Academic determinants and motivations according to the gender of vocational training students

Abstract

A great number of elements can influence the academic and professional choices of students during their adolescence. Moreover, the extensive number of training itineraries they are offered increases the difficulty of decision making. It is for this reason that it is necessary to know about their vocational interests, motivation, preferences or personal identities in order to plan adequately their Professional and Life Project. Simultaneously, gender differences, which appear in the socialization processes, shape their behaviour and expectations of both sexes. Thus, academic decision-making in youth seems to be subordinated to the gender stereotypes existing in our society. Therefore, this research analyses the academic and motivational determinants for choosing a training and professional path according to the gender variable. To do so, we have used the survey methodology, with a quantitative approach. The selection of participants has been made through an intentional sample, among students in the first year of Intermediate and Advanced Vocational Training, from three secondary schools in the Region of Murcia (Spain), with a total of 192 students. The results show the influence of gender in the choice of the professional field of the Training Cycle, as well as the modality of access to these studies. Besides, women present higher averages in the motivational determinants except for the "Employability" dimension. Therefore, it can be concluded that the gender variable influences both the academic and motivational determinants of the students in Vocational Training, for the decision-making process of choosing a career.

Keywords: Gender, Vocational Training, Higher Education, Vocational Categories, Academic Motivation.