Understanding Gender Perceptions in Technical Higher Education: A Cluster Analysis Approach

• In Event: Gender and Inclusion in STEM/Vocational Education

Proposal

Abstract
This paper examines how students in Chilean technical and vocational higher education (TVHE) perceive gender roles, particularly in relation to women in leadership and STEM fields. Using two validated instruments and cluster analysis, we identify two distinct student profiles—Equity-Oriented (57%) and Stereotype-Endorsing (43%). While the majority of students support gender equity, a significant minority, primarily young men in engineering, endorse traditional stereotypes that may hinder women’s participation and persistence. Cluster membership is strongly associated with gender, age, and parental status. These findings underscore the persistence of inequities in TVHE and offer practical insights for institutions seeking to promote inclusion and social cohesion in educational and professional pathways. By situating this analysis within the broader CIES 2026 theme of education and peace, the study highlights how challenging entrenched gender stereotypes is essential to fostering just and equitable societies.

Keywords: Gender perceptions, Gender stereotypes, Technical and vocational higher education, Cluster analysis, Equity in education

Introduction
The 2026 CIES conference theme, “Re-examining Education and Peace in a Divided World,” invites us to revisit how education can advance justice, equity, and social cohesion. One pressing area where these ambitions intersect is gender equity in technical and vocational higher education (TVHE). In Chile, as in many countries, TVHE plays a critical role in preparing students for direct entry into labor markets in engineering, technology, and applied sciences. However, these programs remain highly gendered—both in terms of student composition and the cultural norms shaping classroom and professional expectations.
While policy reforms have sought to widen access, gendered perceptions—particularly regarding women’s leadership capacities, participation in STEM, and work–life balance—continue to influence students’ experiences and trajectories. Understanding these perceptions is essential not only for advancing gender equity but also for strengthening the role of education in building inclusive and peaceful societies. This study examines how students in Chilean TVHE institutions perceive gender roles, how these perceptions cluster into distinct profiles, and how sociodemographic variables influence these patterns.

Conceptual Framework
The study is grounded in gender schema theory (Bem, 1981) and social cognitive theory (Bandura, 1986). These perspectives emphasize how individuals internalize social norms through family, education, and peer interactions. In technical education environments, often shaped by masculine labor traditions, stereotypes about women’s leadership and competence in STEM persist. Literature has shown that such stereotypes constrain women’s participation and perpetuate inequities (Ray & Zarestky, 2022). By applying these theoretical lenses, this research illuminates how perceptions formed in educational spaces both reflect and reproduce broader social divides.

Methods
The study employed a quantitative design at a large multi-campus TVHE institution in Chile. Using a two-stage random sampling strategy, surveys were administered during class across 38 sections of a civic education course. The analytic sample consisted of 747 students.
Two instruments were adapted and validated for the TVHE context:
Perceptions of Women in Leadership Roles (Gallardo-Pérez et al., 2021), assessing beliefs about women’s ability to succeed in leadership.
Perceptions of Women in STEM and Career Participation (López Robledo, 2014), examining views on women’s roles in STEM and work–life balance.
Both instruments used 5-point Likert scales and demonstrated high reliability (α > 0.80). After validation, z-scores were calculated, and k-means cluster analysis was applied. Chi-square tests explored associations between clusters and sociodemographic variables including gender, age, program of study, and parental status.

Findings
The analysis revealed two distinct clusters:
Stereotype-Endorsing (43%): Students in this group were more likely to be male, younger, and enrolled in engineering-related programs. They expressed stronger agreement with traditional gender stereotypes and lower endorsement of equity principles.
Equity-Oriented (57%): This cluster included a larger share of women and students with children. They strongly supported gender equity, rejected stereotypes, and reported greater comfort with mixed-gender collaboration.

These findings suggest that while a majority of students support gender equity, a sizable minority maintains attitudes that may restrict women’s opportunities. Importantly, the results reveal how sociodemographic factors intersect with educational cultures to shape students’ perceptions.

Discussion
The persistence of stereotype-endorsing attitudes, particularly among young men in engineering, highlights the resilience of gendered norms within TVHE. These findings resonate with scholarship emphasizing how institutional cultures and peer dynamics reproduce inequality even in contexts with formal commitments to inclusion (Faulkner, 2007; Powell et al., 2009). Conversely, the equity-oriented cluster demonstrates the potential for more inclusive attitudes, particularly among women and student-parents who may be more attuned to systemic inequities.
This diversity of perceptions has significant implications for educational practice and policy. Integrating gender-sensitive curricula, fostering classroom dialogue about equity, and embedding inclusive pedagogies into technical programs could disrupt stereotype reproduction. Moreover, targeting interventions toward groups where stereotype endorsement is strongest—such as male engineering students—may help shift cultural norms within TVHE institutions.

Significance
This study makes three contributions to the CIES 2026 theme of education and peace in a divided world. First, it demonstrates how gender stereotypes in technical education represent a form of social division that undermines equity and inclusion. Second, it provides empirical evidence from a Global South context, where research on TVHE and gender remains limited. Third, it highlights practical strategies for building more equitable learning environments that support not only women’s participation but also the broader goals of social cohesion and justice.
By identifying student profiles and the sociodemographic patterns underlying them, this study offers both diagnostic insights and entry points for institutional action. Ultimately, addressing gender stereotypes in TVHE is not only an equity imperative but also a pathway toward cultivating educational spaces that foster peace, mutual respect, and dignity in divided societies.

Author

• Daniela E Luengo-Aravena, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile