Ruptures, destinations and choice: patterns of educational trajectories between structure and agency

none6In this chapter we aim to provide an overview over the different patterns of educational trajectories emerging from the sample of students analysed within the GOETE project. These patterns expected to represent different constellations of structure and agency are analysed along three key aspects: the ruptures young people have experienced prior to leaving lower secondary education; the destinations they take after lower secondary education; and the degree to which these destinations result from their own choices or from structural constraints (e.g. lack of alternatives. After a theoretical reflection on the concept of educational trajectories, we introduce the research methodology underlying the empirical analysis the chapter is based on. Third, we present selected findings from the survey with regard to ruptures, expected destinations and experiences of choices before leaving lower secondary education. Fourth, we use the same three dimensions to analyse patterns of trajectories into upper secondary education or training emerging from the qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews carried out with some of the students after the end of lower secondary education. Finally, the relation between the two analytical steps is discussed.The chapters collected in this report draw on the findings of an EU-funded research (under the 7FP) “Governance of educational trajectories in Europe. Access, coping and relevance of education of young people in European knowledge societies in a comparative perspective” (GOETE). Countries covered by the study are France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia and the United Kingdom. The chapters focus on the decision-making processes in young people’s educational trajectories, especially at the transition from lower to upper secondary education or training. The data and analysis documented by this report emerge from the following sub-studies within the project: • individual survey with students in their last year of lower secondary education (N=6390) and their parents (N=3290) on progression through education, problems and support, teaching and individual learning, future plans for education, training and employment; • institutional survey with headmasters on key challenges, social contexts of schools, living conditions and future life chances of pupils and students, problems and available support, curricula and standards, links with other actors (N=984); • comparative analysis of teacher training through document analysis of teacher training curricula (N=118) and expert interviews (N = 65) in selected higher education institutions; • qualitative local case studies on ‘local school spaces’ in socially deprived areas (3 cases per country, N=24) including views of students during (N=195) and after lower secondary school (N=109), parents (N=109) as well as professionals and experts (teachers, headmasters, counsellors, external experts; N=208) on interactions at the transition from lower to upper secondary education and training; • expert interviews with high-level policy makers and stakeholders (N=95) and critical discourse analysis at national level on current policy reforms and discourses.noneMorena Cuconato; Karolina Majdzińska; Mirjana Ule; Andreas Walther; Annegret Warth and Andreja ZivoderMorena Cuconato; Karolina Majdzińska; Mirjana Ule; Andreas Walther; Annegret Warth and Andreja Zivode