Across the country schools can reinforce or minimise social class and gender differences and hence influences on subject choice. There has been many papers / studies completed throughout the years on this topic for example Ball, 1981; Woods, 1979 have pointed out the capacity for subject choice to fashion pupils’ educational trajectories according to social and gendered expectations.
Pupils’ aspirations rooted in social and cultural norms may be reinforced or challenged through norms that become entrenched in schooling through policy and practice. Teachers’ expectations may guide students into routes that are ‘appropriate for them’. However, there is scope for these patterns to change as norms in society (e.g. in relation to gender), occupational patterns (Francis, 2000) and the structure of the curriculum (Gamoran, 1996) change over time. In particular, if all students are expected to study the same subjects then the influences of ‘habitus’ and teachers’ expectations is overtly challenged.
Censeo Services can offer a valuable insight into the innate abilities and motivational drivers of pupils at school to assist in guiding them to a vocation or profession which will be best suited to their natural abilities and flair. Offering this level of support and guidance to pupils and teachers will ensure that motivation levels remain high when working towards examination results and the career objectives which are best suited to each individual.
Entry into some higher level academic intuitions’ can be based not only on academic results in particular nominated subject areas, but also on an entrance and/or interview process. These institutions also find running the Censeo tests a valuable insight into the applicants natural abilities and motivation in order to maximise the cultural fit of the students to the educational environment in which they will find themselves. Filtering applicants to such institutions will minimise the "drop out rate" and hence maximise the success rates and qualifications gained by graduates.
Milk rounds may still operate in many higher and further educational establishments, as such these recruitment drives and graduate entry courses may reflect a number of factors; for example, decreasing faith in the standards of school leavers or in the qualification system (Vocational as well as academic); growing awareness that interviews are fallible, and there is a substantial body of evidence to reflect this, or more simply, a belief in the use of psychometric tests. Either way, the use of psychometric tests is becoming more prevalent in the recruitment process of today.
