Study title

Vocational School Student Survey 2017

Dataset ID Number

FSD3242

Persistent identifier

urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3242

Data Type

Quantitative

Authors

• Nurmikari, Elina (Research Foundation for Studies and Education (Otus))
• Saari, Juhani (Research Foundation for Studies and Education (Otus))
• Salminen, Tuukka (Research Foundation for Studies and Education (Otus))

Abstract

The Vocational School Student Survey (VET Student Survey) 2017 is a total study charting experiences of young people studying in Finnish vocational education institutions. The survey was conducted by the Research Foundation for Studies and Education (Otus) in collaboration with the National Union of Vocational Students in Finland (SAKKI), which also funded the study with funding received from the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. Main themes of the survey included applying for studies, experiences relating to studies and teaching, financial circumstances, plans for the future and working life, and wellbeing and leisure time.

Relating to studies at the time of the survey, the respondents were asked, among other things, their field of education, year of study, and distance to the vocational institution. They were also asked whether they had moved to another municipality due to their current studies. Earlier studies and applying for vocational studies were examined with questions regarding, for instance, whether vocational studies had been discussed or recommended in their families or at school, whether their friends or siblings had studied in a vocational institution, and how clear the decision to opt for vocational studies had been. They were also asked whether they had worked or completed other studies before starting vocational studies, and how they had performed in earlier education.

Experiences of studies and teaching were examined with questions about the time spent on studies in a week, form and sufficiency of the teaching and guidance received, balancing and managing studies, and money spent on study materials. Possible learning difficulties and support received for these difficulties were also surveyed. With regard to study progress, satisfaction with studies and the institution itself was charted as well as feelings of studying the right field, prospects of graduating, things slowing down study progress, and views on the importance of vocational studies.

Working, housing and financial circumstances were investigated by asking about working during studies and in the summer, housing during semesters, financial help from parents and relatives, and sufficiency of money for expenses. Concerning occupational life, opinions were probed on a number of statements about employment, employment prospects after graduation, and the importance of various things for a successful career. Future plans to study were also surveyed. Finally, wellbeing and leisure time were examined with questions concerning e.g. friends, social relationships, bullying and discrimination, sleep, alcohol use, hobbies and Internet use.

Background variables included the respondent's year of birth (categorised), gender, and mother tongue. The time the respondent had lived in Finland was further charted, along with languages spoken with parents, and parents' employment status and education level.

Keywords

education; educational guidance; expectation; labour and employment; leisure time; living conditions; occupational life; occupational training; students; upper secondary education; vocational education; well-being (society)

Topic Classification

• Social sciences (Fields of Science Classification)
• Vocational education and training (CESSDA Topic Classification)

Series

Vocational School Student Surveys

Distributor

Finnish Social Science Data Archive

Access

The dataset is (A) openly available for all users without registration (CC BY 4.0).

Data Collector

• Research Foundation for Studies and Education (Otus) (OTUS)

Time Period Covered

2017

Collection Dates

2017-03-01 – 2017-10-18

Nation

Finland

Geographical Coverage

Finland

Analysis/Observation Unit Type

Individual

Universe

Students in upper secondary level vocational institutions in Finland (excluding the Åland Islands)

Time Method

Longitudinal: Trend/Repeated cross-section

Sampling Procedure

Total universe/Complete enumeration

The study did not form a sample of individual respondents, but the questionnaire was shared with all vocational institutions providing education and training in continental Finland. Potential respondents included all students in degree programmes, adult education programmes, competence-based qualification programmes and apprenticeship training. Representatives of the institutions were asked to arrange responding to occur during classes to enable as large a sample as possible. In total, 9,638 students responded to the survey.

Collection Mode

Self-administered questionnaire: Web-based (CAWI)

Research Instrument

Structured questionnaire

Data File Language

Downloaded data package may contain different language versions of the same files.

The data files of this dataset are available in the following languages: English and Finnish.

FSD translates quantitative data into English on request, free of charge. More information on ordering data translation.

Number of Cases and Variables

305 variables and 9638 cases.

Data Version

1.0

Related Datasets

FSD3435 PROMEQ: Health and Well-being of People Aged 65 and Over 2017-2018

Completeness of Data and Restrictions

Variables t_ol_mk and t_ol_avi indicate the institution's NUTS3 region and Regional State Administrative Agency based on the unique response identifier of the institution/student group.

To prevent identification of respondents, the following anonymisation measures were taken: In variable q84 indicating time R had lived in Finland, categories "1-2 years" and "under 1 year" were recoded into a single category; variables q6 (year of studies) and q81 (age) were categorised by the researchers; open-ended variables q4b, q5, q12, and q50 indicating other degrees, specific study programmes, and postal codes were removed; all open-ended responses of the type "other, please specify" were removed.

Weighting

There are no weight variables in the data.

Citation Requirement

The data and its creators shall be cited in all publications and presentations for which the data have been used. The bibliographic citation may be in the form suggested by the archive or in the form required by the publication.

Bibliographical Citation

Nurmikari, Elina (Research Foundation for Studies and Education (Otus)) & Saari, Juhani (Research Foundation for Studies and Education (Otus)) & Salminen, Tuukka (Research Foundation for Studies and Education (Otus)): Vocational School Student Survey 2017 [dataset]. Version 1.0 (2018-09-28). Finnish Social Science Data Archive [distributor]. https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3242

Deposit Requirement

Notify FSD of all publications where you have used the data by sending the citation information to user-services.fsd@tuni.fi.

Disclaimer

The original data creators and the archive bear no responsibility for any results or interpretations arising from the reuse of the data.

Related Publications

Korkiakoski, Jenna (2020) Kulttuuripääoman yhteys ammattikoululaisten jatko-opintohalukkuuteen. Kandidaatin tutkielma. Elinikäinen oppiminen ja kasvatus. Tampereen yliopisto.

Iljin, Mira (2021) Ammattikoululaisten koulu-uupumus ja kokemukset sosiaalisesta tuesta. Pro gradu -tutkielma. Tampereen yliopisto. http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202104122905