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When I Grow Up: Supporting Children’s Aspirations

What did you aspire to be when you were young? What do kids in your family or community want to be when they grow up? In this course you'll find out how children and young people answer this question, and what you can do to help support their aspirations.

This course is archived
Future dates to be announced
Estimated 4 weeks
1–2 hours per week
Instructor-paced
Instructor-led on a course schedule
Free
Optional upgrade available
When I Grow Up: Supporting Children’s Aspirations

About this course

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This course provides an enriched understanding of what you can do as a parent, carer, or community member to support and nurture the educational and career aspirations of young people.

Underpinned by an extensive program of educational research conducted by leading experts, we delve into the crucial, decision-making period when young people's ideas about their post-school futures form and become entrenched.

Across the four weeks, we'll look at why aspirations are important, explore trends in children's aspirations for different educational and career pathways, break down key factors that influence aspirations, and consider the powerful role of everyday conversations and experiences in shaping the way young people imagine their futuresand engage in decision-making.

You will gain confidence in understanding and actively supporting and equipping young people, in terms of both your knowledge of post-school pathways and practical tools to help them navigate toward desired pathways.

At a glance

  • Language: English
  • Video Transcript: English

What you'll learn

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  • The difference between aspirations and expectations
  • Key terminology for talking about aspirations
  • The educational and occupational aspirations of more than 12,000 students across primary and secondary school
  • Perceptions of higher education and vocational education held by young people
  • The way aspirations are shaped by factors such as academic achievement, socio-economic status, Indigeneity, gender, rurality, and first-in-family status
  • The role of parents, families, schools, and communities in the complex period of aspiration formation
  • Practical tools to help you nurture and support the aspirations of young people

Syllabus

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Week 1. What are aspirations and why are aspirations important?

Week 2. An overview of the educational and career aspirations of young people

Week 3. Factors that influence aspiration formation

Week 4. The powerful role of parents, families, schools, and communities in shaping aspirations

Learner testimonials

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"I highly recommend 'When I Grow Up: Supporting Children's Aspirations' to every parent it is very informative and will be a valuable tool to help your child."

- Past SCA101x Student

About the instructors

Ways to take this course

Choose your path when you enroll.
Verified Track
Audit Track

Price

$49 USD

Free

Access to course materials

Unlimited

Limited

World class institutions and universities

edX support

Shareable certificate upon completion

Graded assignments and exams

Read our FAQs about frequently asked questions on these tracks.

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