Identity status and peer impact in choosing a learning profile

The article presents the analysis of secondary school learner identity status and the impact of peers in choosing a learning profile. Profiled learning was introduced in educational institutions providing secondary education in Lithuania on 1 September, 2000; since then the youth have had to make up a decision about the choice of a learning profile at the end of the 10th form. The question arises if all learners are capable of making this decision independently. The present study was focused on the peculiarities of identity formation, as person’s ability to make decisions independently and other characteristics depend on the person’s identity development stage. One hundred ten 16–8 year-old learners participated in the research. The obtained research findings provide evidence that learners in lower stage of identity development are not yet ready to make decisions in occupational choice area. We assume that the analysis of learner identity status and peer impact in choosing a learning profile is relevant and valuable as a source used in determining psychological help provided for learners in the first stage of career designingPsichologijos katedraSocialinių mokslų fakultetasVytauto Didžiojo universiteta