The family's role in high school graduates' higher education decision-making

Abstract

The career path choices of school-leavers are influenced by various factors, but the role of family values in shaping these decisions remains understudied. This research addresses the gap by exploring the direct and indirect influence of family on the higher education decisions of Russian and Kazakh school-leavers. The primary objective was to investigate how family traditions and values impacted students' choice of major. Surveys were conducted with first-year university students and their parents from Russia and Kazakhstan to gather data. A total of 80 families participated, representing different educational backgrounds and geographical locations. The findings revealed that a significant majority of students made their major choices under the influence of their families, although parents often failed to recognize the pressure they exerted. The study highlights the critical role of family dynamics in career decisions, with implications for understanding the broader socio-cultural factors influencing student choices. The results provide valuable insights into the intergenerational transmission of career values and suggest directions for future research into family influence on educational trajectories.

Keywords: Decision making; higher education; influence of family  family; family traditions; schoolchildren