Lost in Transition: The Influence of Locus of Control on Delaying Educational Decisions

Katharina Jaik () and Stefan Wolter

No 10191, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

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 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I21 J24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 20 pages
Date: 2016-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu and nep-neu
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (23)

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Working Paper: Lost in Transition: The Influence of Locus of Control on Delaying Educational Decisions (2016)
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