Children make relevant decisions for their future schooling and their future professional career already at a young age. Which direction and level of education can be attained depends on the...Show moreChildren make relevant decisions for their future schooling and their future professional career already at a young age. Which direction and level of education can be attained depends on the academic achievement in primary school but also on the aspirations and expectations of children and their parents. Children with higher aspirations and expectations generally achieve better in school (Bandura et al., 2001; Wigfield & Eccles, 2002; Zhang, 2011; Rimkute et al., 2012). In the Netherlands there still is an educational gap between native Dutch children and immigrant-background children; even though this gap decreases in later generations (van Ours & Veenman, 2003). In this study the role of aspirations and expectations about future schooling of both children and mothers was examined to make a contribution to the efforts to bridge this educational gap. The sample consisted of 48 Turkish-background children in the Netherlands and their mothers. Both filled in questionnaires concerning their aspirations and expectations for the children’s education and future profession. The influence of gender was tested in moderation models. Relations of aspirations and expectations with children’s school achievement (Cito-score) and with the socioeconomic status (SES) of their families were also investigated. Correlations and t-tests were performed to answer the research questions. Results show children’s aspirations were positively related to their expectations and children’s expectations were generally higher if mothers’ expectations were higher. Aspirations and expectations were also positively related to Cito-score and SES. There were no gender differences in aspirations and expectations of children or mothers nor in children’s choices for their future profession. The development of aspirations and expectations can contribute to the school success of children with a Turkish background in the Netherlands and deserves greater attention of both teachers and parents.Show less
