This article details the design and validation of the Students’ Perceptions of Upper Secondary Education Programmes (SPUSEP) instrument, developed to explore Portuguese students’ experiences of transitioning into upper secondary education. The instrument was developed based on a literature review and focus group discussions with students from four upper secondary schools and was tested through a pilot study with 185 students attending the 1st year of upper secondary level in these schools. Reliability and validity were assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and a Principal Component Analysis. Furthermore, an independent sample T-test was conducted to examine differences between students in scientific-humanistic and VET programmes, as well as between general and VET schools. The results confirm that SPUSEP is a robust and reliable tool for gathering insights into students’ perceptions of upper secondary education programmes. It captures effectively the various perceptions of different pathways, including concerns about course load, degree of subject choice and learning experiences. SPUSEP can support discussions about and reforms of upper secondary education programmes at institutional, local or system levels, to promote more informed and student-centred educational improvements. © the author.
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