Herkunft, Schulform, Wunschberuf – Wie sich berufliche Aspirationen in Abhängigkeit von Sozialstatus und Schulkontext entwickeln

Developmental theories have emphasized age-related changes and individual differences in the development of occupational aspirations during adolescence. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding background related development and the impact of Germany’s highly segregated secondary school system. Therefore, in the present study we aim to identify differences in the development of occupational aspirations during secondary education depending on social background and the attended school type. We use longitudinal data from the NEPS Starting Cohort 3 consisting of a sample of N = 3692 students. The results of multi group latent growth curve models indicate social disparities in the initial level and the development of occupational aspirations during secondary education that are associated with the attended school type: While for students from less privileged social backgrounds aspirations in academic track decrease, attending a school with several courses of education has a positive effect on the individual development. In contrast, the occupational aspirations of students from privileged social background remained stable, regardless of the attended school type.