Explaining gender-typed educational choice in adolescence : The role of social identity, self-concept, goals, grades, and interests
(2019) In Journal of Vocational Behavior 110. p.54-71- Abstract
In most industrialized countries, there are substantial gender differences in field of study, resulting in gender segregated labor markets. The present research (N = 457, M age = 14.98) investigated a diverse range of predictors of Swedish adolescents’ choice of preparatory (STEM; humanistic) and terminal (e.g., electrician; health care) programs. The results revealed that social identity related variables (same-gender friendship networks, belonging, and adherence to gender stereotypes) mattered primarily for choice of gender-typed terminal programs, whereas academic self-concept and grades positively predicted selecting STEM and negatively predicted choice of gender-typed terminal programs for both girls and boys.... (More)
In most industrialized countries, there are substantial gender differences in field of study, resulting in gender segregated labor markets. The present research (N = 457, M age = 14.98) investigated a diverse range of predictors of Swedish adolescents’ choice of preparatory (STEM; humanistic) and terminal (e.g., electrician; health care) programs. The results revealed that social identity related variables (same-gender friendship networks, belonging, and adherence to gender stereotypes) mattered primarily for choice of gender-typed terminal programs, whereas academic self-concept and grades positively predicted selecting STEM and negatively predicted choice of gender-typed terminal programs for both girls and boys. Subject-specific interests were the most powerful and robust predictors overall and mediated the effects of academic self-concept and to a lesser extent social identity variables. The results illuminate the interaction between perceived barriers, opportunities, and interests in determining educational choice, the need to consider gender-typical choice for high-skilled and low-skilled career paths separately, and the importance of jointly considering a multitude of predictors that are typically studied in different fields.
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- author
- Sinclair, Samantha LU ; Nilsson, Artur LU and Cederskär, Elmedina
- organization
- publishing date
- 2019
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Academic self-concept, Educational choice, Gender, Interests, Social identity, STEM
- in
- Journal of Vocational Behavior
- volume
- 110
- pages
- 18 pages
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85057100355
- ISSN
- 0001-8791
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.jvb.2018.11.007
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 0efe2790-1b12-4f01-a8ac-73367f73e635
- date added to LUP
- 2018-12-03 09:00:58
- date last changed
- 2022-04-25 19:13:47
@article{0efe2790-1b12-4f01-a8ac-73367f73e635,
abstract = {{<p>In most industrialized countries, there are substantial gender differences in field of study, resulting in gender segregated labor markets. The present research (N = 457, <sup>M</sup> age = 14.98) investigated a diverse range of predictors of Swedish adolescents’ choice of preparatory (STEM; humanistic) and terminal (e.g., electrician; health care) programs. The results revealed that social identity related variables (same-gender friendship networks, belonging, and adherence to gender stereotypes) mattered primarily for choice of gender-typed terminal programs, whereas academic self-concept and grades positively predicted selecting STEM and negatively predicted choice of gender-typed terminal programs for both girls and boys. Subject-specific interests were the most powerful and robust predictors overall and mediated the effects of academic self-concept and to a lesser extent social identity variables. The results illuminate the interaction between perceived barriers, opportunities, and interests in determining educational choice, the need to consider gender-typical choice for high-skilled and low-skilled career paths separately, and the importance of jointly considering a multitude of predictors that are typically studied in different fields.</p>}},
author = {{Sinclair, Samantha and Nilsson, Artur and Cederskär, Elmedina}},
issn = {{0001-8791}},
keywords = {{Academic self-concept; Educational choice; Gender; Interests; Social identity; STEM}},
language = {{eng}},
pages = {{54--71}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Journal of Vocational Behavior}},
title = {{Explaining gender-typed educational choice in adolescence : The role of social identity, self-concept, goals, grades, and interests}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2018.11.007}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.jvb.2018.11.007}},
volume = {{110}},
year = {{2019}},
}