Understanding Dutch students’ subject choices in secondary education using the Theory of Planned Behavior

Subject choices in secondary education are important decisions, since they critically determine the tertiary fields of study that pupils can pursue. Multiple variables may play a role in pupils’ decisions, such as their social environment and attitudes. The current study investigated subject choice intentions using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB; Fishbein & Ajzen, Citation2010). Structural equation modelling was used to investigate TPB for Dutch students in senior general and pre-university education (N = 1295). A new model with second-order factors accommodated the high correlations between the latent constructs. The new second-order factors were referred to as considerations (determined by attitude, subjective norm and perceived control) and beliefs (behavioral, normative and control beliefs). In total, 90.3% of the variance in choice intention was determined by considerations; students’ attitudes were the most important factor. Considering a broad spectrum of beliefs and considerations seems desirable when guiding students in their subject choices.