Reasons which influence on the students’ decision to take a university course: differences by gender and degree

Abstract

After compulsory secondary education; many teenagers face the process of choosing a university degree. This process involves uncertainties referred to their personal abilities, interests, social expectations and professional future. The present work is aimed at determining whether the reasons behind the selection of a particular university degree differ depending on the chosen degree. Another objective is determining whether these reasons differ significantly according to gender. The sample comprises 983 students belonging to the area of social and legal sciences at the University of Seville. The obtained results reveal the existence of four main reasons behind the selection of university degrees for which significant gender-related differences were observed: easy degree, job opportunities, high wages and provision of social services. Besides, these seven reasons are observed to differ widely in six of the considered degrees.

Gendered Career Choices: Paths Toward Studying a Degree in Physical Activity and Sport Science

“…It has been well established that academic and career choices among both girls and boys are influenced by gender stereotypes. As observed in the literature review, female students are more likely to choose people-oriented careers, while male students are generally more interested in wealth and competitive positions (Sallop and Kirby, 2007; Sáinz, 2007; Candela, 2008; López-Bonilla et al, 2012). Our results also indicate that male and female teenagers are influenced by stereotyped portrayals of PASS studies and associated careers.…”

“…Research in the field of STEM has identified several factors that contribute to gender bias in academic and career choices (Morgan et al, 2001; Sáinz, 2007; Candela, 2008; Rogers et al, 2008; Eccles, 2011; Su and Rounds, 2015), with findings showing that girls largely choose a career based on personal preferences, while boys are more likely to be influenced by future prospects, such as earning a lot of money, doing or inventing new things, or becoming famous. Girls, by contrast, largely choose STEM careers where they can help others, reflecting the extent to which gender stereotypes influence career choice (Sallop and Kirby, 2007; Sáinz, 2007; Candela, 2008; López-Bonilla et al, 2012). Women thus are more likely to opt for social care or affiliated professions (Jones et al, 2000) and to gravitate away from traditionally male STEM professions (Sáinz, 2007).…”

Üniversite Tercihinin Belirleyenleri Nelerdir? Kırgızistan Yükseköğretim Örneği

“…Another critical question is why applicants' choice fell on this particular university. Many types of research have been carried out to determine the difference between the choice of male and female applicants (López-Bonilla et al, 2012;Engin & McKeown, 2016;Mustafa et al, 2018) and its impact on the region (Aydın, 2015;Ghansah et al, 2016). Also, parents' involvement in students' choices was studied by David et al (2003), showing that mothers are generally more involved.…”

“Conoce el atractivo de la profesión docente”: Impacto de un programa de orientación profesional dirigido a estudiantes de Bachillerato

“…El programa "Conoce el atractivo de la profesión docente" se constituye como una iniciativa innovadora que, a través de la conexión de ambos mundos facilita a los estudiantes conocer el atractivo de una profesión que promueve un impacto social relevante y ofrece la oportunidad de potenciar la orientación vocacional y profesional de los participantes, considerando que la madurez vocacional es un propósito importante en la práctica de la orientación (Merino, 2007). Como señalan López-Bonilla et al (2012), después de la etapa de Secundaria Obligatoria muchos adolescentes se enfrentan al proceso de elección de un título universitario, que implica incertidumbre respecto a sus capacidades, intereses, expectativas sociales y futuro profesional. De este modo, este programa pretende favorecer el desarrollo personal del estudiante al ofrecerle la oportunidad de conocer y vivenciar experiencias sobre sus intereses y preferencias vocacionales.…”