Higher Educational Aspirations Research Articles

Aiming high: Learning investments in German upper secondary education. Differences between immigrant and non-immigrant youth

This article addresses important aspects of the largely unexplored interplay between high educational aspirations and low academic achievement in migratory contexts. Using data from the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), I examine the determinants of learning investments of students who changed from vocational to academic tracking at the transition to upper secondary education. I also explore additional social challenges to upward track mobility that might affect immigrant students in a particular way. As educational disparities are often interpreted as a cumulative consequence of class- and migration-specific educational choices, I develop a learning investment model that explains differences in learning investments between immigrant and non-immigrant youth. I introduce the essential mechanisms of psychological motivation theory into a subjective expected utility (SEU) model, which allows for a specific examination of the relationship between educational aspirations, motivation, and learning investments. Results show that newcomers to academic tracking are more likely to invest in learning. Yet, learning investments in upward mobility processes may be influenced by the different learning environments of stratified education and by family dynamics. Here, I find differences between immigrant and non-immigrant youth. Thus, introducing motivational factors into an SEU model helps to understand when youth invest in learning.

Junior university: fostering young minds’ interest in higher education

The Universidade Júnior (U.Jr.) program, initiated by the University of Porto (U.Porto), Portugal, is a comprehensive educational initiative conducted during the summer months, primarily targeting the 10–18 age group. The program aims to promote science, technology, arts, humanities, and sports knowledge among elementary and secondary-level students and to influence their vocational choices and higher education aspirations. The study analyses the relationship between participation in the U.Jr. program and subsequent enrollment in higher education at U.Porto. It utilises data collected from 2006 to 2022, comparing U.Jr. participants with students who enrolled as freshmen at U.Porto. A Pearson correlation coefficient was applied to establish the connection between these datasets. Data analysis reveals a significant positive relationship between participation in U.Jr. and the choice of U.Porto for higher education. The study shows that 22 out of 100 first-year students at U.Porto in 2021 had previously attended U.Jr. Moreover, the geographical provenance of participants and U.Porto first-year students showed a robust correlation. The findings suggest that U.Jr. has a substantial impact on attracting students to U.Porto and influencing their academic choices. The program’s diverse activities, coupled with its inclusive approach, have been instrumental in increasing the university’s attractiveness and helping mitigate the country’s low higher education rates. The study underscores the importance of such initiatives in shaping students’ educational trajectories and choices for higher education.

Contextualizing rural students’ aspirations for higher education in China: a systematic literature review

Contextualizing rural students’ aspirations for higher education in China: a systematic literature review

Lyceum and university aspirations among migrants and non‐migrants in Italy

AbstractScholars have argued that, on average, immigrant students are ‘optimists’ and have higher educational aspirations than non‐migrant students after accounting for students' socio‐economic background and educational performance. However, ethnic minority groups, which proxy the different origin backgrounds of migrants, may show mixed findings in terms of educational aspirations. This study aims to analyse the lyceum (the most theoretical school in Italy) and university aspirations of migrant‐origin students and their Italian counterparts, enrolled respectively in Italian lower (Grade 8: age 13) and upper secondary state schools (Grades 9–11: ages 14–16). The analyses are based on data from the Italian Integration of the Second Generation survey conducted during the 2014/15 school year. Our results show that students having Chinese, Moroccan, Moldovan and other non‐European Union Eastern European origins assume the lowest levels of lyceum aspiration after also considering compositional effects. Conversely, the largest proportion of migrants attending school in Grades 9–11 have higher levels of university aspiration compared to non‐migrants. When considering the role of migratory generation, lyceum and university aspirations are positively associated with the acculturation process of migrants. Furthermore, we found that high family expectations, social relationships and self‐perception benefits of studying have positive associations with both lyceum and university aspirations, especially among migrants.

Effects of salient factors on the pursuit of higher education among multicultural youth in Hong Kong.

This study presents novel and compelling evidence of the disparities in factors influencing the beliefs and aspirations for higher education among mainstream and immigrant youth in Hong Kong, particularly those who are underprivileged. We developed and validated a psychometric questionnaire, known as the Post-Secondary Education Pursuit Instrument (PSEPi), which was administered to 4,850 students aged between 15 and 18 years old from 23 secondary schools. The objective of this study was to explore the factors that impact students' choices and plans for higher education. The results of the one-way Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) analysis deepen our understanding of the differential effects of success and obstacle factors on students' higher education pursuits across various cultural groups. The underprivileged mainstream, Chinese immigrant, and ethnic minority South Asian youth reported a perceived glass ceiling effect associated with their ethnic backgrounds, as well as financial aid barriers, while pursuing higher education, in contrast to their average Hong Kong mainstream counterparts (mean Cohen's d = 0.40). The direct effects and multiple mediation analyses demonstrated that significant others' influence, particularly the influence of parents, and locus of control are prime determinants of the perceived usefulness of higher education for all student groups. The implications are that educational policies should be implemented to level the playing field in higher education admissions for both privileged and underprivileged youth in Hong Kong and other international countries. Overall, this study provides robust empirical evidence that can be utilized to enhance educational policies and practices to bridge the gap between mainstream and underprivileged immigrant youth in their pursuit of higher education.

Mountain agropastoralism: traditional practices, institutions and pressures in the Indian Trans-Himalaya of Ladakh

Animal husbandry of agropastoral communities in the mountainous region of Leh, Ladakh, has been transformed in response to socio-economic and geo-political changes. This study investigates the current state of agropastoralism in the Trans-Himalaya of Leh, Ladakh, focusing on two objectives: understanding grazing management practices and examining socio-environmental factors affecting traditional pastoral livelihoods. Through a mixed-methods approach, including interviews and focus group discussions, this study explores resource utilisation patterns and decision-making processes within local communities and institutions based on a comparative approach in three pastoral areas of Ladakh. The resource utilisation pattern differs from village to village as a response to meet seasonal fodder demands; accordingly, high-altitude pastures are assessed in winter and/or summer seasons. Key stresses to the perpetuation of traditional pastoral knowledge include livelihood diversification, increasing dependence upon exogenous food production system and diminishing significance of traditional livelihood practices with improved connectivity, higher education aspirations and development of tourism and military services. Broadly, changes could be perceived from the abandonment of regular seasonal migration to pasturelands, in livestock composition and size and the decreasing number of households practising animal herding. Apart from socio-economic and developmental pressures, pastoral practices are simultaneously threatened by wild predators as well as by global warming-induced occurrence of extreme climatic events and pest attacks. While pastoral practices are carried on by a limited number of households in the three detailed study sites, knowledge pertaining to resource management, pastureland system and grazing pattern is still intact considering the resource seasonality and range of social and environmental pressures the region experiences. Ladakh’s agropastoral practices, rooted in local ecological knowledge, face challenges from socio-economic changes, risking climate resilience, ecosystem degradation, cultural loss and food security for agropastoral communities and broader societal contexts. Thus, it becomes vital to safeguard these indigenous livelihood practices and to promote a participatory approach to enhance capacity building for the continuation of the practice, which could contribute to local economies in areas with similar socio-environmental settings.

High hopes but aiming low? Explaining why some families with high educational aspirations do not choose the academic track in German secondary education

Selecting a school track after primary schooling is an early and highly influential decision families have to make in the German educational system. Usually, families with high educational aspirations choose the academic track since it is the direct pathway to higher education eligibility, yet there are families selecting another track. Explaining this decision is highly relevant since it is known that other tracks can divert aspirations away from the initial high goals, resulting in overall lower educational achievements. The present study analyzes the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) dataset to investigate predictors of academic track selection (N > 1500). As dominance analyses show, the overall share of variance that all factors can explain is relatively low (ca. 13%), and only the teacher recommendation and the federal state of residence contribute meaningfully to this total share. Overall, it remains unclear what drives the decision, and other explanatory approaches should be investigated.

The gendered district effect: psychosocial reasons why girls wish to leave their rural communities

ABSTRACT The rural youth exodus has mostly been explained with the pull of the city. In this mixed-method study, we explore whether young people also experience a push to leave the rural community due to a lack of psychosocial thriving. The quantitative analysis of the Ungdata-survey among young people aged 13–16 years (n = 141,058) shows that girls imagine leaving more than boys, and also fare worse on many indicators for psychosocial well-being. There is a linear decline in girls’ psychosocial well-being the less centrally they live. We call this the gendered district effect. Contrary to expectations, we find that rural girls without higher education aspirations are those who least want to stay in the rural community. It is likely that a lower degree of psychosocial well-being is part of the reason that more girls in rural areas wish to leave their homeplace. The qualitative analysis of the rural village of Smallville (n = 21) explores this, showing that girls commonly wanted to leave to escape a toxic social environment, which also offered few status-filled work opportunities in the village. The girls were more affected by the rural community's restricting social norms, leaving girls with poor self-images and the wish to leave.

Pedagogical practices and civic knowledge and engagement in Latin America: Multilevel analysis using ICCS data

This study explored the relationship between pedagogical practices and the civic knowledge and engagement of students from five Latin American and Caribbean countries, using a multilevel analysis of the 2016 International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS). The results reveal the complex interplay of educational, sociodemographic, and attitudinal factors in shaping the civic knowledge and engagement of students. Extracurricular civic engagement showed a negative correlation with student civic knowledge and engagement as measured by the ICCS cognitive test. However, civic learning in school positively related to cognitive abilities, emphasizing the importance of integrating civic learning into the curriculum. Interestingly, students' educational aspirations emerged as a significant factor shaping their civic engagement, suggesting a strategy to foster high educational aspirations to enhance cognitive performance. Additionally, gender dynamics were evident in civic education, with girls consistently outperforming boys in all participating countries. The correlation between home literacy resources and test scores illuminated the significant role of home environments in academic achievement. Lastly, students’ attitudes towards political participation had a notable connection to civic knowledge outcomes, presenting an exciting avenue for future research. Collectively, these findings underscore the need for a comprehensive approach to civic education and further research to refine effective strategies.

Anticipated unmet educational expectations following youth police contact

Youth police contact is a common experience, rooted in structural inequalities and systemic racism, and research increasingly documents its harmful repercussions. However, scholars have overlooked the connections between youth police contact and subjective perceptions of college aspirations and expectations, an important oversight given that the internalized stigma of police contact can disrupt an individual’s future orientation. In this article, we use data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study—a longitudinal survey of U.S. children born around the turn of the 21st century in urban areas—to investigate how police contact shapes anticipated unmet educational expectations (i.e., high educational aspirations without high educational expectations), net of youth, family, and neighborhood characteristics associated with police contact. First, youth experiencing police contact with arrests, but not youth experiencing police contact without arrests, are more likely to report anticipated unmet educational expectations than those not experiencing police contact. Second, any police contact—with or without an arrest—is negatively associated with both high educational expectations and high educational aspirations. Third, the association between police contact with arrests and anticipated unmet educational expectations is partially explained by academic performance. Taken together, findings support an accumulating body of knowledge that criminal legal contact, an experience concentrated among youth of color, can hamper youth’s educational outlooks and subjective wellbeing.

Patterns of African American parents' educational involvement: associations with adolescents' academic performance and motivational beliefs.

The current study used survey data from 786 African American mother-adolescent (M = 12.29 years; 48% female) dyads to examine profiles of 7th-grade parental educational involvement and their associations with adolescents' 11th-grade academic performance, academic self-concept, and educational aspirations. Using latent profile analyses, four patterns emerged: (a) Low Involvers; (b) Helpers, Low Providers; (c) Providers, Low Helpers; and (d) More Involved Helpers and Providers. The More Involved Helpers and Providers had adolescents with higher grades than the Helpers, Low Providers and the Low Involvers. The Providers, Low Helpers also had adolescents with higher educational aspirations than other profiles except for the More Involved Helpers and Providers. Findings suggest multiple pathways through which African American parents can enhance adolescents' academic outcomes.

"Good" Parenting: Parental Support in Education as a Factor in Inequality

Parental support is generally considered as important, positive, and desirable for students' educational trajectories. As research in education has repeatedly proven, parental capital significantly affects students' educational pathways in terms of ambitions, opportunities, and outcomes. In this article, we investigate how teachers and parents in Slovenia view the role of parents in students' educational trajectories. We observe whether their role might mitigate or increase educational inequalities. We draw on qualitative data obtained through interviews with teachers and parents of ninth-grade students in Slovenia. The article shows that parents in Slovenia are very involved in their children's educational process; they have high educational aspirations that seem to be internalized by their children. Their engaged involvement can be newly considered as a factor in the social differentiation of children, as it covertly sanctions those parents and children who are unable or unwilling to create a supportive family climate.

Exploring the association between educational aspirations and intentions to migrate among youth in Central Mexico by gender

AbstractWe assessed the association between educational aspirations and the intention to migrate among 1446 adolescents aged 11–17 years, living in semi‐urban/rural communities in Jalisco, Mexico. Analyses rely on survey data from the Family Migration and Early Life Outcomes study. The outcome variable was the intention to migrate, a three‐category variable coded as no intention to migrate, intention to migrate within Mexico, and intention to migrate internationally. The main independent variable was the adolescents' educational aspirations, conceptualized as the intention to achieve higher education. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to examine associations. We found an association between educational aspirations and intentions to migrate, and it was moderated by gender. Girls with the highest educational aspirations intended to migrate internationally, while higher educational aspirations were not a driver for boys' migration intentions. The study findings have implications for education and migration policies and future research.

Conformity or contrast? Simultaneous effect of grademates and classmates on students’ educational aspirations

This study examines the relationship between peers' cognitive abilities and students' educational aspirations. The big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE) predicts that compared with equally able counterparts, students tend to have higher educational aspirations when the average ability of their surrounding peers is relatively low. Meanwhile, the local dominance effect claims that the association changes between educational aspirations and peers' ability from relatively local to relatively distant peers; closer distance leads to stronger associations. In addition, some empirical findings contradict the notion that students' aspirations are positively associated with their high-achieving classmates. This study combines the BFLPE and local dominance effect into one theoretical framework and explores whether the “higher aspiration-inferior peers” hypothesis stands at the class and grade levels. Using data from the 2014–2015 China Education Panel Survey and employing multilevel regression modeling, this study finds opposite associations in class and grade. The findings indicate that when classmates' cognitive ability is controlled, students feel negative pressure from their grademates. Better performance exhibited by their grademates results in their relatively low educational aspirations. However, at the class level, the negative correlation by peer comparison with excellent classmates is offset by positive associations brought about by these peers. The findings of this study support the hypotheses that students' educational aspirations are positively correlated with their peers’ cognitive abilities as long as their local peers are relatively high achievers, and their distant peers are relatively low achievers.

The impact of different types of off-campus training on primary and junior high students’ higher-order thinking dispositions

This study conducted an empirical investigation using a questionnaire survey to examine the impact of basic education off-campus training on higher-order thinking dispositions. The sample consisted of 101,673 third-grade students and 117,010 eighth-grade students. The analysis employed two statistical techniques, namely Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Propensity Score Matching (PSM). Findings indicate that, first, attending academic tutoring can dampen the development of the higher-order thinking dispositions. The higher-order thinking dispositions of primary students who attend academic tutoring is 0.027 lower than that of primary students who do not attend it, and the size of this disparity continued to increase during junior high school to -0.083. Second, attending tutoring for non-academic subjects can heighten the development of the higher-order thinking dispositions. The higher-order thinking dispositions of primary students who attend non-academic training is 0.015 higher than that of primary students who do not attend it, and the size of this disparity continued to increase during junior high school to 0.073. Third, higher socioeconomic status, with greater parental involvement and higher educational aspirations, the students are more inclined to engage in non-academic training, and positively predicted the higher-order thinking dispositions. This article discusses these findings and provides recommendations for educational leaders and policymakers: establishing multivariate evaluation system; advertising home educational perceptions; creating of free course resources platforms, establishing distance education system; developing differentiated and personalized curriculum. Educational impact and implications statementThis study investigated whether primary and junior high students attend academic tutoring and non-academic tutoring matters for their higher-order thinking dispositions. We found that attending academic tutoring can dampen the development of the higher-order thinking dispositions, on the contrary, attending non-academic tutoring can benefit it. Hence, sometimes less is more.

Parental unemployment and children's educational attainment: How big is the role of aspirations?

Children exposed to parental unemployment have been found to lag behind in school, but research has struggled to pin down the underlying explanation. One hypothesis is that parental unemployment may dampen children's aspirations to do well and go far in school. Yet, few studies on parental unemployment have relied on actual measures of children's aspirations or devised a formal analysis of this mechanism. Using the UK Household Longitudinal Study (Waves 1-12, N=1067), I investigate the role of educational aspirations in children's General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) attainment. I compare adolescents exposed to parental unemployment before or only after the typical age at which GCSE exams are taken. In adjusted models, children exposed to parental unemployment before their GCSEs are around 6 percentage points less likely to attain any GCSE qualification by age 17. On average, children have high educational aspirations, although intentions to enrol in college or university are relatively lower among children exposed to an early spell of parental unemployment. Nevertheless, a hypothetical intervention setting these aspirations to the same level for all children only accounts for a modest portion of the educational penalty tied to an early spell of parental unemployment. Several sensitivity and robustness tests support this conclusion. This note seeks to stimulate more research on the mechanisms underpinning the intergenerational effects of unemployment. Findings cast doubts on the idea that children's aspirations, the target of broader policy discourse and interventions, are a crucial part of the equation.

Structuring middle-class aspirations: the role of place-based habitus and higher education

This qualitative case study provides an analysis of the structuring of middle-class aspirations at one rural university in the United States. Using a Bourdieusian framework offered by Zipin and colleagues, findings suggest that although student participants in our study are similarly positioned relative to social class background, those from distinct geographic areas (i.e. rural and urban) displayed key differences in expressions of college-going and future aspirations. We argue that place, as an important feature of one’s habitus, structures students’ college-going and future aspirations. Within the highly stratified context of higher education in the United States, few scholars have acknowledged the power of geography and place in shaping behaviors, choices, and possibilities for students. In doing so, this research contributes to a growing global body of literature examining the role of place in shaping students’ higher education aspirations, access, experiences, and outcomes.

Exploring an Asset-Based Approach to Aspirational Capital Among Undocumented Latinx College Students

:To inform higher education and student affairs (HESA) professionals who work with college students outside of the classroom, we asked the research question: How do undocumented Latinx college students use aspirational capital to navigate higher education? Aspirational capital is the ability to maintain hopes and dreams for the future in the face of real and perceived barriers and is one form of community cultural wealth (CCW), which offers an assets-based understanding of how Students of Color in educational settings share knowledge accumulated within their communities (Yosso, 2005). We analyzed data from semi-structured interviews with 16 undocumented Latinx college students from four-year institutions of higher education throughout the US. Participant narratives reflected aspirational capital in their future orientation despite the extreme uncertainty they faced regarding immigration status-related challenges. Participants demonstrated a sense of purpose through perseverance, faith, and helping others, and they exhibited high educational and career aspirations focused on giving back to others. Implications provide insight for HESA educators to proactively serve undocumented students, including building knowledge communities and networks and updating graduate preparation programs. These recommendations can help HESA educators explore ways to support undocumented college students with a focus on their aspirational capital.

Barriers to School Reentry: Perceptions of School Reentry Among Detained and Committed Youth

Juvenile justice-involved youth, despite their history of poor academic performance, have high educational aspirations for their post-release life. However, few expect to meet their educational aspirations. Barriers in the transition from the juvenile justice setting to the community contribute to the disconnect between youths’ educational aspirations and expectations. However, to date, few studies have included the perspectives of incarcerated youth in assessing barriers to educational attainment. This study addresses the gap in the literature using data from the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement to examine self-reported barriers to meeting the educational aspiration of attending at least some college. Results indicate a lack of interest in school among juvenile justice-involved youth to be the most prevalent and significant barrier to higher educational expectations, despite self-reported high aspirations. We discuss policy implications to improve the reentry process and increase school attachment.

Academic achievement of immigrant children in Irish primary schools: the role of capitals and school context

Educational achievement is one of the key indicators of labour market success, yet previous research shows that in many countries, children from immigrant backgrounds struggle to match their native peers in terms of achievement. Despite high educational aspirations, migrant parents may struggle to "convert" their social and cultural capital to support their children’s achievement in their country of destination. Ireland is an interesting case study as there was substantial and rapid immigration of a diverse group of migrants, many of whom were European, to a school system that was predominantly White, Catholic, Irish and English-speaking. Drawing on the extensive literature on academic achievement of immigrant children and youth, this paper explores the academic achievement of 9-year-old immigrant children in a ‘new immigration country’, just after the peak of inward migration. The results show that unlike in many ‘old’ immigrant-receiving countries, the immigrant "penalty" in achievement in Ireland is modest, with social and cultural capital playing a salient role in English reading achievement, particularly for East Europeans, for whom the gap is greatest. Understanding the patterns of linguistic integration for recent migrant children may help us understand these processes in the case of subsequent movements of children and their families in Europe.