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Comparison and prediction of the level of career aspirations of adolescent males and females

University of British Columbia

The purpose of the study was to investigate gender differences in educational and occupational aspirations, and commitment to work and to home and family of adolescents. Attempts were made to identify factors that are associated with the levels of aspirations. The factors considered were family SES, parents' educational level, grade-point average, and commitment to working, studying, home and family, community services, and leisure. Comparisons were made regarding the number of same-gender-dominated, opposite-gender, and balanced-gender occupations selected by the males and females. The 208 Grade 11 and 12 students, selected from four Vancouver Schools, completed a questionnaire that included: personal information (sex, age, grade, and grade-point average); family background (education and employment information of parents/guardians); adolescent's future plans (educational and occupational aspirations). Subjects also completed the commitment scale of the Salience Inventory to determine their commitment to work, home and family, studying, leisure, and community service. T-tests, step-wise multiple regression, and chi-square analyses were conducted on the data. At the p < .05 level, no statistically significant gender-based differences were found between the level of educational or occupational aspirations, or commitment to work or to home and family. The regression analysis indicated that grade-point average, commitment to studying, family SES level, and commitment to work were predictive males' educational aspirations; grade-point average, commitment to studying, and father's educational level were predictive of females' educational aspirations; family SES level and commitment to studying were predictive of males' occupational aspirations; and grade-point average, father's educational level, and commitment to studying were predictive of females' occupational aspirations. The chi-square analysis indicated there was a significant relationship between a subject's gender and the percent of women in the aspired to occupation. The results of this study indicated that there are not significant gender differences in the levels of educational and occupational aspirations of adolescents. However, different factors were seen to predict the levels of educational and occupational aspirations of adolescent males and females. The results also showed that although females are beginning to select non-traditional occupations, males still select mainly traditional occupations.

Thesis/Dissertation

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2008-12-23

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/3281

Counselling Psychology

University of British Columbia

UBCV

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