Vocational choice in adolescents: a bibliographic review

Abstract

This article had the purpose of reviewing the research developed on the factors that influence the vocational choice of adolescents. Papers published between 2016 and 2020 in Concytec, SciELO, Dialnet & Ebsco were analyzed. The descriptors were “vocational choice”, “vocational maturity”, “adolescence”, “parental behaviors in adolescence” “university dropout”, as well as their translation into English. 139 articles were identified, of which 47 were selected: 26 (55%) theoretical articles, 12 (25%) quantitative studies; 8 qualitative studies (17%) and 1 (17%) quasi-experimental. 13 materials of vocational choice and 3 of parental behavior were identified in relation to the vocational choice of their children. It was concluded that the vocational choice is more influenced by family and socioeconomic aspects than by individual aspects of the adolescent. It is recommended to study in depth the characteristics of the adolescent and their needs to intervene effectively from educational institutions.