Professional Aspirations of 11th-12th Grade High School Students in Galati and Iasi. Pedagogical and Career Management Assessment

Abstract

In this paper we present an exploratory research on a theoretical sample of 326 students. The topic targeted for analyzing the concept of professional aspirations of students in the last high school classes, the way in which the students see their integration into the labour market, the sources of information used in the choice of the faculty and career in general.
The research involved a survey based on a questionnaire applied on a sample of 4 high schools from Galaţi and Iaşi (on 4 high school categories, depending on the percentages obtained for the baccalaureate exam). In each high school a questionnaire was applied to a sample of full-time students in the last high school classes (XI and XII), who are in the state education system.
The paper had several main objectives: identifying students' motivation to pursue higher education after completing high school studies, identifying the proportion of students' propensity to migrate to another country, identifying students' sources of information in decision-making for their professional future, evaluating the professional interests of students, identifying how students assess their own educational training. The six hypotheses of the research are strictly related to the instrument used and the theoretical sample.
The pedagogical dimension of the research is taken into account in the assessment made by the students of the teaching staff regarding the methods of teaching and evaluation.
Finally, we mention some of the research conclusions. We found that the majority of students considered it appropriate to pursue higher education. We noticed the students' retention to migrate at any cost, while at the same time having the opportunity to be realized in Romania. Identifying students' information sources in decision-making for the professional future: the intimate circle of acquaintances remains priority and less of counsellors or psychologists. Evaluating the professional interests of students: the professions indicated by the students are very diverse and the legitimate interest is related to personal skills rather than the situation of the occupation/profession on the labour market. Identify how students assess their own educational training: differentiated on the assessment of the institutional educational climate and the assessment of parental control.
Data was processed using SPSS. The chi-square test was calculated between the studied groups and the internal consistency of indicators used by means of the Alpha Crombach coefficient.
This research is an applicative and descriptive one; it has the role of identifying and describing the characteristics of some realities in the educational area.