Effects of perceived parents’ and teachers’ values and beliefs on rural adolescents’ college plans

This study examined rural adolescents’ perceived parents’ and teachers’ values and beliefs and their college plans after high school. Data were drawn from 682 middle/high school students surveyed in northeast Vermont. We found that although there was no difference in the value adolescents placed on college education according to their parents’ level of education, plans to go to college were disproportionately less likely among adolescents whose parents did not have a college degree. Perceived parents’ and teachers’ values and beliefs, along with self-competence, were much lower for adolescents with non-college educated parents, which all lead to their lower intentions to go to college. However, these same sorts of perceptions were not related to college plans in the case of adolescents with college educated parents.
Source: The Social Science Journal - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research