Secondary school subject choice: an ethnographic study

Abstract

This study of subject choice followed two groups of pupils through the decision-making process at two state, co-educational high schools in the North Island of New Zealand. The high schools were similar in size, location, ethnic composition and range of home background of pupils, but had differing option systems. At the end of their form two year, 53 children (27 boys, 26 girls) were interviewed at their respective primary or intermediate schools while they were considering the options offered to them in form three at one of the two high schools. The children were re-interviewed the following year at their respective high schools. A further 37 pupils (17 boys, 20 girls) were interviewed in form four at their respective high schools while they were choosing fifth form subjects and were re-interviewed the following year after they had experienced the subjects they had chosen. All children in the study were chosen by their teachers as being representative of the range of pupils at their schools, in terms of ability, ethnic origin and home background. In addition, parents of eight of the younger children were interviewed in their homes and 31 teachers, representing all the subjects offered to the children at the two high schools, were interviewed at their respective schools. Analysis of interview transcripts showed that pupils’ decisions were influenced by the structure of the option systems, the attitudes of parents and peers and by the overt and covert actions of teachers. Access to information was found to be a key component of decision making. Children’s and parents’ views about the school subjects showed a strong measure of agreement, but there was less agreement between children’ views and teachers’ views. A model of decision making was elicited from the data and case studies illustrated the range of pupils’ individual experience, in particular, the experience of Maori pupils identified as ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ in the school system.