Aspirations is a significant aspect of learner motivation, which plays a significant role in school success. As a result, researchers have extensively studied on youth aspirations to understand their relationship to the behaviors of new generations. Specifically, the process of maintaining an educational path to pursue a career is complex, as aspirations both shape and are shaped by various internal (e.g., personal abilities and interests) and external (e.g., socio-economic status, family background, access to quality education) factors. In literature, aspirations have been defined by a number of psychologists, sociologists and pedagogues through various perspectives. This study examines how theorists from seperate fields have identified and explained the fundamental components of youth aspirations based on the surrounding conditions of their time. In doing so, I aim to highlight the similarities and differences in the elements that constitute youth aspirations to have a better understanding of the concept of aspiration.

Keywords: Aspirations, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, dreams.