Studies show that in Germany career development and later career success are strongly related to social background (Volmer & Köppe, 2019). The disadvantages in the process of career choice resulting from endogenous and exogenous factors lead to an inequality of opportunities. They can only be remedied to a limited extent throughout the career path. School-based career education providing individual support based on adolescents’ needs might counteract these systematic disadvantages early on. However, in Germany, individual needs are rarely considered in school-based career education. To adjust the vocational curriculum, those responsible for planning career education in schools need more information regarding the requirements of specific groups. But to date, there is little knowledge about the effectiveness of specific career-related interventions on career development in the context of endogenous and exogenous factors. This is partially due to the difficult comparability of interventions, even within one intervention type, e.g. internships.
We present the research design of a comprehensive study that addresses the question on how adolescents acquire career competence and which factors within career education programs are relevant to address their specific needs during this process. The model of career competence by Driesel-Lange, Hany, Kracke, and Schindler (2010) provides the theoretical basis for this study. Eleven secondary schools in three major German cities, differing in terms of school type, socio-economic environment and percentage of students with a migrant background, are participating. The three-year study follows a mixed-method design: About 4,400 adolescents take part in the longitudinal quantitative analysis of career competence development. Questionnaires and guideline-based interviews with school management and teachers provide insights on schools’ perspectives on and concepts of career education. The career-related interventions used are examined using qualitative document analyse. Triangulating the results will help to understand which interventions best support each student. Limitations, future research and practical implications are discussed.
