Graham Dellar

The School Subject Selection Process: A Case Study

Direct correspondence to Graham Dellar, Ph.D. of Education, Educational Leadership Curriculum Studies, G.P.O. Box U 1987, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. Recent and continuing changes to upper secondary curriculum in Western Australia appear designed to permit students to choose combinations of subjects for post-compulsory schooling that are more relevant to their aptitudes and vocational interests. The pronouncement of an alternative Year 11 and Year 12 course of study (&dquo;Pathways&dquo;) is the latest in a number of changes to the upper school curriculum offerings for students in Western Australia. Whatever the political, economic or educational rationale forwarded for such changes, the alteration to the type and range of upper school subjects on offer poses a dilemma for many students about the combination of subjects they ought to select. The subject selection decision point typically occurs toward the end of the tenth year of schooling. At this point students