By aspirations we mean the things children and young people hope to achieve for themselves in the future. To meet their aspirations about careers, university, and further education, students often require good educational outcomes. Raising aspirations is therefore often believed to incentivise improved achievement.

Aspiration interventions tend to fall into three broad categories:

1. interventions that focus on parents and families;
2. interventions that focus on teaching practice; and
3. out-of-school interventions or extra-curricular activities, sometimes involving peers or mentors.

The approaches used in these interventions are diverse. Some aim to change aspirations directly by exposing children to new opportunities and others aim to raise aspirations by developing general self-esteem, motivation, or self-efficacy. For interventions that focus on self-efficacy and motivation specifically in a learning context (for example, growth mindsets approaches) please see Metacognition and self-regulation.

In a te ao Māori context, partnership with families/whānau acknowledges the interconnectedness of Māori students with their whānau, hapū, and iwi, ensuring that parents play an active role in shaping their children’s learning goals and aspirations in education, with participation determined by families/whānau themselves.

1. The current evidence base on aspiration interventions is extremely weak. The lack of studies identified means than an impact in months progress is not communicated. Schools should carefully monitor the impact on achievement of any interventions or approaches.

2. The existing wider evidence suggests that the relationship between aspirations and achievement is not straightforward. In general, approaches to raising aspirations have not translated into increased learning. Approaches linked to gains in achivement almost always have a significant academic component, suggesting that raising aspirations in isolation will not be effective

3. Most young people have high aspirations for themselves. Ensuring that students have the knowledge and skills to progress towards their aspirations is likely to be more effective than intervening to change the aspirations themselves.

4. The attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours that surround aspirations in disadvantaged communities are diverse, so avoid generalisations.

The lack of studies identified that tested aspiration interventions mean that there is not enough security to communicate a month’s progress figure.

It is important to acknowledge that wider evidence indicates that the relationship between aspirations and achievement is complex, and there are many reasons why aspiration interventions may or may not impact upon achievement.

Some studies have shown that most young people already have high aspirations, suggesting that much underachievement results not from low aspiration but from a gap between aspirations and the knowledge, skills, and characteristics required to achieve them. Where students do have lower aspirations, it is not clear whether targeted interventions have consistently succeeded in raising their aspirations. Also, where aspirations begin low and are successfully raised by an intervention, it is not clear that an improvement in learning necessarily follows.

There is very little Aotearoa New Zealand-based research focused on aspiration interventions and approaches. A 2020 evaluation of an initiative that involves providing Māori boys with real world problem-solving opportunities, notes that involving whānau and iwi in planning supported positive changes to teacher views and practices, helping them identify these students as gifted. 

Aspiration approaches are diverse and may focus on parents and families/whānau, teaching practice or out-of-school interventions or extra-curricular activities involving peers or mentors. When implementing aspiration interventions, schools might consider including:

• Guidance on the knowledge, skills, and characteristics required to achieve future goals.
• Activities to support students to develop self-esteem, motivation for learning or self-efficacy.
• Opportunities for students to encounter new experiences and settings.
• Additional academic support.

Given the limited evidence base, it is particularly important to monitor the impacts where aspiration approaches are used as a method of improving achievement.

Aspiration interventions range in duration and may include within class approaches delivered by teachers, after school clubs, out-of-school programmes, or mentoring led by paid staff or volunteers. Mentoring and parental interventions are typically delivered over an extended period of time (often at least the length of an academic year) in order to build effective relationships.

Costs vary widely and are hard to estimate precisely, but overall, they are estimated to range between very low and moderate depending on the approach. The median costs of implementing parental engagement programmes are estimated as very low to moderate, with greater costs where schools cover additional staffing costs. Culturally responsive parental engagement, such as after-school meetings, hui or talanoa with supplied meals, may incur additional costs. 

Local research:

Webber, M., Riley, T., Sylva, K., & Scobie-Jennings, E. (2020). The Ruamano Project: Raising Expectations, Realising Community Aspirations and Recognising Gifted Potential in Māori Boys. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 49(1), 77–88. https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2018.16