Contextual and internal factors that can influence the development of vocational guidance and career planning in Italian students

The aim of this research was to analyze the relevance of parents', teachers' and peers' opinions on vocational guidance and career planning in Italian students. A total of 634 participants were asked to fill in self-report questionnaires in order to investigate: (1) the correspondence between students' choice and parents' job and Self-Directed Search test results; (2) how much attention students paid to adult and peer suggestions at the moment of choosing their studies; (3) how much they are able to find for themselves the information needed to make a decision and their tendency to attribute to themselves and their commitment to the pursuit of their aspirations. Results show less coherence between parents' job and children's choice and Self-Directed Search test results. The students do not seem interested in adults' opinions and they do not seem to have the ability to make a decision using the relevant information obtained. These results highlight the importance of increasing experts' support and to help students achieve greater coherence among attitudes, interests, competences and social requirements.