From determinism to agency: Narratives of secondary technical-vocational education graduates who access university

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of the educational experience of graduates of technical-vocational secondary schools who study at three regional universities that belong to the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities. Their narratives show how, despite the trajectories of poverty they experience, they overcome the determinism that hangs over their social origin and manage to enter university. Methodologically, the study used a qualitative design: through 32 episodic interviews, we analyzed the experience of technical-vocational education and academic and social integration at university. The results reveal the presence of a collective narrative regarding the precariousness of the education received during high school and the pressure exerted by the family and school habitus for early entry into the labor market. Overcoming this determinism, the young people demonstrate a capacity for agency by deploying various strategies to enter and remain at university.