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Study Choice Test Battery

Flanders

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Flemish Working Group ‘Education Career Guidance Diagnostics’ developed a test battery that can be deployed for
secondary school pupils experiencing difficulties in their study-choice process.

AIM(S) METHODOLOGY

The project group wants to develop and select ready- The study choice process is at the crossroads of various
made diagnostic instruments that informs pupil and important development aspects, so it is very likely that
guidance practitioner on various relevant factors in the this process is influenced by an interaction of social and Recent Developments in Guidance - Belgium | Chapter 3 | Tools & media
decision making process. personal factors.
These tools can help detect blockades, build up insights, Several academics linked to the project group (Prof. K.
and develop as well as test specific hypotheses. The- Verschueren, Prof. B. Soenens, Prof. M. Vansteenkiste)
school career guidance (OLB) practitioner can offer feed- developed a theoretical model of factors that influence
back on the research findings. In a next phase, reference study choice processes. This model is based on interna-
points can be found with the pupil to develop a solution tional literature and divided into antecedents (back-
or plan of action. In this guidance process work, OLB ground factors), resources and outcomes.
instruments can be supportive.
The working group chooses to work with standardised Antecedents:
and validated instruments, that should be well used in • Personal performance: Perfectionism, Value Pattern
school career guidance. (intrinsic and extrinsic objectives) and social behaviour
• Family functioning: Quality of attachment to parents
The development and application of the test battery is (fear, avoidance), Parental upbringing style (structure,
based around the central idea that a ‘good’ study choice responsiveness, autonomy support)
leads to an educational pathway that pupils feel they • School climate: Quality of attachment to teacher,
have sufficiently directed themselves and during which perception of teaching style (structure, autonomy
they have made conscious and well-considered choices. support)
These decision making moments are important links in a
continuous learning process. Resources:
• Autonomous and controlled motivation
• School’s self-image
TARGET GROUP(S) • Emotional and behavioural involvement

Guidance practitioners working in a pupil guidance en- Outcomes:
tre (CLB), with responsibilities in school career guidance • Self-regulating learning: planning, time management,
for 2nd year up until the last year of secondary school metacognition, etc.
. • Negative results: fear of failure, procrastination, fear of
The instruments are reserved for guidance in difficult de- tests, etc.
cision making processes. They are used in the research • Study choice process: exploration, attachment,
stage of the HGD process (action-oriented diagnostic knowledge, etc.
process). The guidance practitioner knows the actions
that should be taken at every diagnostic stage and he/ A questionnaire is selected for each concept, either from
she guides the relationship with the client (and parents) existing literature or newly developed. These ques-
so information is acquired in the best possible way. tionnaires give the CLB guidance practitioner points of
Through these skills, understanding of development and reference in the analysis of study-choice problems.
methodology can be applied throughout the diagnostic Two important criteria in selecting questionnaires are
process, so conclusions can be drawn in the interest of a) they are frequently used in academic research, and
the pupil (and his/her parents). b) they are free of copyright.

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