Choice Of Educational Route By 9th Grade Graduates Of Russian Schools

Abstract

The article is concerned with the popular educational routes, as well as the motives for choosing an educational trajectory for 9th grade graduates. Personal and family reasons for leaving of ninth-graders from school to college were identified. In a sociological study, a questionnaire survey was conducted among students of the 9th grade of secondary schools in St. Petersburg. Students' responses were analyzed with the support of specialized national and foreign computer programs. As a result of the processing of sociological information, a list of arguments was obtained in favor of changing or maintaining the school educational route. Six educational tracks of 9th grade graduates have been identified. The most popular educational solutions are continuing to study in grades 10-11 and leaving for college after graduating from grade 9. The leading motives of ninth-graders for choosing an educational route are the desire to prepare for the successful passing of the Unified State Exam, getting a profession at the college on a budgetary basis, refusing to take final exams in the grade 11, family plans and recommendations, drive for material security and a quick start to a career, improving quality of school educational capital. The results obtained indicate the need to increase the variety of educational routes for students, to support online schools and a home teaching system for high school students.

Keywords: Sociology of educationeducational route9th grade graduatesfamilycollegeonline school

Introduction

Graduating students of 9th grades of secondary schools in Russia face the question of whether to continue their education in grades 10-11 or to leave the educational institution. Personal motives for changing the educational route combine with family considerations ( Abramova et al., 2015). Students and their parents jointly decide whether the student needs to prepare for the Unified State Exam and enter the university or it is better to go to college after grade 9.

There are many forks in the student’s educational path. For example, graduating from primary school and choosing a gymnasium or lyceum for further education ( Ivaniushina & Williams, 2019). At this point, some families decide to transfer the child to a top-rated school, being one of the top 500 best schools in Russia (Proshkova, 2018). Changing the educational route after grade 9 is widespread. According to statistics, more than half of Russian ninth-graders leave school ( Bondarenko et al., 2020). Those remaining in grades 10-11 are also looking for the most effective way of completing the final two-year segment of the school educational path. The community offers students various opportunities, including home schooling and online schools ( Janelli, 2018).

Problem Statement

The fundamental scientific problem, which this study is directed to, is the effectiveness of schools as a factor in the creation and accumulation of educational, cultural, and social capital of a person. The school has always been considered the most important agent for the educational socialization of youth ( Mannheim & Stewart, 1962). The influence of the school was studied in sociology, psychology, cultural studies, pedagogy, and interdisciplinary discourse. Family and school are the most significant social institutions at the initial stage of life, interacting with each other, forming cognitive skills and character of a person ( Klyachko et al., 2019). The peculiarity of the problem statement is in the use of educational routes by 9th grade graduates choosing between different types of continuing school education and specialized secondary education.

Educational topic is one of the most popular in foreign and domestic sociological science. Studies of the secondary school graduates’ prospects ( Konstantinovskiy, 2019), the prestige of professions among schoolchildren are regularly conducted ( Bessudnov & Malik, 2016), new theoretical approaches are proposed ( Bormann & John, 2014). Primary attention is paid to school and higher education ( Cherednichenko, 2020). The holistic educational path of a person is on the periphery of sociological interest ( Avraamova & Loginov, 2016). The relevance of the study consists in turning to thoughtful educational and professional strategies for high school students. This is especially important in the context of a quick change of the previously typical route “graduating from grade 11 and entering university” to “leaving after grade 9 at a secondary specialized educational institution” ( Alexandrov et al., 2015, p. 73). The results of the project can be used to develop the basics of social policy, helping schools and the parent community.

Research Questions

The following questions are raised in the project: planning and implementation of the educational route for schoolchildren, options for changing the educational path after graduating from grade 9, family and personal motives for choosing the educational route, the conversion of educational capital into professional assets in the assessment of ninth-graders and their families. An additional objective of the study is the development of empirical methods relevant to studying the problems of education and the family. Particular attention is paid to digital technologies for the collection and analysis of sociological information.

Purpose of the Study

It is assumed that the answers to the research questions issued will help to support optimal educational routes for 9 ^th grade graduates and their families, the effective accumulation of educational and social capital by students of Russian schools, as well as the conversion of educational capital into a professional career.

Research Methods

To collect information, a questionnaire for students in grades 9 was used. The sample included 479 students from educational institutions with in-depth study of a number of subjects, as well as non-core schools of St. Petersburg. 20 respondents studied at the city’s top-rated gymnasium, which is included in the first 25 schools from the top “500 best schools of Russia”. 450 questionnaires were selected for analysis.

The survey was conducted in February-April 2020, so 238 questionnaires were distributed through social networks, since the regime of self-isolation began. The most difficult task in the field phase was to reach an agreement with the school directorate to conduct a survey - locally and remotely.

At the moment, answers to questions about the plans of the respondents for the educational and professional future, the reasons for choosing the educational route after the end of grade 9 are analyzed.

The questionnaire used open, closed and half-closed questions. They were processed using computer programs SPSS and Discant. The domestic development Discant (dialogue system for classifying and analyzing texts) is especially convenient for studying the answers to open questions in the questionnaire ( Kanevsky & Saganenko, 1997).

Findings

The most popular educational route for 9 ^th grade graduates in Table 01 is to enter a college. 47% of the ninth-graders surveyed want to leave school to receive specialized secondary education. This figure is less than the average for Russia, as students of St. Petersburg were interviewed. In the city, there are more persons wishing to enter a university ( Bondarenko et al., 2020). 53% of ninth-graders are planning to stay in the school system, choosing different learning options in grades 10-11. Most students are going to continue their studies at their own school. 10% of 9th grade graduates will transfer to another school. 11% of respondents want to change traditional education to home schooling or online school. Five people from the sample said they would take a break from their studies.

Among the motives for choosing an educational route after the end of grade 9 in Table 02 , preparations for passing the Unified State Exam and admission to university are leading (21% of respondents). Such students stay in grades 10-11. In 2nd and 3rd places there is a desire to learn a profession in college, getting a free secondary specialized education. In 4th place there is the refusal to pass the Unified State Exam with the corresponding admission to college. The fifth position among the factors of choosing the educational route is occupied by the parents' advice on either leaving school or continuing to study in grades 10-11. The next group of answers indicates the desire of ninth-graders to start earning. Such answers were given by students planning to go to college.

In last place, the motives for changing the educational path turned out to be the desire of students to improve the quality of school educational capital. This refers to entering top-rated schools in St. Petersburg. This plan is associated with the transition in grades 10-11 to a specialized gymnasium with strong teachers and successful classmates.

Conclusion

The study revealed six relevant educational routes for 9 ^th grade graduates. The most popular educational solutions are continuing to study in grades 10-11 and leaving for college after the end of grade 9. The motives for choosing an educational route for 9 ^th grade graduates are established. This is the desire to prepare for the Unified State Exam to enter a university, getting a profession at a college on a budgetary basis, refusing to take final exams in the 11th grade, family plans, striving for material independence, improving the quality of school educational capital. Practical recommendations of the project are support for a variety of educational routes for students, development of online schools and assistance to the home education system for high school students. An empirical prospect for studying the educational routes of schoolchildren is a nationwide survey of 9th grade graduates.

Acknowledgments

The reported study was funded by RFBR, project number 19-011-00947.

References

• Abramova, M. A., Goncharova, G. S., & Kostyuk, V. G. (2015). The influence of the educational level of parents on the formation of educational strategies of children. Sociology and Social Anthropology mg., 2, 87-102.
• Alexandrov, D. A., Tenisheva, K. A, & Savelyeva, S. S. (2015). No-Risk Mobility: Through College to University. Educational Studies, 3, 66-91. https://doi.org/10.17323/1814-9545-2015-3-66-91
• Avraamova, Е. М., & Loginov, D. M. (2016). New Trends in School Education Development. Educational Studies, 4, 163–185. https://doi.org/10.17323/1814-9545-2016-4-163-185
• Bessudnov, A. R., & Malik, V. M. (2016). Socio-Economic and Gender Inequalities in Educational Trajectories upon Completion of Lower Secondary Education. Educational Studies, 1, 135-167. https://doi.org/10.17323/1814-9545-2016-1-135-167
• Bondarenko, N., Borodina, D., & Gokhberg, L. (2020). Indicators of Education in the Russian Federation: 2020: Data Book. National Research University Higher School of Economics.
• Bormann, I., & John, R. (2014). Trust in the education system — thoughts on a fragile bridge into the future. European Journal of Futures Research, 1, 2–35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40309-013-0035-0
• Cherednichenko, G. A. (2020). Employment and Labor Market Outcomes of College and Vocational School Graduates. Educational Stidies, 1, 256-282. https://doi.org/10.17323/1814-9545-2020-1-256-282
• Geger, A. E. (2010). Identification of individual and group values in a group of young people. Relevant methodological solutions. Sociological Studies, 4, 132-141.
• Ivaniushina, V. A., & Williams, E. P. (2019). Tracking, School Mobility, and Educational Inequality. Educational Studies, 4, 47-70. https://doi.org/10.17323/1814-9545-2019-4-47-70
• Janelli, M. (2018). E-Learning in Theory, Practice, and Research. Educational Studies, 4, 81-98. https://doi.org/10.17323/1814-9545-2018-4-81-98
• Kanevsky, E. A., & Saganenko, G. I. (1997). Dialogue system and text analysis. Sociology 4М, 9, 198-215.
• Klyachko, T. L., Semionova, E. A., & Tokareva, G. S. (2019). Success and Failure of School Students: Parental Expectations and Teachers’ Perceptions. Educational Studies, 4, 71-92. https://doi.org/10.17323/1814-9545-2019-4-71-92
• Konstantinovskiy, D. L. (2019). Current labor market challenges and Russian youth. Education and Science in Russia: State and Development Potential, 4, 272-281. https://doi.org/10.19181/obrnaukru.2019.6
• Mannheim, K., & Stewart, W. A. (1962). An introduction to the sociology of education. Humanities Press.
• Proshkova, Z. V. (2015). Top-rated schools of St. Petersburg: criteria of research selection and data sources. Theory and practice of social development, 24, 22-26.