreased likelihood of participating in and completing higher education. The study contributes to current debates regarding the causes and correlates of discrepancies in educational aspirations and how such discrepancies affect later life chances.

Migration Aspirations and Adolescents' Ideal age at Union Formation in Western Mexico.

Migration systems shape social life, including the timing and sequencing of key demographic behaviors such as marriage, childbearing, and household formation. Existing research has linked migration and marriage in Mexico through various mechanisms but provides less guidance on whether aspirations for migration and marriage are closely linked. Given that union formation is itself distinct within migration contexts, this article focuses on adolescents' plans for marriage and the extent to which migration aspirations shape the desired timing of their own union formation by examining how four distinct measures of migration aspirations are related to adolescents' ideal ages at marriage in rural Jalisco, Mexico. Drawing from data on adolescents (n=1,403 adolescents) from the Family Migration and Early Life Outcomes Project (collected in 2017-2018), it uses ordinary least squares regression to analyze how various types of adolescent migration aspirations - including permanent migration, temporary labor migration, leaving the community at any point in time, and expected migration location - are associated with adolescents' ideal age at marriage. As the article shows, all migration aspirations are associated with higher ideal ages at marriage in unconditional models. However, these associations are not always robust to the inclusion of other factors, including adolescent aspirations in other life domains, particularly education. Results highlight the ongoing transition from a "culture of migration" to a "culture of education" in Mexico. Given that Mexican migration has changed dramatically in recent years, the findings presented here provide a window for understanding how these changes in migration are reflected in adolescent goals and likely subsequent behavior.

Predictive role of self-esteem, academic achievement and vocational aspirations in Adolescents goal selection competence

In the present study an attempt has been made to study the predictive role of self-esteem, academic achievement and vocational aspirations in adolescent’s goal selection competence. A Sample of 1000 adolescents studying in senior secondary schools was selected through multistage sampling. Goal Selection Competence dimension of Adapted version of Career Maturity Inventory by Gupta (1989) was used to study goal selection compentence of adolescents. Self-Esteem Inventory by Prasad and Thakur (1977) was used for measuring the self-esteem of adolescents. Marks obtained by students in tenth grade examinations conducted by H.P Board of School Education Dharamshala were considered as their academic achievement.To measure the vocational aspirations of adolescents the vocational aspirations scale was construct by researcher herself. Multiple Regression analysis was applied to find the contribution of self-esteem, academic achievement and vocational aspirations in prediction of goal selection competence of adolescents. The findings of the study revealed that self-esteem academic achievement and vocational aspirations significantly predicts the goal selection competence of adolescents.

Daily physical activity in Finnish adolescents with long term illnesses or disabilities: psychosocial associations with participation in sports club


 Background:
 Physical activity (PA) in adolescence with long term illnesses or disabilities (LTID) is a public health concern. One way of increasing PA is through participation in sports clubs. Since sports clubs are organised and regular, there are expected to be differences in motivation for physical activity between adolescents that are members and non-members. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of psychosocial factors on sports club membership and daily PA.
 Methods:
 Finnish adolescents with self-reported LTID (n=1006) took part in the WHO collaborative Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study in 2002 and 2010. Daily self-reported moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) was the outcome variable. Psychosocial variables included intention for future PA, self-perceptions, and educational aspirations. Age and sports club membership was included in binary logistic regression analyses Analyses were done separately for boys and girls. 
 Results:
 Adolescents with LTID who were sports club members were two times more likely to be active daily than non-members. However, for girls, there was no significant difference between members and non-members. Moreover, definite intention for future PA, higher self-perceptions, and educational aspirations to other education or training than general upper secondary school were significant predictors.
 Conclusions:
 Adolescents with LTID need encouragement to be active daily. One possible way to achieve this is through sports club participation. Implementing adaptive motivating techniques in sports clubs is especially important for girls in clubs. More research is needed on the associations of daily MVPA with different educational aspirations for adolescents with LTID.

The Role of Attachment in the Life Aspirations of Portuguese Adolescents in Residential Care: The Mediating Effect of Emotion Regulation

Quality of attachment relationships developed within an institutional environment may be a risk or protective factor for the creation of life aspirations and for emotion regulation abilities among adolescents in residential care contexts. The present study aims to analyze the predictive role of attachment on life aspirations for adolescents in a residential care context, as well as to test the mediating effect of emotion regulation difficulties in this association. The sample included 296 adolescents living in Residential Care facilities in Portugal, with ages raging between 12 and 18 (M = 15.30, SD = 1.76), being 71.6% female. Self-report measures included the Experiences in Close Relationships, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, the Aspiration Index, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Attachment figure negatively predicts the importance of life aspirations, while difficulties in emotional regulation mediate the association between attachment and life aspirations. Associations of length of institutionalization and age of entrance on residential care were tested and discussed. Practical implications were considered highlighting the importance of intervention with young people, the family, and caregivers in residential care.

International Migration and Aspirations among Young People: Who Desires to Migrate?

The dispatch of migrant workers from Indonesia is still quite high. Efforts to improve socio- economic status are still motivated by high rates of migration. Children left by migrant parents experience a greater emotional burden due to parenting issues. This study attempts to examine the aspirations of children and adolescents left by migrant parents based on data from the Child Health and Migrant Parents in South East Asia (CHAMPSEA) study. Analytical descriptive was used to describe children’s aspirations towards migrations on migrant and non-migrant households. This study found that children gave a bad perception when mothers had to migrate. Emotional closeness between children and mothers makes the children feel sad when being left by parents. However, once the children’s desire to migrate, especially in the ‘young adult’ group of children is precisely high. Having seen by sex, boys have a higher desire to migrate than women.