Do Aspirations Really Matter?

Autor/in	Hawkins, Cherie-Lynn
Titel	Do Aspirations Really Matter?
Quelle	In: Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, 27 (2017) 3, S.39-54 (16 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1839-7387
Schlagwörter	Academic Aspiration; Adolescents; Females; Foreign Countries; Goal Orientation; Career Choice; Educational Attainment; Higher Education; Experience; Cultural Capital; Economic Factors; Rural Areas; Family Influence; Cultural Influences; Australia + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Adolescent; Adolescence; Adoleszenz; Jugend; Jugendalter; Jugendlicher; Weibliches Geschlecht; Ausland; Zielorientierung; Zielvorstellung; Bildungsabschluss; Bildungsgut; Hochschulbildung; Hochschulsystem; Hochschulwesen; Erfahrung; Ökonomischer Faktor; Rural area; Ländlicher Raum; Cultural influence; Kultureinfluss; Australien
Abstract	The notion of 'raising aspirations' to widen participation in higher education and increase attainment has dominated policy discourse globally for the past decade. Projects and campaigns that aim to increase participation and attainment in education therefore typically focus on student aspirations. This is certainly the case in the Tasmanian context, with the recent establishment of the Peter Underwood Centre and various other 'aspirations projects' in the state. Based on findings from a highly qualitative study in the Cradle Coast region that explored the life goals of adolescent females, this paper proposes that 'aspirations matter' as they are key motivators behind educational and career decision-making, which impacts on life chances. But the paper argues it is the capacity to fulfil them that matters equally. Personal stories and a range of artefacts were collected from the adolescent participants during life history interviews. The primary focus of the paper is to demonstrate that innovative methodologies generate more voice, which in this study allowed for a deeper understanding of life goals, influencing factors and why 'capacity' matters. Through this data collection technique, the study found that the young females had multiple aspirations, including those for higher education and these were shaped by their experiences. However, uncertainties existed around if they had the cultural or economic capital to fulfil them. The paper extends on current work in this area by demonstrating that 'capacity' is important and that there is a place for creative methods in research with rural adolescent females. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Society for the Provision of Education in Rural Australia. P.O. Box 659, Wembly, Western Australia 6913. Tel: +08-9285-0626; e-mail: admin@spera.asn.au; Web site: http://www.spera.asn.au/
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01