Socioeconomic Disparities in Career Expectations and Readiness Among Polish Adolescents: Insights from PISA 2022 Data

This study investigates how career and educational expectations align with school tracks in Poland's secondary schooling, using PISA 2022 data.We examine students in general, technical, and sectoral schools, analyzing how alignment is shaped by socioeconomic status (SES), parental involvement, academic achievement, and career information-seeking.Structural equation modeling shows that SES and parental engagement improve alignment, especially in vocational tracks, where institutional support is weaker.Math performance is also key, particularly in technical schools.In contrast, career guidance and information-seeking activities have limited effects, possibly due to variation in activity types.Many 3-year sectoral vocational students aspire to careers requiring higher education, leading to notable misalignment.The findings call for track-sensitive career support to reduce inequality and support informed decision-making.