Descary, Guillaume;
Dupéré, Véronique;
Hebert, Sophie T;
Schoon, Ingrid;
(2023)
Is Academic Agency Relevant for the School-to-Work Transition of Lower Attainers? Evidence from Canada and England.
Journal of Youth and Adolescence
, 52
(12)
pp. 2509-2525.
10.1007/s10964-023-01843-1.
Preview |
Text
RPS_ Descary 2023_ Academic agency_revised _FIN.pdf - Accepted Version Download (410kB) | Preview |
Abstract
Academic agency is recognized as an important predictor of higher education attainment among the general population during the school-to-work transition. However, there is little evidence on whether (a) academic agency is associated with higher education attainment among young people facing education difficulties (i.e., lower attainers), (b) academic agency is associated with a smooth entry in a meaningful job among lower attainers, and (c) these associations vary across educational contexts. This study draws on longitudinal data from lower attainers in the province of Québec (Mage = 16.31, SD = 0.98; 48% females) and in England (Mage = 15.86, SD = 0.72; 42% females), two regions with similar education systems, yet different vocational training provision. In both samples, fewer than one in four participants reach higher education by age 20. Also, in both countries academic agency is associated with a greater likelihood of being in higher education compared to other employment and education outcomes at age 20, but not with rapid entry into meaningful employment. Thus, focussing on higher education attainment and academic-related factors such as academic agency is of limited relevance for understanding lower attainers’ success over school-to work transitions. For them, understanding this transition also requires considering rapid entry in meaningful employment, as well as non-academic forms of agency supporting such work-oriented outcomes.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Is Academic Agency Relevant for the School-to-Work Transition of Lower Attainers? Evidence from Canada and England |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10964-023-01843-1 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-023-01843-1 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | Academic agency; School-to-work transition; Meaningful employment; Educational attainment; Lower attainers; International comparison |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Social Research Institute |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10214235 |
Archive Staff Only
 |
View Item |
