What should I study?: improving tertiary pathways by improving support for prospective students

The aim of this project was to gain a better understanding of the ways in which Year 12 students decide what to study at university in order to explore new ways of providing support. This included identifying what support was available to Year 12 students and from whom. Four interlinked studies were undertaken within the project. The first three studies comprised a review of current practice which explored how support is provided and what information is available to Year 12 students. This began with an examination of the support resources and information that is disseminated to Year 12 students by each group. These data were mapped according to the types of career development services provided and then to the core tasks that make up the study choice process. Other aspects of the interface between students and government agencies, universities and secondary schools respectively were also examined to establish a clear description of the nature of the support that is provided. The fourth study explored aspects of study choice and the ways in which Year 12 students consider and engage in this process.

There were significant findings from each of the four studies that offered insight into the nature of engagement and support structures within each specific context. When the four perspectives were synthesised according to the project aims, six overall findings emerged: (1) two structural decision-making points direct the study choice process for Year 12 students; (2) the preference system is unique to Australia; it shapes and impacts the study choice process; (3) study choice is a complex decision with a lot of information to process; (4) in-depth exploration is positively correlated with being confident about a study choice, yet many students do not engage in available activities; (5) the relationships between schools and universities are vital to the delivery of study choice support for Year 12 students; and (6) Year 12 students need and want more support with study choice.

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