Young People in Scotland Survey 2019 - course choice in senior phase: report

6. Conclusions

• There are a multitude of factors that influence young people when they are considering their course choices, and these tend not to be based on what their peers are doing.
• Young people report that class/guidance teachers are the most common source of guidance for choosing courses.
• Most young people are happy with the courses they are able to choose for their Senior Phase.
• Females are more likely to choose subjects based on future thinking (e.g. going to university), whereas males are more likely to choose subjects based on outside influences (such as parents).
• Young people from the least deprived areas (SIMD 5) report that pastoral care/guidance teachers are the most common source of guidance, whereas it is class teachers for young people from the most deprived areas (SIMD 1).