A Case Study of Meister High School Graduates’ College-going Trajectories

The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences of Meister high school graduates in South Korea who pursued a “work first, then college” policy. To address this objective, a case study design was employed, incorporating in-depth interviews with seven students and two high school teachers, along with document analysis. Iloh’s model of college-going decisions and trajectories, which considers the dimensions of time, information, and opportunity, was used to analyze the entire process of college-going trajectories among Meister high school graduates. The findings indicated that while these graduates initially sought employment, once they secured jobs and became eligible to apply for college, they quickly experienced transition into preparing for college entrance. Furthermore, specific details about college access and choice were predominantly obtained after reaching adulthood, often through unofficial channels. From the perspective of opportunity, despite various motivations, the options available to these students were severely limited. Nonetheless, the study found that Meister high school graduates pursued college education based on their own agency and decision-making rather than merely conforming to societal norms. Based on these findings, the study discusses academic and policy implications related to the “work first, then college” policy as well as the college access and choice of Meister high school graduates.