Identification of factors related to the selection process by female students into a vocational education program

Nan Stein\u27s report A Gender At Risk (1988), prepared for the Massachusetts Department of Education, noted a discrepancy in reference to the economic and gender related consequences of schooling, in particular to the Occupational Education programs. A comparison of female enrollment figures in Massachusetts Occupational Education in 1982 and 1985 indicated that female students continue to be disproportionately underrepresented in some of the more highly skilled and lucrative trade areas. This fact is alarming considering the long term economic consequences for females, or as defined in Equity, Educational Reform and Gender (Tetrault and Schmuck, 1985), \u27the feminization of poverty\u27. Female students need to develop skills and competencies that will allow them to compete in jobs that offer competitive salaries and opportunities for promotion. The purpose of this study was to examine selected characteristics of female students enrolled in a comprehensive urban vocational education program during the 1988-1989 school year and to identify factors that influenced their selection process. Research included examination of identified characteristics of female vocational students; reasons cited by the female students for choosing vocational education; and the influence of family and school personnel in the students\u27 selection. Thirty-five female students in a vocational program in Cambridge, Massachusetts, participated in this study. Information was gathered from student records, surveys and interviews. The findings were presented qualitatively and quantitatively. The research documented two primary influencing components. A combination of internal and external factors, including the student\u27s interests and skill levels and the influence of parents and teachers, were the culminating factors effecting the student\u27s decision to select a vocational program. Contributing factors included the students math and reading scores and special education needs. Factors that did not impact the student\u27s choice included socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity and single versus two parent homes