Complex ecologies in educational transitions: factors influencing the educational attitudes of vocational students in transit

School-related attitudes affect students' persistence (Bers&Smith, 1991, Finn, 1993, Tinto, 1993). Various factors have a role in shaping students' educational attitudes, including personal background characteristics and prior school experiences. We assessed factors influencing the educational attitudes of students in transition to senior secondary vocational education in the Netherlands (n=1245). We found that the level of educational support and orientation in students' communities affects their educational attitudes most. Students from ethnic minorities and students with lower educated parents appear to have relatively more positive attitudes towards their education at the moment of transition. This result poses questions about the role of educational attitudes in students' persistence, as it is precisely these students that are most at risk for school dropout.