Motivos e Expectativas dos Estudantes do Ensino Médio para o ingresso na Educação Superior

Abstract

Defining a professional future is one of the main challenges for high school students. At this stage, they must choose a career path, directing themselves toward higher education, vocational courses, and/or the job market. In this context, this study presents the research question: how do high school students guide their choices for entering higher education? The study is justified by the researchers' perception of the uneasiness that this stage brings to this group, given that the content-based foundation of basic education offers few opportunities for reflection on career-related issues. Additionally, the current scenario of a significant decline in initial enrollments in Brazilian higher education reinforces the study’s relevance.To address this question, the research aimed to identify the expectations and motivations that influence high school students in choosing their course and higher education institution. To achieve this objective, a quantitative-qualitative study was conducted, with data collected through an electronic form embedded in the application website of a public university's selection process. The data analysis methodology was based on Grounded Theory (GT), as proposed by Kathy Charmaz.The results highlighted the notable fragility of adolescents when making decisions about their next steps upon completing high school. This fragility generates impacts that extend into subsequent stages of their lives. However, it appears that universities and public schools are not focused on addressing this issue while students are still in high school.