Communication apprehension and students’ educational choices: An exploratory analysis of Spanish secondary education students

Abstract

Purpose - The literature evidences the effects of communication apprehension (CA), defined as the level of fear and anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication, on educational efforts and suggests that (via the perceived desirability of certain professions) it could affect vocational choices. The main objective of this paper is to investigate the link between CA and the vocational choice of secondary education students. Design/methodology/approach - Data were obtained from two sources: a self-administered questionnaire to measure the students’ CA levels and their academic preferences, and the vocational counsellors’ advice for these students. Findings - The results confirm the existence of a link between CA and both students’ vocational choices and counsellors’ advice. In general terms, apprehensive students tend to choose vocational education, whereas students with lower levels of CA prefer university for further education. Focusing on the latter, more apprehensive students tend to choose science degrees, which are perceived as requiring lower levels of communication skills. Research limitations/implications – Apprehensive students could be avoiding a path, with all the implications for their professional future, because it is perceived as frightening due to the apparent communication level required. As the literature notes, the links between CA and communication self-efficacy enables the development of educational interventions, resulting in a reduction of CA. Limitations include the use of a convenience sample in only one country. Originality/value - The scarce early literature has paid attention to occupational and educational choices in higher and further education, but there is no research focusing on the link between CA and preuniversity academic decisions.