The European Educational Researcher

It Takes Less than a Village to Influence Educational Aspirations and Attainment

Gurmakh Singh 1 * ,
Colleen Loomis 1 2,
Christina Dimakos 3,
Blaise Y. O’Malley 3,
Sylvie Lamont 4,
Janette Pelletier 5 6,
Brian D. Christens 7,
Carrie Wright 8,
Peters, R. DeV 9
1 Wilfrid Laurier University 2 Balsillie School of International Affairs3 Wilfrid Laurier University4 Wilfrid Laurier University5 Ontario Institute for Studies in Education6 University of Toronto7 Vanderbilt University 8 Applied Research, Innovation, and Evaluation Services9 Queens University* Corresponding Author
Download PDF
The European Educational Researcher, Volume 5, Issue 2, June 2022, pp. 177-199
OPEN ACCESS VIEWS: 1755 DOWNLOADS: 840 Publication date: 15 Jun 2022
ABSTRACT
Influencers are individuals or entities that meaningfully contribute through a socially constructed process to the formation of educational aspirations and possibly to their attainment. The effect of a specific influencer may differ within the context of multiple influencers. The aim of the current mixed methods study was to investigate how various influencers shape the development of educational aspirations and may contribute to goal setting and eventual attainment of an early aspiration. One-on-one, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 44 participants who attended high school in Ontario, Canada. Most participants identified as Canadian (54.5%) with a mean age of 29 years and median income of $48,504 Canadian Dollars. Participants were asked about the educational aspirations they had in high school. Retrospective accounts provided the opportunity to ask in the interviews not only who the influencers were but also if aspirations were pursued, changed, or attained. Coding and thematic analysis revealed 11 categories of influencers. Further analysis revealed that individuals with a diverse set of influencers attained their educational goals with an important exception. Young adults with 3 – 5 types of influencers were the largest percentage (61.9%) who achieved their goals, whereas among those with 1, 2, or more than 5 influencers only 21.7% achieved their aspirations. Two influencers that have received little empirical attention emerged: Self and Society/Culture. Findings have implications for encouraging young people and influencers to consider not only how parents and teachers affect educational aspirations but also the composition and size of socio-educational networks.
KEYWORDS
educational aspirations, number of influencers, attainment, adolescence, youth, goal
CITATION (APA)
Singh, G., Loomis, C., Dimakos, C., O’Malley, B. Y., Lamont, S., Pelletier, J., Christens, B. D., Wright, C., & Peters, R. DeV (2022). It Takes Less than a Village to Influence Educational Aspirations and Attainment. The European Educational Researcher, 5(2), 177-199. https://doi.org/10.31757/euer.523
REFERENCES
  1. Adler, P. S., & Kwon, S. (2002). Social capital: Prospects for a new concept. Academy of Management Review, 27(1), 17-40. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMR.2002.5922314
  2. Agger, C., Meece, J., & Byun, S. Y. (2018). The influences of family and place on rural adolescents' educational aspirations and post-secondary enrollment. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 47(12), 2554-2568. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-018-0893-7
  3. Alm, S. (2020). Sibling configuration and the right to fail – parental and children’s own scholastic aspirations in different types of families. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 25(1), 154-171. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2019.1601116
  4. Archer, L., DeWitt, J., & Wong, B. (2014). Spheres of influence: What shapes young people’s aspirations at age 12/13 and what are the implications for education policy? Journal of Education Policy, 29(1), 58-85. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680939.2013.790079
  5. Beal, S. J., & Crockett, L. J. (2010). Adolescents’ occupational and educational aspirations and expectations: Links to high school activities and adult educational attainment. Developmental Psychology, 46(1), 258-265. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0017416
  6. Benner, A. D., & Mistry, R. S. (2007). Congruence of mother and teacher educational expectations and low-income youth's academic competence. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99(1), 140-153. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.99.1.140
  7. Bong, M., & Clark, R. E. (1999). Comparison between self-concept and self-efficacy in academic motivation research. Educational Psychologist, 34(3), 139-153. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326985ep3403_1
  8. Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In J. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of theory and research for the sociology of education (pp. 241–258). Greenwood, NY. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470755679.ch15
  9. Borgatti, S. P., & Halgin, D. S. (2011). On network theory. Organization Science, 22(5), 1168–1181. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1100.0641
  10. Bowden, M. P., Doughney, J. (2010). Socio-economic status, cultural diversity and the aspirations of secondary students in the Western Suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. Higher Education, 59, 115. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-009-9238-5
  11. Brand, J. E., Moore, R., Song, X., & Xie, Y. (2019). Why does parental divorce lower children's educational attainment? A causal mediation analysis. Sociological Science, 6, 264–292. https://doi.org/10.15195/v6.a11
  12. Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). Contexts of child rearing: problems and prospects. American Psychologist, 34(10), 844. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.34.10.844
  13. Bronfenbrenner, U. (1989). Ecological systems theory. In R. Vasta (Ed.), Annals of child development: Six theories of child development-Revised formulations and current issues (pp. 187–249). London: JAI Press.
  14. Conger, K. J., & Little, W. M. (2010). Sibling relationships during the transition to adulthood. Child Development Perspectives, 4(2), 87–94. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-8606.2010.00123.x
  15. Delay, C. (2022). Youngsters’ choices within the field of vocational education in French-speaking Switzerland: The interplay of institutional influences, peer-group and habitus. Journal of Youth Studies, 25(1), 116-135. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2020.1849583
  16. Downey, D. B. (2001). Number of siblings and intellectual development: The resource dilution explanation. American Psychologist, 56, 497–504. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.6-7.497
  17. Downey, D. B., & Condron, D. (2004). Playing well with others in kindergarten: The benefits of siblings at home. Journal of Family Issues, 66, 333–350. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2004.00024.x
  18. Du, H., & King, R. B. (2013). Placing hope in self and others: Exploring the relationships among self-construals, locus of hope, and adjustment. Personality and Individual Differences, 54, 332–337. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2012.09.015
  19. Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Buchner, A., & Lang, A.-G. (2009). Statistical power analyses using G*Power 3.1: Tests for correlation and regression analyses. Behavior Research Methods, 41, 1149-1160. https://doi.org/10.3758/BRM.41.4.1149
  20. Freelon, D. (2010). ReCal: Intercoder reliability calculation as a web service. International Journal of Internet Science, 5(1), 20-33.
  21. Gasser, C. E., Larson, L. M., & Borgen, F. H. (2004). Contributions of personality and interests to explaining the educational aspirations of college students. Journal of Career Assessment, 12(4), 347–365. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072704266644
  22. Gelfand, M. J., & Jackson, J. C. (2016). From one mind to many: The emerging science of cultural norms. Current Opinion in Psychology, 8, 175-181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.11.002
  23. Gjerustad, C., & von Soest, T. (2012). Socio-economic status and mental health – the importance of achieving occupational aspirations. Journal of Youth Studies, 15(7), 890-908. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2012.693590
  24. Goodman, J., Hurwitz, M., Smith, J., & Fox, J. (2015). The relationship between siblings’ college choices: Evidence from one million SAT-taking families. Economics of Education Review, 48, 75-85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2015.05.006
  25. Granovetter, M. (1983). The strength of weak ties: A network theory revisited. Sociological Theory, 1, 201–233. https://doi.org/10.2307/202051
  26. Hampton, K. N., Robertson, C. T., Fernandez, L., Shin, I., & Bauer, J. M. (2021). How variation in internet access, digital skills, and media use are related to rural student outcomes: GPA, SAT, and educational aspirations. Telematics and Informatics, 63, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2021.101666
  27. Hartas, D. (2016). Young people's educational aspirations: Psychosocial factors and the home environment. Journal of Youth Studies, 19(9), 1145-1163. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2016.1145634
  28. Heymann, C., Scully, S., & Franz-Odendaal, T. A. (2021). Exploration of students’ career drivers and goals by grade level and gender in Atlantic Canada. Journal of Youth Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2020.1849585
  29. Horne, C., & Mollborn, S. (2020). Norms: An integrated framework. Annual Review of Sociology, 46(1), 467–487. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-soc-121919-054658
  30. Jonsson, J. O., & Mood, C. (2008). Choice by contrast in Swedish schools: How peers' achievement affects educational choice. Social Forces, 87(2), 740-765. https://doi.org/10.1353/sof.0.0135
  31. Jung, E., & Zhang, Y. (2016). Parental involvement, children's aspirations, and achievement in new immigrant families. The Journal of Educational Research, 109, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2014.959112
  32. Kay, J., Shane, J., & Heckhausen, J. (2016). High-school predictors of university achievement: Youths' self-reported relationships with parents, beliefs about success, and university aspirations. Journal of Adolescence, 53, 95-106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.08.014
  33. Khattab, N. (2015). Students’ aspirations, expectations and school achievement: what really matters? British Educational Research Journal, 41, 731-748. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3171
  34. Komarraju, M., & Nadler, D. (2013). Self-efficacy and academic achievement: Why do implicit beliefs, goals, and effort regulation matter? Learning and Individual Differences, 25, 67-72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2013.01.005
  35. Landis J. R., & Koch G. G. (1977). The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. Biometrics, 33(1), 159–174. https://doi.org/10.2307/2529310
  36. Lucas, T., Alexander, S., Firestone, I. J., & Baltes, B. B. (2006). Self‐efficacy and independence from social influence: Discovery of an efficacy–difficulty effect. Social Influence, 1(1), 58-80. https://doi.org/10.1080/15534510500291662
  37. Messersmith, E. E., & Schulenberg, J. E. (2010). Goal attainment, goal striving, and well-being during the transition to adulthood: A ten-year U.S. national longitudinal study. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 130, 27-40. https://doi.org/10.1002/cd.279
  38. Mo, P. K. H., Chan, V. W. Y., Wang, X., & Lau, J. T. F. (2020). Gender difference in the association between internet addiction, self-esteem and academic aspirations among adolescents: A structural equation modelling. Computers & Education, 10(155), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2020.103921
  39. McHale, S., Updegraff, K., & Whiteman, S. (2012). Sibling relationships and influences in childhood and adolescence. Journal of Marriage and Family, 74(5), 913-930. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2012.01011.x
  40. Mora, T., & Oreopoulos, P. (2011). Peer effects on high school aspirations: Evidence from a sample of close and not-so-close friends. Economics of Education Review, 30(4), 575-581. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2011.01.004
  41. Mundt, S. D., & Mundt, M. P. (2020). The role of peer groups in adolescents’ educational expectations: a stochastic actor-based model. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 25(1), 1009-1021. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2020.1828109
  42. Nicoletti, C., & Rabe, B. (2019). Sibling spillover effects in school achievement. Journal of Applied Economics, 34(4), 482–501. https://doi.org/10.1002/jae.2674
  43. Packer, M. J. (2017). Child development: Understanding a cultural perspective. UK: Sage Publications.
  44. Patacchini, E., Rainone, E., & Zenou, Y. (2011). Dynamic aspects of teenage friendships and educational attainment. CEPR Discussion Paper No. DP8223.
  45. Plagnol, A. C.,& Easterlin, R. A. (2008). Aspirations, attainments, and satisfaction: Life cycle differences between American women and men. Journal of Happiness Studies, 9, 601–619. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-008-9106-5
  46. Relmasira, S. C., Lai, Y. C., So, C. F. H. (2021). Future jobs: Indonesian Primary Students’ Aspirations and Teachers predictions. The European Educational Researcher, 2(5), 209-225. https://doi.org/10.31757/euer.425
  47. Reynolds, J., & Pemberton, J. (2001). Rising college expectations among youth in the United States: A comparison of the 1979 and 1997 NLSY. The Journal of Human Resources, 36(4), 703-726. https://doi.org/10.2307/3069639
  48. Rutherford, T. (2015). Emotional well-being and discrepancies between child and parent educational expectations and aspirations in middle and high school. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 20(1), 69-85. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2013.767742
  49. St. Clair, R., Kintrea, K., & Houston, M. (2013). Silver bullet or red herring? New evidence on the place of aspirations in education. Oxford Review of Education, 39(6), 719–738. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2013.854201
  50. Stepp, S. D., Pardini, D. A., Loeber, R., & Morris, N. A. (2011). The relation between adolescent social competence and young adult delinquency and educational attainment among at-risk youth: The mediating role of peer delinquency. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 56(8), 457–465. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674371105600803
  51. Telzer, E. H., van Hoorn, J., Rogers, C. R., & Do, K. T. (2018). Social influence on positive youth development: A developmental neuroscience perspective. Advances in Child Development and Behavior, 54, 215–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/bs.acdb.2017.10.003
  52. Usslepp, N., Hübner, N., Stoll, G., Spengler, M., Trautwein, U., & Nagengast, B. (2020). RIASEC interests and the Big Five personality traits matter for life success—But do they already matter for educational track choices?. Journal of Personality, 88, 1007– 1024. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12547
  53. Van den Broeck, L., Demanet, J., & Van Houtte, M. (2020). The forgotten role of teachers in students’ educational aspirations. School composition effects and the buffering capacity of teachers’ expectations culture. Teaching and Teacher Education, 90, 1-11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2020.103015
  54. Yucel, D. (2014). Number of siblings and personality: Evidence among eighth graders from the early childhood longitudinal study-kindergarten cohort (ECLS-K). The Social Science Journal, 51(1), 100–112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soscij.2013.07.008
  55. Yucel, D., Yuan, A.V. (2015). Do siblings matter? The effect of siblings on socio-emotional development and educational aspirations among early adolescents. Child Ind Res., 8, 671–697. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12187-014-9268-0
LICENSE
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.