TY - JOUR

T1 - ‘DELIVERING CAREERS GUIDANCE IN ENGLISH SECONDARY SCHOOLS: POLICY VERSUS PRACTICE’

AU - Houghton, A.-M.

AU - Armstrong, J.

AU - Okeke, R.I.

N1 - This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in British Journal of Educational Studies in March 2021, available online: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00071005.2020.1734533

PY - 2021/3/30

Y1 - 2021/3/30

N2 - Recent policy on careers guidance in England suggests a somewhat straightforward process. The assumption is that quality careers guidance will enable young people to make informed career-related decisions. However, the 'reality' of provision is far more complex, as highlighted by the findings from a small in-depth study of careers provision in one National Collaborative Outreach Programme (NCOP) consortium. The study used a theoretical framework informed by Bourdieu's concept of habitus and a mixture of methods. Analysis showed the centrality of contextual factors in shaping a school's careers provision, including its location, history, ethos and values; its self-evaluation development plans; the position and status of the careers policy, career advisor, and the students' profile/background. This paper provides a stimulus for discussion of these contextual factors, which will need addressing for national policy relating to careers to be effective and facilitate social mobility rather than increase social inequalities.

AB - Recent policy on careers guidance in England suggests a somewhat straightforward process. The assumption is that quality careers guidance will enable young people to make informed career-related decisions. However, the 'reality' of provision is far more complex, as highlighted by the findings from a small in-depth study of careers provision in one National Collaborative Outreach Programme (NCOP) consortium. The study used a theoretical framework informed by Bourdieu's concept of habitus and a mixture of methods. Analysis showed the centrality of contextual factors in shaping a school's careers provision, including its location, history, ethos and values; its self-evaluation development plans; the position and status of the careers policy, career advisor, and the students' profile/background. This paper provides a stimulus for discussion of these contextual factors, which will need addressing for national policy relating to careers to be effective and facilitate social mobility rather than increase social inequalities.

KW - Advice and Guidance (CIAG)

KW - careers guidance

KW - careers information

KW - Gatsby

KW - National Collaborative Outreach Programme (NCOP)

KW - social inequality

KW - widening access

U2 - 10.1080/00071005.2020.1734533

DO - 10.1080/00071005.2020.1734533

M3 - Journal article

VL - 69

SP - 47

EP - 63

JO - British Journal of Educational Studies

JF - British Journal of Educational Studies

SN - 0007-1005

IS - 1

ER -