In Switzerland, upper-secondary education is characterised by the coexistence of initial vocational education and training (iVET), primarily organised through the dual apprenticeship system, and school-based pathways such as upper-secondary commercial schools (WMS) and specialised upper-secondary schools (FMS). Although vocational education is politically promoted as the “first choice” pathway, many students eligible for both routes prefer school-based programmes. This paper addresses the following research question: How do lower-secondary students perceive and compare learning opportunities, future prospects, and social meanings associated with school-based programmes and iVET pathways?

The study is situated within research on educational choice, vocational aspirations, and perceived learning environments. It assumes that students’ preferences are not primarily based on direct experience, but on socially shared expectations, symbolic distinctions, and stereotypical understandings of educational pathways. Since 2018, longitudinal cross-sectional data have been collected annually from lower-secondary students in one Canton through standardised written reflections and questionnaires. The present analysis draws on responses from 6,117 students aged 14–15 collected over eight school years. Using thematic analysis, 79,327 coded segments were identified and grouped into five overarching thematic areas: (1) learning formats and conceptions of knowledge, (2) future and educational orientation, (3) social roles and relationships, (4) competence and identity, and (5) evaluations and attributions.

The findings show remarkably stable patterns over time. School-based programmes are associated with theoretical and intellectual learning, openness of future pathways, social prestige, academic achievement, and continued participation in peer-oriented school environments. In contrast, iVET is primarily associated with practical learning, early labour-market entry, occupational specialisation, productivity, and adult-like work identities. While students acknowledge positive aspects of iVET, such as authenticity and practical relevance, many perceive it as narrower, less prestigious, and less compatible with academic self-identities.

The study highlights that educational choices are shaped not only by institutional structures and labour-market opportunities, but also by symbolic constructions of status, competence, and identity. Despite cantonal measures encouraging reflection on vocational pathways, students’ perceptions remained highly stable across eight years. The paper contributes to international debates on balancing vocational and academic pathways and raises questions about how young people develop informed understandings of vocational learning and occupational futures.

The study draws on longitudinal cross-sectional data collected annually between 2018 and 2025 in one Canton, Switzerland. Data were gathered as part of a cantonal monitoring initiative focusing on educational aspirations, perceptions of upper-secondary pathways, and vocational orientation processes among lower-secondary students. The target group comprised students in the final phase of compulsory schooling (typically aged 14–15) attending different lower-secondary tracks. Participation took place during regular school lessons and was coordinated in collaboration with schools and teachers. The present analysis includes responses from 6,117 students. Data collection combined standardised questionnaires with open-ended written reflections. Students were asked to describe perceived characteristics, opportunities, and challenges associated with different upper-secondary pathways, particularly initial vocational education and training (iVET), upper-secondary commercial schools (WMS), and specialised upper-secondary schools (FMS). Additional questionnaire scales captured educational aspirations, perceived fit, interests, and anticipated learning opportunities. The qualitative material was analysed using a thematic coding approach combining inductive and deductive elements. An initial coding framework was developed based on theoretical considerations from educational choice research and vocational orientation literature, while remaining open to emerging themes from the data. The coding process was iterative and involved repeated refinement of categories and definitions. Across all cohorts, 79,327 coded text segments were identified and organised into five overarching thematic dimensions: (1) learning formats and conceptions of knowledge, (2) future and educational orientation, (3) social roles and relationships, (4) competence and identity, and (5) evaluations and attributions. The longitudinal structure of the dataset enabled the identification of recurring patterns and changes across cohorts over an eight-year period. Rather than analysing individual developmental trajectories, the study examines the stability and variation of collectively shared perceptions and symbolic representations of educational pathways over time. This design allows for insights into how educational pathways are socially constructed and reproduced within the transition from compulsory to upper-secondary education.

The findings of this study demonstrate that lower-secondary students in Switzerland hold highly differentiated and remarkably stable perceptions of upper-secondary educational pathways. Despite various policy measures aimed at increasing the attractiveness and status of vocational education and training (VET), school-based programmes such as WMS and FMS continue to be associated with academic learning, broader future opportunities, social prestige, and the continuation of familiar school environments. In contrast, iVET is mainly perceived through the lens of practical work, occupational specialisation, productivity, and early labour-market integration. These perceptions appear to reflect broader social narratives and symbolic distinctions linked to status, competence, and identity rather than detailed knowledge about programmes. The stability of these patterns across eight years suggests that students’ understandings of educational pathways are deeply embedded in institutional cultures and collective expectations. At the same time, these perceptions may also reflect broader economic and labour-market developments. General education qualifications are increasingly associated with flexibility, permeability, and access to further education, while labour markets are often perceived as demanding broad and adaptable competences rather than narrowly defined initial vocational qualifications alone. This raises questions regarding the effectiveness of current career guidance and vocational orientation practices. Providing information alone may not be sufficient to broaden students’ perspectives on vocational learning and occupational futures. More experience-based and reflective forms of career guidance may therefore be necessary to challenge stereotypical assumptions and support informed educational choices. Beyond the Swiss context, the study addresses a broader international challenge faced by many education systems: how to balance vocational and academically oriented pathways while ensuring attractiveness, permeability, and informed learner choice. The findings contribute to comparative debates on the social image of VET, educational aspirations, and the symbolic positioning of vocational education within contemporary education systems.

Nägele, C., Wyss, A. M., Hell, B., & Stalder, Barbara Elisabeth. (2025). Online tools to support career planning on the pathway to vocational education and training (VET) or general education. In E. Quintana-Murci, F. Salvà-Mut, Barbara E. Stalder, & C. Nägele (Eds.), Towards inclusive and egalitarian vocational education and training: Key challenges and strategies from a holistic and multi-contextual approach. VETNET/OAPublishing. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15378908