Gender differences in higher education degree choice

Choosing and enrolling in a higher education degree and, consequently, selecting a profession, is still conditioned by social and cultural factors characterized by gender stereotypes that continue to attract more men to technical and technological careers and more women to teacher training and social work. However, the nature of gender inequities changed over the recent decades, becoming more complex. This complexity can be observed in the men and women’s career preferences. Even considering that vocation influences the choices, the stability that some careers represent, regarding the immediate access to employment and to reasonable salaries also influences the options made by men and women. Besides that, literature has been highlighting that both the students’ self-perception and the perceptions about degrees and social encouragement also influences their choices. This study analyses the perception that higher education students have about themselves and the degrees they have enrolled. More specifically, it analyses the gender stereotypes that persist within themselves and their perception about the assumed affinity between gender and areas and professions. The study follows a quantitative methodology approach, using a questionnaire for data collection. The questionnaire was structured based on reference literature about gender stereotypes, gender differentiation in higher education and the values about professions. Students from 6 degrees in different areas participated in the study (social work, nursing, teacher training, engineering – informatics and mechanics and sports). Data were interpreted through a multivariate analysis with the independent variable gender and degree, to assess the differences in the questionnaire responses. There seems to exist an image of man and woman associated with some degrees and professions. Although all of the students assume a complete freedom of choice for enrolling higher education degrees, the options seem to be determined by social and gender stereotypes and also by professional stability.