1. SCELTO A pilot research-action project about the transition to upper secondary level in Canton of Ticino (Switzerland) Elena Boldrini & Luca Bausch R&D Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training - SFIVET Lugano

2. 17.09.2009 2 SFIVET Lugano Agenda Overview on the project context Project objectives Research: design, methodology Main results Next steps

3. 17.09.2009 3 SFIVET Lugano Context of the project Swiss national average: 60% of all students coming out of compulsory education decide to enrol in a VET programme in the Canton of Ticino, however, the reality is quite different: –in 2007 the proportion of students enrolling in selective schools was 18% higher than the national average; –the proportion of students enrolling in vocational schools was 13% lower than the national average (FSO, 2008).

4. 17.09.2009 4 SFIVET Lugano Context of the project Elab. from "Scuola Ticinese in cifre 2007". USR. P.7. In the last 15 years: selective schools +5% full-time VET schools +6% dual VET schools -10% … about the 30% of students in the selective schools abandon this track!

5. 17.09.2009 5 SFIVET Lugano Objectives -Wide objective : to influence on the demand for apprenticeship positions by first drawing the assumption that dual-track VET programmes do not enjoy prestige in the Canton of Ticino and that there is very little awareness of the benefits of dual-track -Operative objective : to enhance the appeal and the information process about the VET dual track, by devising and later tentatively implementing some experimental strategies -Micro objective : pilot research to explore possible ambits of intervention [1]

6. 17.09.2009 6 SFIVET Lugano Research design: phase ex-ante Phase ex-ante: June 2008 studentsparentsteachersguidance counsellors school coordinators # 173158733 Survey methodSymmetrical questionnaireSemi-structured interviews Analysisquantitativequalitative …in order to investigate: Students’ and parents’ personal perrceptions of the ideal occupation The status of the decision-making process at the end of lower secondary and vocational indecision (Gati, Krausz, Osipow, 1996) Decisions, options being considered for the secondary level Level of familiarity with information sources and their perceived usefulness

7. 17.09.2009 7 SFIVET Lugano Research design: phase ex-post Phase ex-post: second questionnaire to the same students’ sample (70% responses) In order to investigate… Failed attempts and status of the decision-making process one semester after the initial choice was made Satisfaction about the choice made Professional representations 1]

8. 17.09.2009 8 SFIVET Lugano The ideal profession Clear preference for intellectual and scientific occupations: –11% of parents have an intellectual/scientific occupation –23.5% of parents wish their children have an intellectual/scientific job –30.2% of students would like to have an intellectual/scientific job Disinvestment for administrative/intermediate/services occupations –15% of parents have an administrative occupation –7% of parents wish their children have an administrative job –5% of students would like to have an administrative job

9. 17.09.2009 9 SFIVET Lugano The role of the profession in life?

10. 17.09.2009 10 SFIVET Lugano Students’ choices To the question: “Do you agree with the training choice of you son/daughter?” 100% parents agreed schools School 1School 2School 3TOTAL N%N%N%N% General schools (1)1530.6%2944.6%2951.8%7342.9% Full-time VET (2)36.1%710.8%712.5%1710.0% Dual VET track (3)1734.7%1116.9%1017.9%3822.4% Repeting the year (4)0.0%23.1%0.0%21.2% Other solutions (5)510.2%46.2%23.6%116.5% 1/212.0%69.2%58.9%127.1% 1/336.1%0.0%11.8%42.4% 1/40.0%0 11.8%1.6% 1/50.0%34.6%0.0%31.8% 2/336.1%23.1%0.0%52.9% 2/512.0%0.0%11.8%21.2% 2/412.0%0.0%0 1.6% 3/40.0%11.5%0.0%1.6% 3/50.0%0 0 0 Indecision : ~15%

11. 17.09.2009 11 SFIVET Lugano Possibile difficulties? (R) Lack of Readiness Rm: lack of motivation Rc: chronic indecision Rd: dysfunctional myths (M) Lack of Information Mp: decision-making process Ms: about the self Mm: about occupations Mo: about information sources (I) Inconsistent Infor. Iu: unreliable infor. II: internal conflicts Ie: external conflicts (VI) Vocational Indecision

12. 17.09.2009 12 SFIVET Lugano (R) Readiness in details

13. 17.09.2009 13 SFIVET Lugano (M) Lack of information in details

14. 17.09.2009 14 SFIVET Lugano (I) Inconsistent Information in details

15. 17.09.2009 15 SFIVET Lugano Information sources

16. 17.09.2009 16 SFIVET Lugano Important actors in the information process 90% of students have discussed this choice with parents 80% of students have discussed with parents several times Parents are perceived by their children as the most useful “counsellor” 83% students: the families play a role in the decision vs. 7% of parents

17. 17.09.2009 17 SFIVET Lugano Phase 2 In the second phase the 30% of those who preffered intellectual and scientific profession has decreased to the 15%  They now answered “I don’t know” Those who chose a dual VET track feel “very well about the choice made” for the 42.9% Those who are in the selective schools feel “very well” for the 17.3%

18. 17.09.2009 18 SFIVET Lugano Next steps: SCELTOperativo Four critical areas have been pointed out  measures to be experimentally implemented 1. Idealisation and expectations: dysfuntional and irrealistic beliefs about the role of the job in the life and and very high expectations about their future 2. Career planning: a lack of knowledge about the decision-making process and the various steps, as well as a lack of knowledge about the occupations 3. Communication and information: students did not make full use of the information sources placed at their disposal by the reference institutions nor felt that these information sources were useful 4. Organisational and institutional structures: lack of coordinated actions in terms of collaboration between guidance counsellors, school coordinators, teachers (qualitative data)