Shaping educational attitudes and aspirations: the influence of parents, place and poverty: stage 1 report

Turok, I., Kintrea, K. , St Clair, R. and Benjamin, A. (2009) Shaping educational attitudes and aspirations: the influence of parents, place and poverty: stage 1 report. Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Abstract

An interim report of a study which aims to better understand the relationship between children’s aspirations in relation to education and employment, and the context in which they are formed. In particular, the study seeks to explore how parental circumstances and attitudes, the school as an institution, and the opportunity structures of the neighbourhood come together to shape aspirations in deprived urban areas. This report examines: • The assumptions of current policy that aspirations are a key ingredient of educational and labour market outcomes; • What aspirations are and how they can be understood; • What young people’s aspirations are for further and higher education and for future occupations in three secondary schools; • The main influences on those aspirations, including the roles of parents, schools and the neighbourhood context • Messages for the second stage of the research and emerging lessons for policy. The report provides some evidence to question the assumption among policy makers that there is a ‘poverty of aspirations’ among young people from disadvantaged backgrounds or living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

• Item Type: Books
• Status: Published
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: St Clair, Prof Ralf and Kintrea, Professor Keith and Turok, Professor Ivan and Benjamin, Dr Amanda
• Authors: Turok, I., Kintrea, K., St Clair, R., and Benjamin, A.
• Subjects: H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General); L Education > L Education (General)
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Urban Studies; College of Social Sciences > School of Education
• Publisher: Joseph Rowntree Foundation
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2009 University of Glasgow
• First Published: First published 2009 by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced with the permission of the publisher