High school students' career plans: The influence of others' expectations.

Abstract

A study examined that influence of others' expectations on high school students' career plans. Participants were a nationally representative sample of multiracial 10th- and 12th-grade students. Results indicated that the majority of students perceived that their counselors expected them to attend college and that very few of them perceived that counselors wanted them to work or attend trade or business school. Results also showed that students were most likely to perceive an expectation for college education from their parents or relatives and were least likely to perceive such an expectation from their friends or coaches. Educational aspirations and perceived expectations increased from sophomore to senior year, but there were significant differences within racial and gender groups in both 10th- and 12th-grade.