Effects of the German Dual System and the Bulgarian Traditional System of Vocational Education on the Adolescents’ Personality: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract

The article presents the results of a longitudinal study aiming to investigate the effects of the type of educational system on the personality of Bulgarian students in the period of late adolescence. Using the adapted Bulgarian versions of three self-assessment tests: the Heubeck и Neill psychological wellbeing scale, the Rosenberg self-esteem scale, and the the Eysenck mental states test, two groups of 32 adolescent students each, were examined at the beginning, at the middle of the second year and at the end of the third year of their education at two different vocational schools applying different educational systems: the German dual educational system, and the Bulgarian traditional vocational educational system, respectively. The results showed statistically significant between-group differences in the mean group scores on the studied personality characteristics. The results were analysed in the context of the impact of schooling on the personality development of young.