First aid in study choice: Educational career guidance for cognitively diverse and vulnerable student populations through cognitive skills assessment
This project aims to strengthen equitable educational pathways by providing early, action-oriented study and career guidance to pupils in cognitively diverse or vulnerable contexts.
Using a cyclical approach (screening → profiling → advice → follow-up), we will develop and test a practical, scalable protocol tailored to children from diverse backgrounds, including multilingual, multicultural, gifted or learning-challenged pupils, and those from varying socio-economic contexts.
We will link targeted cognitive ability assessments to practical, context-sensitive advice for pupils, parents, teachers, and pupil guidance centre teams. The project will result in a substantiated evaluation of existing instruments (i-Prefer, NSCCT, COVAT), a toolkit with materials, an implementation guide, and, where possible, open data and freely accessible resources.
Results
Screening instrument for mapping interests and talents, i.e. revised and restructured i-Prefer questionnaire.
Cognitive ability assessments, i.e. advisory report with concrete, evidence-based recommendations for adapting the NSCCT to the CHC model, and a digital platform with an adaptive COVAT.
Key strategies and behaviour change techniques for implementing cognitive ability and interest/talent assessments in school settings.
Materials.
Feasibility report and preliminary effects.
Final report with policy recommendations and dissemination through existing channels (newsletter, website, social media).
