Student's risks to drop out and relation to Vocational Identity

Abstract

The current study is actual because approximately 20 % of first year students drop out from studies after the first year of studies. Research will help to better understand main reasons why students in Latvia universities left they studies as well as students needs in career education and relationship with vocational identity. Theoretical approach is based on assumption that most difficulties in vocational decision making fall into one or more of following categories – problems of vocational identity, lack of information about jobs or some of external or internal career barriers. The method of the research is My Vocational Situation (MVS, Holland, Daiger, Power, 1980). There are some extra questions included in Career Barriers scale and Information scale according to Latvia’s situation. Snyder's Goals Scale (Hope Scale) is used to to test the validity of My Vocational Situation questionnaire for Latvia’s situation. The results suggest that students, who were thinking to leave their study generally show lower Vocational Identity level.. As more significant barriers to finish their studies students indicate personal motives, inadequate chosen study program and financial assumptions The Cronbach alphas for scales of Vocational Identity indicate a sufficiently high internal reliability, but it is recommendable to made retesting of the MVS.