Shaping, Non Predicting, The Hereafter Of Students

by Anthony Mann
Senior Analyst, Directorate for Education in addition to Skills




Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is reputed to guide maintain i time said that there’s no indicate making predictions because zilch is laid inward stone. It is difficult to predict the future, but inward teaching policy at to the lowest degree it is non altogether impossible.

We know, for example, from information accumulated over many years that people who exhibited certainly attributes when immature are to a greater extent than probable (sometimes real much to a greater extent than likely) to produce improve inward operate every bit adults. They are much to a greater extent than probable to honour operate afterwards leaving schoolhouse or academy in addition to to earn to a greater extent than than people who are otherwise simply similar them.

Studies guide maintain shown, for example, that youngsters tin laissez passer on the axe await to produce improve inward operate every bit adults if they read well at 10 or arrive at higher levels of qualifications.  We know every bit well, non to the lowest degree from recent OECD studies, that the children of wealthier parents routinely produce improve than their classmates from poorer backgrounds, fifty-fifty if they demo the same academic hope every bit children.

It’s unsurprising to acquire that academic powerfulness in addition to social background guide maintain a big influence on how good immature adults tin laissez passer on the axe await to produce i time they move out teaching in addition to acquire into work. This is unsurprising and, for schoolhouse teachers, to a greater extent than than a fiddling depressing every bit social background is pretty much fixed, in addition to improved academic powerfulness is a procedure that is ho-hum in addition to e'er comparative. Depressing besides because the predictive qualities of doing improve inward schoolhouse are irrelevant to huge numbers of lower achievers from to a greater extent than small-scale backgrounds.

But what if in that location were other, to a greater extent than practical indicators available? Indicators that are relevant to all immature people?  Indicators that could render teaching staff with useful information well-nigh which children needed to a greater extent than attending to assist them prepare for their transitions into work?

These are questions addressed inward a lately published report, “Indicators of Successful Transitions: Teenage attitudes in addition to experiences of the basis of work”,  from the enquiry squad at the Education in addition to Employers charity based inward London. (Full disclosure: I led the squad earlier joining the OECD). Drawing on United Kingdom of Great Britain in addition to Northern Ireland of Britain in addition to Northern Republic of Ireland longitudinal datasets in addition to statistical analyses that permit a like-with-like comparing of teenagers moving into adulthood, the study was designed to render teaching staff with a practical tool for assessing how good their students were beingness prepared for their ultimate transitions into work.

Trawling through enquiry literature which uses United Kingdom of Great Britain in addition to Northern Ireland of Britain in addition to Northern Republic of Ireland datasets which follow thousands of immature people from childhood into adulthood, similar the British Cohort Survey in addition to the Longitudinal Study of Young People inward England, with novel analysis of the same datasets, the enquiry squad flora a issue of pregnant associations betwixt the attitudes in addition to experiences of teenagers related to the working basis – in addition to what happened to those teenagers when they became immature working adults. For example, studies link improve adult outcomes to both teenage career aspirations that are to a greater extent than confident, realistic in addition to ambitious, in addition to the extent to which immature people are involved inward existent workplaces, whether through their schools or inward part-time work.  Other enquiry highlights the ultimate value of teenagers’ social networks inward helping them honour occupation or access information well-nigh jobs in addition to careers.

In all, xv such indicators were identified in addition to grouped together into 4 themes inside a questionnaire for immature people: thinking well-nigh the future; talking well-nigh the future; experiencing the future; in addition to thinking well-nigh school. The questionnaire was tested with careers guidance professionals inward vi English linguistic communication secondary schools with simply about 800 students aged xiv to 16. In this pilot, schools explored the effectiveness of the indicators every bit a tool for identifying students (at all levels of achievement) who require greater attending in addition to determining the character of activities undertaken past times students.

In addition, the guidance professionals were asked for feedback on the details of the questionnaire in addition to how the questionnaire could hold upwardly most practically used inward schools. They responded that they flora the indicators to hold upwardly effective inward identifying students requiring to a greater extent than support. What this agency inward exercise is that both high in addition to depression achievers tin laissez passer on the axe guide maintain poorly informed careers aspirations. Both groups of students powerfulness guide maintain given insufficient idea to the breadth of their career options in addition to how their electrical flow teaching or preparation could best relate to their hereafter selves. Practitioners with a skilful agreement of the needs of students reported that the questionnaire provided reliable results. The indicators were felt to operate peculiarly good for 16-year-olds who are approaching a telephone substitution transition indicate inward the English linguistic communication teaching system. Based on this feedback, the questionnaire in addition to marker schedule were revised in addition to confirmed.

We may non hold upwardly able to say the hereafter with certainty, but nosotros tin laissez passer on the axe draw on reliable evidence to brand improve judgements well-nigh the weather condition nether which immature people tin laissez passer on the axe await a brighter future.  The Education in addition to Employers study harnesses non bad evidence to render a novel tool for schools determined to prepare their students good for working life.

Links
Educational Opportunity for All – Overcoming Inequality throughout the Life Course
Indicators of successful transitions: Teenage attitudes in addition to experiences related to the basis of work

OECD operate on skills: www.oecd.org/skills

Photo credit: @Shutterstock

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