Stability of Students' Interests and Aspirations and Resulting Effects on Person-Environment Fit

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 8
  In Roundtable Session: Understanding Self and Others Within Institutional Contexts (Table 30)

Abstract

University time is a transition phase from school to workforce that shapes individual occupational aspirations. By enrolling into a study area, students focus and narrow their options for later occupations. Thus, study counselling aims at finding matches between individual’s interests and environments. While much is known about the stability of interests, evidence for the stability of aspirations and the resulting person-environment fit is sparse.

This study delves into this and focuses on male and female students in STEM subjects with a low and a medium proportion of females. Results show notable changes in interests and aspirations that also affect congruence. While stable interests generally reflect a good fit, results for stable aspirations show phenomena specific for gender and subject area.

Authors

• Bernhard M. Ertl, Universität der Bundeswehr München

• Florian G. Hartmann, Paris Lodron University Salzburg