Determinants of aspirations

(2008) - Leslie Morrison Gutman, Rodie Akerman, England) Centre for Research on the Wider Benefits of Learning (London

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Link:: http://www.learningbenefits.net/Publications/ResReps/ResRep27.pdf
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Tags:: #paper #Aspirations
Cite Key:: [@gutmanDeterminantsAspirations2008]

Abstract

Young people make choices that influence whether their potentialities are cultivated or remain untapped. These choices are, in turn, partly influenced by their parents, the opportunities available to them, and their own aspirations – to gain qualifications, to get a job, to have a career and to have a family. Yet, understanding what determines aspirations is not a straightforward task: they change throughout childhood and beyond, shaped by the characteristics of young people and their families, peers, schools, and neighbourhoods as well as wider forces such as the labour market and historical context. And it is well-known that aspirations vary for different sections of the population both in terms of parents’ educational and occupational goals for their children and the ambitions of the young people themselves. In this report, we review the current research literature across a range of disciplines to set out these differences and consider how educational and career aspirations in particular are formed and developed in response to different environments and circumstances. We also examine the extent to which aspirations are related to eventual outcomes and discuss the implications for current policies and practices.

Notes

““The greater failure is not the child who doesn't reach the stars, but the child who has no stars that they feel they are reaching for.” Gordon Brown (2007)” (Gutman et al., 2008, p. 5)

“Girls, young people from minority ethnic groups and from higher socio-economic backgrounds tend to hold higher aspirations than their counterparts. Parents from these groups also tend to have higher aspirations for their children. Conversely, socially disadvantaged groups such as teenage parents tend to have low aspirations for themselves and for their children.” (Gutman et al., 2008, p. 5)

“Aspirations begin to be shaped early in a child’s life, but are modified by experience and the environment. Aspirations tend to decline as children mature, in response to their growing understanding of the world and what is possible, and to constraints imposed by previous choices and achievements. This decline is particularly marked for those facing multiple barriers.” (Gutman et al., 2008, p. 5)

“Practical and attitudinal barriers to the formation of high aspirations are evident. Financial constraints may limit some groups’ access to opportunities and enabling resources such as computers and private tuition. Equally, some individuals are limited by earlier achievement and choices such as leaving school or becoming a parent at a young age. But attitudes are also important. Young people who believe they have the ability to achieve and who attribute their success to hard work, rather than luck, or fate tend to have higher aspirations than their peers.” (Gutman et al., 2008, p. 6)

“In general, those who have, or whose parents have, high aspirations have better outcomes, even when taking into account individual and family factors, but this is not a universal effect. There are some groups for whom high aspirations do not lead to higher achievement. In particular, there is a gap between educational aspirations and academic achievement for young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds and from some minority ethnic groups and a gap between occupational aspirations and career achievement for females” (Gutman et al., 2008, p. 6)

“The early years of a child’s life are a key time in the formation and development of aspirations. During this time, parents may need support to overcome both attitudinal and practical barriers to high aspirations. Schools can play a part in maintaining and realising ambitions, and the support they provide becomes more important when family resources are limited. Later, young people need easy access to advice and guidance and the involvement of professionals or volunteers – for example in a mentoring role – when necessary. Involvement in positive activities may also provide important socialising experiences that encourage high aspirations.” (Gutman et al., 2008, p. 6)

“Parents with fewer financial resources tend to hold lower aspirations for their children, and young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds tend to have lower aspirations than their more advantaged peers (Schoon, 2006)” (Gutman et al., 2008, p. 7)

“Parents from most minority ethnic groups generally hold higher aspirations for their children than White British parents, while young people from these groups similarly have higher aspirations than their White British peers (Strand, 2007).” (Gutman et al., 2008, p. 7)

“Girls consistently have higher aspirations than do boys (Schoon, Martin and Ross 2007 and concern has been noted recently about the low aspirations of males from working-class backgrounds.” (Gutman et al., 2008, p. 7)

“Young people’s opportunities are often limited by the pathways that they have already taken, such as leaving education and becoming a parent (The Prince’s Trust, 2004).” (Gutman et al., 2008, p. 8)

“By the time these disadvantaged young people were 18 to 21 years old, their prospects of reaching their aspirations seemed remote because of lack of qualifications and other perceived barriers (The Prince’s Trust, 2004).” (Gutman et al., 2008, p. 8)

“Finally, as we have observed previously those from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds who have high aspirations may be unable to overcome the financial and social obstacles to achievement, particularly where multiple barriers exist (Schoon, 2006).” (Gutman et al., 2008, p. 9)