Reflection plays a crucial role in career planning by helping to integrate and change different perspectives. We refer to the theory of transformative learning (TL) (Mezirow, 2009). TL aims to develop alternative realities based on an individual examination of the social environment. This allows people to design their career perspective (Savickas et al., 2009). Whether we can support reflection and TL in career planning with digital tools on the lower secondary level in a school context is an open question we address in our project www.digibe.ch.
 
For years, we have found that the choices of young people in the transition from school to work are rather predictable. Girls with good grades have a higher chance to go to general education, boys to a demanding technical apprenticeship. For girls, jobs in the health sector are seemingly more attractive than for boys, whereas boys are more inclined towards skilled trades.
 
So, we need to discuss the role of teachers in career education and the motivation and engagement of students in relation to their career planning. It is also the question whether career guidance at the lower secondary level should aim at solving the problem to find a follow-up solution (counselling) or to induce reflection and critical thinking (career education) (Guichard, 2022). In the Swiss context, the momentum is more on counselling than education.
 
 

In a longitudinal study (2021 – 2025), students were asked to reflect on their career planning regularly with the help of a digital tool. Teachers play an important role as they steer learning processes in classes.

We see that in the Swiss context, many teachers adapted to the role of career counsellors by focusing on finding a follow-up education in vocational or general education for their students. In this process, reflection often falls short or has the focus on finding an immediate follow-up solution. We also find that some students resist reflection on their career planning. We will present and discuss these findings and probable explanations.

Guichard, J. (2022). Support for the design of active life at a turning point. Studia Poradoznawcze/Journal of Counsellogy, 11, 133–146. https://doi.org/10.34862/sp.2022.1 Mezirow, J. (2009). An overview on transformative learning. In K. Illeris (Hrsg.), Contemporary theories of learning: Learning theorists ... In their own words (S. 90–105). Routledge. Savickas, M. L., Nota, L., Rossier, J., Dauwalder, J.-P., Duarte, M. E., Guichard, J., Soresi, S., Van Esbroeck, R., & van Vianen, A. E. M. (2009). Life designing: A paradigm for career construction in the 21st century. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 75(3), 239–250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2009.04.004