Survey on the image of upper secondary education 2022
The survey on the image of upper-secondary education reveals that there is still room for improvement when it comes to the image of vocational education and training.
The image survey commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Culture and Skills Finland in the autumn of 2022 interviewed 9th graders and their parents, upper secondary school students, young people and adults receiving vocational education, people responsible for HR matters in companies and guidance counsellors. The results of the study were compared to the previous study carried out two years ago.
By and large, respondents to the upper secondary education image survey value education highly and consider it to be of high quality across all forms of education. Upper secondary school education is perceived to provide a high-quality general education, and its general appreciation is also clearly stronger than that of vocational education and training. Vocational education and training is regarded as having close ties with practice and it is considered to be work-oriented.
Survey on the image of upper secondary education 2022
• Summary and key findings (pdf)
• Infographics (png): image 1 and image 2
Implementation of the study
The image survey, commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Culture and Skills Finland, interviewed 9th graders and their parents, upper secondary school students, young people and adults receiving vocational education, people responsible for HR matters in companies and guidance counsellors. The study was carried out by Innolink Oy.
The survey was mainly completed as telephone interviews. Of the groups of respondents, pupils in grade 9 and young people studying in vocational education and training or in general upper secondary school were contacted also electronically. The survey is based on the answers of a total of 1,722 respondents. The study included a quantitative part and a qualitative part.
The study follows on from previous surveys on the image of vocational education and training, carried out in 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2018 and 2020. In this year’s questionnaires and interviews, the share of general upper secondary education has been emphasised. The aim of the survey was to examine the different target groups’ mental images, perceptions, opinions and experiences of upper secondary education.