From Leaving CertiFiCate to Leaving SChooL a Longitudinal Study ...

Chapter Five
GUIDANCE AND DECISION-MAKING
IN SIXTH YEAR
5.1 Introduction
Research shows that student decision-making in relation to post-school
pathways can be influenced by a number of factors including social
background, the home environment, expectations of success, and an individual’s
own preferences and aspirations (McCoy and Byrne, 2011). It
seems logical that effective guidance is all the more important in a
changing world. However, existing provision in many countries has been
found to be subject to a number of constraints, including a focus on educational
rather than labour market outcomes, the need to combine guidance
with personal support, and the lack of integration with the curriculum
(OECD, 2004). This chapter examines the factors influencing student
decision-making during sixth year and how this varied across
groups of students and schools. We focus on the extent to which students
attributed their career and education choices to formal career guidance at
school, including guidance classes or one-to-one sessions with their
guidance counsellor, visits to colleges or universities through open days
or a guest speaker at their school who gave them valuable advice or information.
We also examine external factors influencing post-school decision-making,
such as parents, siblings and wider family as well as
work experience during Transition Year, summer holidays and as part of
LCA. Students’ own preferences and aspirations are explored in order to
highlight the kinds of reasons for choosing particular post-school education
pathways.