This project sought to examine factors influencing gender stereotyping of the careers preferences of school students in their middle secondary school years.  The research involved an extensive survey of S2 and S3 pupils in state schools across West Lothian and Edinburgh and follow on face-to-face interviews with pupils in four of these schools. The research was carried by the Employment Research Institute at Napier University as part of a wider European Social Fund (Objective 3) funded project led by Careers Scotland and other agencies.

The research found that:

• Many pupils held gender stereotyped attitudes towards a range of occupations, although some occupations and jobs were much less stereotyped (e.g. teacher, shop worker, police officer). Girls were significantly less stereotyping of jobs and occupations than boys.
• Pupils working at lower levels of achievement in Maths and English were more likely to stereotype than those working at higher levels.
• Many pupils perceived themselves to be suited to occupations based on traditionally gendered lines, although this was not the case for some professional jobs. Preferences were also influenced by ethnic
  background, year in school, levels of achievement in Maths and English, general attitudes, and differences in job characteristics perceived to be important by pupils.
• Most pupils knew someone who did their preferred careers. These included other family members and family friends, although only relatively small numbers mentioned their parents. 
• Pupils used a wide range of information sources for advice about careers although parents, particularly mothers, were the main source.
• In order to help break down gender stereotyping, it may be helpful to describe jobs to pupils in terms of
  groups of job characteristics (e.g. jobs that involve ‘working with technology’ may include, for example, intensive care nursing). An awareness of differences between groups of pupils (e.g. boys and girls, those with higher and lower levels of achievement) would be helpful. The influence of role models on career choice and parents as a source of careers information should be given greater importance when disseminating advice.

You can access the full report from the Employment Research Institute website Gender Stereotyping in Career Choice, or alternatively read the summary as a pdf file from the link below:

Gender Stereotyping of Career Choice

Preview Info - Gender Stereotyping of Career Choice summary leaflet.pdf - 208.96 Kb

Summary report of research carried by the Employment Research Institute at Napier University as part of a wider European Social Fund (Objective 3) funded project led by Careers Scotland and other agencies.