The Parental Influence on the Educational and Vocational Decisions of Adolescents: A Retrospection of International Research

Abstract

This paper deals with the analysis of family factors that influence the educational and therefore professional decisions of adolescents. The educational-professional decisions of adolescents are products of complex and parallel processes and the influence of parents on them is internationally diachronic and important. Initially, a presentation and analysis of the conceptual approaches of decision-making is attempted and then a historical presentation of research data concerning the parental connection and influence on the educational-vocational decisions of adolescents is made. The influencial factors that are being considered are those of the parents' professions, the grammatical knowledge and the educational background of the family, the family's economic situation, the gender of adolescents and the expectations and unfulfilled wishes of the parents. It is also required to mention the crucial role of fu nctionalauthoritative parenting and the negative influence of parental over-involvement.