Gender Differences in Postsecondary Vocational-Technical Education STEM Programs: A Test of Social Cognitive Career Theory

• In Event: Factors Impacting Career and Technical Education Outcomes

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test whether SCCT adequately explains career development among students enrolled in STEM-focused VTE (STEM-VTE) programs and to examine how external factors in the form of supports, barriers, and high school track of study differentially affect career development for males and females. Using a sample of over 600 students enrolled in postsecondary STEM-VTE programs in Chile, we tested our hypotheses using confirmatory factor analysis, path analysis, and OLS regression. We found few gender differences in how the external factors affected students’ self-efficacy and career expectations. We conclude by offering implications for research and policy.

Authors

• Paola Sevilla

• Virginia W. Snodgrass Rangel, University of Houston