Occupational attitudes and expectations of year 12 students in single- sex and coeducational schools : a focus on female youth

Two hundred and forty Year 12 students participated in a study designed to explore the occupational attitudes and expectations of male and female students and to assess whether occupational stereotyping is still prevalent in Australian high schools. In order to examine how they type of school system influences career perceptions and aspirations, three different types of high schools were included in the study: a coeducational private school, a coeducational public school, and an all-female private school. The results indicated that: the type of school female students attend does not influence their career- related attitudes and expectations; both males and females have shifted away from traditional career attitudes; and the extent of occupational stereotyping of occupations by both genders has been greatly reduced. Reasons for these results are discussed