Studying Ambitions: Pathways from Grade 12 and the Factors That Shape Them

Broadly concerned with grade-12 students’ aspirations for the future, this monograph hones in on those seeking to study education and enter the teaching profession. The National Policy Framework for Teacher Education and Development in South Africa identifies this as a crucial area for further research—a need that this study addresses in detail. Investigating the responses of more than 20,000 grade-12 students, this survey reaches across a range of institutions in all nine provinces, analyzing student ambitions and the factors that influenced them. Comparing the findings with those of a similar survey conducted in 2001, this report confirms a desire for further learning against a backdrop of predominantly poor academic performance and low socioeconomic status. Demonstrating how the academic field remains highly unattractive in comparison with other occupations, this reference highlights the major challenge inherent in developing a strong supply of well-qualified instructors for South African schools. Appendices featuring the learning aspiration questionnaire as well as the actual interview schedules are also included.