Ensino profissional

: escolha, experiência e futuro

Abstract

Vocational education has been a reality in secondary public schools since 2004/2005, what means major challenges for all the involved, schools, students and teachers. This research has as its first aim to understand the reasons why students choose vocational education after finishing the 9th grade as well as understanding their experiences along their studies and the consequences of that choice. That way we tried to determine the processes of decision and choice in vocational education trying to identify the motivation, influences and expectations involved. At the same time we aimed at characterising the processes of implementation of choices in vocational education by identifying support/difficulties, factors of influence, among others, and defining hopes and future plans of vocational education students. Having chosen the method of narrative interviews, those were applied to six vocational education students and their parents/ legal tutors, two former vocational education students and two teachers of a school located in the center region of the country. The interviews were then written down and analysed using QSR NVivo, version 1.3.2. software. The conclusions allow us to identify critical factors related with the life experiences of students that interfere with their choice and school path in vocational education. Some conclusions may be withdrawn to this research and to our work as professionals.

Date of Award	15 Oct 2021
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Marisa Carvalho (Supervisor)