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A Different Class? Educational Attainment: the views and experiences of looked after young people
Aspirations and Motivations
The consultation exercise also sought to explore the educational aspirations and motivations of looked after young people and how this may vary according to age and gender.
Aspirations
In total 163 young people responded to the questions asked about their educational aspirations.
The majority, 56%, expressed their aspirations in terms of achieving academically.
"I want to pass all my exams" (male, 14) "Getting good marks" (male, 10) "A good education and good qualifications" (female, 15) |
For many of the young people there was a clear link between educational success and successful employment.
"Qualifications to get a good job" (female, 16) "Finish school to the end of 6th year, get all my highers and get a good job" (male, 15) "Qualification, good CV to help me get a job" (female, 15) |
11 young people expressed their aspirations as including further or higher education, typically these young people were at the top end of the age range.
"To further my education either in university or college" (female, 18) "I hope to achieve the rest of my grades to be able to go on to university next year" (female, 17) "Qualifications for college" (male, 16) |
Whilst the young people were representative of the different care settings, it is interesting to note that there appears to be very real gender differences. Of the 11 young people, 8 were female suggesting a higher level of young females aspiring to third level education. However, this difference appears to be even more pronounced when we consider that not one of the males aspired to university, all 3 referred only to progressing to college.
8 young people stated that making friends was their primary aspiration.
"Make friends" (male, 9) "Pals" (female, 13) "Making friends" (male, 14) |
It is worth noting, that all of the young people for whom friendship was their key aim, were aged 9-14 and in the majority of cases living in a residential unit. This is perhaps unsurprising given the overwhelming need for a sense of belonging that is common at this age.
Similarly, the group of young people who expressed "nothing" as their aspiration were more likely to live in a residential unit, yet crossed a wider age range that of 12-17 years old.
From the data, another small group emerges that of young people who describe their educational aspiration in terms of their self esteem as summed up by this young person.
"A sense of achievement" (female, 16) |
This group are spread across the different care settings, but typically are aged 14 - 16 years old.
Motivation
159 young people took the opportunity to describe their educational motivation. Broadly speaking, for many of the young people their motivating factor was the achievement of their aspirations thus similar groupings as previously mentioned are echoed in the motivational information. However additional factors emerged as key motivations. Firstly, many of the participants described their enjoyment of particular subjects as motivation to attend school. Equally a positive relationship with teaching staff was seen as a key motivation.
"Because I like English" (male, 15) "Enjoy maths" (male, 9) "I like the teachers, French and subjects" (female, 16) "Get on well with teachers" (male, 15) "I get on with my guidance teacher" (female, 16) |
Many of the young people also expressed their understanding of the legal requirement for education as their motivation as illustrated by the following quote.
"Because the law says I have to" (male, 13) |
For some young people, particularly those in residential units, education was seen as a means to escape from their living situation. Yet this did not figure predominantly for young people in other types of care settings.
"It gets me out of the unit" (female, 15) "To get me out of the unit" (male, 14) |
However, many of the young people across a wide age range and a variety of care settings talked of carers "making" them go to school as their motivating factor. Yet the young people acknowledged that without this push by staff they would lack the motivation to attend school.
"Because I am made to" (male, 15) "I don't go to school unless someone makes me" (female, 15) |
A clear distinction in motivation arose for the majority of the younger children involved in the consultation. Many of the young people aged 7 -11 years old described their motivation as the need to learn.
"To learn more things" (male, 11) "I need to learn" (male, 7) "To learn to count, read and spell" (male, 10) |
With regard to parental influences on educational motivation, it is interesting to note that not only were care leavers the only group to describe parents as impacting on them in this way, parents was the sole motivation for over one third of them.
"I want my mum to be proud of me" (female, 13) "mum" (male, 16) |
Conclusion
- More than half the young people responding expressed their aspiration to achieve academically.
- Few young people were aiming for third level education.
- Only females aspired to university.
- For younger children their aspirations lay in the social aspect of school life.
- Young people without educational aims were more likely to live in residential units.
- 14-16 year olds were the group most likely to be concerned with self esteem.
- For many young people their motivation equalled their aspirations.
- Positive relationships with teachers were a key motivation.
- Escape from their living situation was a key motivation for some young people living in residential units.
- Younger children are motivated by the need to learn.
- Care leavers acknowledged parental influence as a motivating factor.
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