Gendered subjects, gendered students : BSRI testing individual learners and their career choices

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between students’ psychological gender traits that make up their gender identity and the subjects chosen at tertiary level education that would lead to their career choice. Rigid gender roles in schools, workplaces and society at large still persist, and as a result gender misconceptions manifest themselves in important life choices. The study’s hypotheses contend that both females and males have had gender roles impact their career aspirations and occupation choice. The research study will investigate whether a person whose gender identity is ‘more masculine’ will select subjects that are stereotyped as being ‘masculine subjects’, and if a person whose gender identity is ‘more feminine’ will select subjects that are stereotyped as being ‘feminine subjects’. The research approach is a quantitative one using the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) which is a research tool developed by Sandra Bem in 1974 designed to study gender role identity and psychological androgyny. An online survey was carried out amongst a sample of 113 students from a wide range of different faculties at the University of Malta. The results indicate that a relationship does indeed exist between gender identity and course selection. Furthermore the study confirms that androgynous students present across different faculties, regardless of the stereotypes and perceptions those faculties hold, challenges the expectations imposed by the traditional stereotypes of masculinity and femininity.