Institutional and cultural influences on students’ higher education aspirations: a case study from Slovakia

Thesis

This dissertation examines how higher education aspirations are formed and why they differ between students following two academic pathways—the International Baccalaureate (IB) and the Slovak Maturita (SKM)—within GJH, a selective public high school in Slovakia. It illustrates how institutional and cultural factors shape students’ perceptions, expectations, and decision-making processes, thereby influencing their aspirations for higher education.

Key findings indicate that, at GJH, the IB programme was widely perceived as more academically rigorous and better suited for university abroad—a belief internalised by students, even though their lived experiences did not entirely reflect this. Combined with the persistent negative rhetoric surrounding Slovak universities at GJH, this perception contributed to a high-pressure environment in which students, particularly those in the IB cohort, felt compelled to pursue higher education abroad. In contrast, SKM students—who also viewed studying in Slovakia as undesirable—were affected by negative cross-cohort comparisons and often felt less eligible or capable of applying to universities abroad.

The study draws on ten semi-structured interviews with GJH alumni, analysed using thematic analysis with a partly theory-informed coding approach. The findings are situated within Bourdieu’s and Appadurai’s theoretical frameworks, particularly the concepts of habitus and field, to illustrate how academic pathways shape students’ internalised dispositions and, in turn, their capacity to aspire.

By focusing on students from medium socioeconomic backgrounds in Slovakia, the study addresses gaps in the literature concerning both the Slovak education system and the aspirations of students of middle socioeconomic status. The unique context of GJH—where students have comparable socioeconomic status and academic ability—enables a meaningful exploration of non-socioeconomic influences.

Authors: Luptakova, A

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-rvnpnyr1b
• Type of award: MSc
• Level of award: Masters
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: aspirations; cultural influences; institutional influences; higher education aspirations
• Subjects: Education; Comparative and International Education