Lost in Transition: The Influence of Locus of Control on Delaying Educational Decisions
20 Pages Posted: 19 Sep 2016
Abstract
The transition from compulsory schooling to upper-secondary education is a crucial and frequently difficult step in the educational career of young people. In this study, we analyze the impact of one non-cognitive skill, locus of control, on the intention and the decision to delay the transition into post-compulsory education in Switzerland. We find that locus of control, measured at ages 13–14, has a significant impact on the intention to delay the transition into upper-secondary education. Furthermore, we find that the intention to delay the transition is strongly correlated with the actual delay, measured one and a half years after the intention. Finally, students with the initial intention to delay but successfully continuing into upper-secondary education show a stronger internal locus of control than comparable students who do delay their transition.
Keywords: locus of control, school-to-school transition, school-to-work transition
JEL Classification: I21, J24
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation