Student experiences of the career counselling process in secondary subject choices in Australia: a case for parent-school partnership

This chapter explores the parental role as mediators in children's future educational decisions. It presents a study to examine students' experiences and their thinking around their senior subject choices, as a result of schools' career counselling process involving students, their parents, the career counsellor and the subject teacher. The chapter focuses on the significance of parent–school partnership in secondary schools as a continuum of children's learning. It presents the theoretical dimensions surrounding students' learning to reveal how students' perceptions of their parental beliefs and expectations alongside the teacher's and the career counsellor's role influence their subject choices. The Australian Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) has highlighted that significant career pathway advice and support occurs through less formal channels by parents and family members, as well as teachers. This is the case even though student subject selection and career pathway information and services are usually provided formally by career development professionals, such as the career counsellors in schools.