Transitions after lower secondary education: “Corrections of allocated educational paths”, but the result of long-standing aspirations?

Abstract

In the Deutschfreiburg (Swiss) educational system, the paths that students follow after primary school are (almost) exclusively based on standardized performance tests and teacher recommendations. However, decisions made at this point can be corrected at the next transition. Thus, in the present study, we analyzed whether changing from intermediate track to higher education (“upward correction”) and dropping out of higher education (“downward correction”) are “corrections of allocated educational paths” but reflect long-standing aspirations. In addition, we investigated the influence of aspirations on the path allocated after primary school as well as on educational success (grades earned in the 9th grade). Data from all German-speaking schools in the Canton of Freiburg (N = 1219 students in two cohorts) were used. The results of (logistic) regression models showed that parents’ and children’s aspirations (measured in primary school) predicted both corrections and grades. Thus, the transition after lower secondary school represents “corrections of allocated educational paths” but are also the result of long-standing aspirations.