Prior research has focused specifically on the stratification of educational systems as a potential explanation for crossnational
variation in educational and occupational expectations among youths (Buchmann & Park, 2009). Researchers have
found that students in highly stratified educational systems tend to have more realistic occupational expectations than those
in undifferentiated systems (Buchmann & Park, 2009). This pattern may be due to the greater restriction of students’ options
for educational and occupational trajectories at the secondary level in highly differentiated systems.