Ability and interest profiles at the end of lower secondary school structure, specification, and associations with educational choices
- This paper investigates the role of ability profiles and profiles of vocational interests at the transition from "Realschule" (lower secondary level) into the academic and vocational oriented "Gymnasium" (upper secondary track) school. Based on Guttman's (1954) radex model of cognitive and academic abilities as well as Holland's (1997) circumplex model of vocational interests, we developed statistical models for assessing individual differences in intraindividual profiles. The empirical results underscore the validity of our profile approach. Particularly (1) profiles derived on basis of test scores, grades, and interests were associated with all educational choices under consideration, and (2) decisions for different gymnasia types were systematically and meaningfully associated with individual profile parameters. In addition (3) criterion correlations of interest and ability measures could be explained by individual profile parameters.
