Quality of Mentoring Sources for Vietnamese and Turkish Students in Planning Future Possibility: A Cross-cultural Qualitative Study in Urban High Schools

• In Event: Highlighted Session: Empowering Futures: Possibility Development and the Role of Technology in College and Career Readiness

Proposal

Adolescents often encounter significant uncertainty as they contemplate their future pathways post-high school. Various forms of support, including natural mentoring, formal mentoring programs, and school counseling, are proven to mitigate the stress associated with career decision-making. Mentoring, inherently driven by the enthusiasm of seasoned individuals to nurture the development of mentees, is crucial in this context. Furthermore, cultural and social environments substantially shape adolescent career exploratory behaviors and enhance the efficacy of youth mentoring practices. This cross-cultural investigation examines the mentoring sources accessed by Vietnamese and Turkish high school students as they navigate their post-graduation options, focusing on the quality of these relationships and their influence on career planning. We collected qualitative data through semi-structured interviews with thirty-one 11th and 12th-grade students from two different high schools, one in Vietnam and one in Turkey. Our thematic analysis will compare and discuss the cross-cultural perspectives of Vietnamese and Turkish students, shedding light on the diverse factors influencing their future planning.

Author

• Deniz Inanici, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania