Aspirations on university education according to 15 years pupils : the Czech Republic in international comparison
Abstract
Adolescents' aspirations and expectations guide not only what they choose to study in school, but also how they prepare for life as adults and ultimately the kinds of careers they take on. Since aspirations serve as an important link between adolescents' social origin and the educational and occupational careers they may pursue, their study has naturally been one of the liveliest areas of research in social stratification.
Most of the studies have brought forward significant evidence about the role of social origin, ability, and school context in shaping aspirations. There has also been growing attention to the role of institutional context.
However, much of the research on the impact of educational systems on aspirations and expectations has been based on a small sample of countries, which limits the generalizability of those findings and prevents sociologists from being able to better weigh the importance of different factors in shaping educational aspirations around the world.