General or Vocational Education? The Role of Vocational Interests in Educational Decisions at the End of Compulsory School in Switzerland

Abstract

Many educational systems are characterized by segregation between a general and vocational educational track. When adolescents must decide on their postcompulsory education at the end of lower secondary school, the different programs are typically embedded in one of these two main tracks. Prior career choice theories postulate that vocational interests, as structured by the six-dimensional RIASEC model of Holland (1997), play a crucial role in educational and vocational transition processes. However, regarding the question of general versus vocational education, previous studies have mainly focused on the effects of social background. Therefore, this paper examines the impact of vocational interests on the choice of Baccalaureate School (BAC, general track), Vocational Education and Training (VET, vocational track) or the Federal Vocational Baccalaureate (FVB), a hybrid qualification that links elements of both tracks. The sample consists of N = 609 students at the end of lower secondary school in Switzerland. The results of multinomial logistic regression analyses show that all six dimensions of Holland's interest model are significant predictors for the three postcompulsory tracks, even when controlling for school variables (e.g., grades) and variables of social background. While the realistic and social dimensions are positively interrelated with the choice of VET, the artistic, investigative and enterprising dimensions predict the choice of BAC. The conventional dimension is the only one positively linked to the choice of FVB. The results are discussed with special attention to segregation between more practical and more theoretical types of interests.

Analysis of vocational interests and student’s perception of work-based on society 5.0 towards learning outcomes

“…When someone has an interest in something, he will show a high sense of interest by paying attention continuously with feelings of pleasure (Krapp, 1999;Su, 2020). The findings of this study indicate that one of the student learning outcomes is related to the vocational interest of technical education students (McDowall, Jackling, & Natoli, 2015;Jüttler et al, 2021).…”

Naturalness in the City: Demographic Groups’ Differences in Preference for Deciduous Landscape

“…The questionnaire consisted of three parts. Part A: General questions about the respondents, including their gender, age, educational level and occupation classified by Holland vocational interest theory [41]. Part B: Evaluation of the 40 photos.…”

General Versus Vocational Education in High School: Cross‐Sectional Associations with Student's Health

“…14 On the other hand, general or academic high school courses prepare students to continue their studies at University and for challenging tasks in society. 14 Another possibility is a hybrid course, which consists of vocational education plus deeper academic content and focuses both on the world of work and academic knowledge for educational progression. 14 The decision regarding vocational or general education can impact adolescent health, as courses have different objectives, curriculums, routines, study demands, and perspectives.…”

“…14 Another possibility is a hybrid course, which consists of vocational education plus deeper academic content and focuses both on the world of work and academic knowledge for educational progression. 14 The decision regarding vocational or general education can impact adolescent health, as courses have different objectives, curriculums, routines, study demands, and perspectives. Recently, there has been increasing interest in the health characteristics of vocational students.…”

“…Although education‐related legislation, nomenclature, and requirements are different across countries, students can opt for general high school or vocational courses, which are also known as career, technical, work‐based learning, or training courses. The main aim of vocational courses, is to prepare students with technical skills to enter the labor market in a specific profession after ending high school, with a small part of the course consisting of basic academic content 14 . On the other hand, general or academic high school courses prepare students to continue their studies at University and for challenging tasks in society 14 .…”