Family resources and career exploration shape students’ search skills

As young people prepare for higher education and increasingly complex labor markets, success depends not only on academic achievement but also on their ability to navigate educational and career opportunities. These abilities, referred to as career and educational search competencies (CESC), include skills finding information about jobs and university programs, learning how to apply for opportunities, preparing résumés, and understanding student financial aid systems. A study published on  September 1, 2018 in ECNU Review of Education, examines how these competencies vary among students in Shanghai and Hong Kong and explores the roles of gender, family resources, and exploratory learning experiences.

Drawing on data from the 2012 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the researchers analyzed responses from 5,177 students in Shanghai and 4,670 students in Hong Kong. The study examined the factors associated with students' self-reported career and educational search competencies, with particular attention to whether exploratory activities could help strengthen these abilities.

The researchers define career and educational search competencies as the ability to obtain information about employment opportunities, tertiary education programs, and student financing, as well as to prepare for job applications and educational transitions. Previous research has shown that these competencies can play an important role in helping adolescents successfully transition from secondary school to higher education or employment.

The study first compared students' participation in career and educational exploratory activities, including self-exploration exercises, online information searches, visits to higher education institutions, internships, worksite visits, job fairs, and consultations with career advisors. Students in both Shanghai and Hong Kong generally reported lower participation in these activities than the OECD average. However, the two cities showed different patterns: students in Shanghai were more likely to engage in education-related exploration, while students in Hong Kong reported higher participation in career-related activities.

The researchers also examined students' confidence in six areas of career and educational search: finding information about jobs of interest, understanding how to search for employment, preparing résumés, preparing for interviews, finding information about tertiary education programs, and locating information about student financial aid. In almost all areas, students in both Shanghai and Hong Kong reported lower levels of competency than the OECD average. Hong Kong students generally reported stronger competencies than their Shanghai counterparts, except in finding information about tertiary education programs, where Shanghai students reported higher confidence.

To explore the factors behind these differences, the researchers conducted regression analyses examining socioeconomic status, gender, family resources, and participation in exploratory activities. Socioeconomic status was positively associated with career and educational search competencies in both cities, with students from more advantaged backgrounds tending to report stronger competencies. However, this relationship changed substantially when family resources were taken into account.

Two forms of family capital were particularly important: cultural possessions and home educational resources. Once these resources were considered, the direct effect of socioeconomic status became statistically insignificant, suggesting that family resources largely mediate the relationship between socioeconomic background and students' search competencies.

The role of exploratory activities was particularly notable. Across both cities, all three categories of exploratory activities were positively associated with career and educational search competencies. These included self-initiated exploration, participation in career-related experiences, and seeking advice from career counselors.

The study also identified differences in gender patterns between the two cities. In Hong Kong, boys and girls appeared to benefit similarly from exploratory activities. In Shanghai, however, the analysis found a significant interaction between gender and seeking advice from career advisors. Male students appeared to benefit more from career counseling activities than female students. The researchers suggest that this pattern may reflect broader social and cultural inequalities affecting access to career-related opportunities and support.

The findings have important implications for education policy and career guidance. While socioeconomic inequalities continue to shape students' access to educational and career resources, exploratory activities appear to offer valuable opportunities for strengthening search competencies across different family backgrounds.

The authors conclude that career and educational search competencies are not determined solely by family background. Although students from more advantaged families may benefit from greater cultural and educational resources, opportunities for exploration and guidance can help students develop the skills needed to navigate educational and career transitions. By providing more opportunities for exploration and support, education systems may help young people overcome structural barriers and better prepare for future educational and occupational opportunities.