Formation of Professional Choice Strategies Among Students in Low-performing Schools

The study considers various strategies of professional choice through different tracks: direct entry into the labor market; delayed entry into the labor market after vocational education; and a mixed track combining work and education. Various factors can influence the formation of these strategies. The aim of the current study is to identify factors influencing the formation of professional choice strategies among students from low-performing schools as perceived by the students themselves and their formally significant adults (teachers). It is developed on the sample including low-performing school students aged between 14 and 15. In this study, through a comparative analysis of previous research results and government policy documents, data from focus group interviews, student questionnaires, and subsequent analysis are conducted and evaluated concerning the correlation between the existing factors and low-performing school students' professional choice strategies using Pearson's chi-squared test and Kruskal-Wallis test. The scientific novelty of this study is primarily determined by its subject matter - the academic, vocational, mixed, and career tracks of low-performing school students and the factors influencing them. The results obtained from the study can be used by representatives of educational organizations and district administration in the design and realization aimed at improving the professional orientation of low-performing school students. Additional areas of research based on the findings are discussed. Keywords: ACHIEVEMENT, LOW-PERFORMING SCHOOL, VACATION CHOICE, CAREER ORIENTATION, ACADEMIC TRACK, CAREER TRACK , VET