Precursors to the Gender Gap in College Enrollment: Children's Aspirations and Expectations for Their Futures

In light of the increasing gender gap in college enrollment, data from two waves of interviews with 115 elementary and middle school children were examined for developmental and gender differences in participants' aspirations and expectations for their futures. While there were no gender differences in children's educational aspirations or expectations, girls were more likely than boys to aspire to careers that require a college education, more likely to emphasize career advancement in their rationale for attending college, and less likely to choose sex-typed occupations. Implications for professional school counselors are discussed.

[1]  P. Creed,et al.  Predicting Two Components of Career Maturity in School Based Adolescents , 2003 .

[2]  J. Mahoney,et al.  Educational Hopes of Black and White High School Seniors in Virginia. , 1993 .

[3]  Barbara McDonald Foltz,et al.  A Multicultural Career Fair for Elementary School Students. , 1999 .

[4]  S. Whiston,et al.  A Review of School Counseling Outcome Research: Implications for Practice , 1998 .

[5]  Consuelo Arbona,et al.  The development of academic achievement in school aged children: Precursors to career development. , 2000 .

[6]  J. G. O'Neill.  Life After High School , 2003 .

[7]  W. R. Looft.  Vocational Aspirations of Second-Grade Girls , 1971 .

[8]  Mary Bray Pipher,et al.  Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls , 1994 .

[9]  W. Mau,et al.  Educational and Vocational Aspirations of Minority and Female Students: A Longitudinal Study. , 2000 .

[10]  James R. Valadez.  Applying to College: Race, Class, and Gender Differences , 1998 .

[11]  K. White,et al.  Occupational Preferences: Children's Projections for Self and Opposite Sex. , 1980 .

[12]  M. Tienda,et al.  Educational Aspirations of Minority Youth , 1998, American Journal of Education.

[13]  Lucila Ramos,et al.  Mexican‐American High School Students: Educational Aspirations , 1995 .

[14]  R. Mullis,et al.  Stability of vocational interests among high school students. , 1998, Adolescence.

[15]  W. R. Looft.  Sex Differences in the Expression of Vocational Aspirations by Elementary School Children. , 1971 .

[16]  A. D. Trice,et al.  Children's Estimates of Their Parents' Job Satisfaction , 1991, Psychological reports.

[17]  J. Gibbons,et al.  Why Adolescent Boys Dream of Becoming Professional Athletes , 1999, Psychological reports.

[18]  Andrew A. Helwig.  Sex and Developmental Differences by Complexity of Functions of Occupational Aspirations of School Children across Ten Years , 2002, Psychological reports.

[19]  Darrell Anthony Luzzo.  Gender Differences in College Students' Career Maturity and Perceived Barriers in Career Development , 1995 .

[20]  E. McWhirter,et al.  Perceived Barriers to Education and Career: Ethnic and Gender Differences☆ , 1997 .

[21]  W. Mau,et al.  Educational Planning and Academic Achievement of Middle School Students: A Racial and Cultural Comparison , 1995 .

[22]  L. Gottfredson.  Circumscription and Compromise: A Developmental Theory of Occupational Aspirations. , 1981 .

[23]  Wendy Patton,et al.  Developmental issues in career maturity and career decision status , 2001 .

[24]  Don Hossler,et al.  Being Undecided about Postsecondary Education , 2017 .

[25]  M. Huba,et al.  Choice of Major and Clarity of Purpose among College Seniors as a Function of Gender, Type of Major, and Sex-Role Identification. , 1996 .

[26]  R. A. Wojtkiewicz,et al.  Parental involvement with adolescents' education: do daughters or sons get more help? , 2000, Adolescence.

[27]  Jo-Ann S Hannah,et al.  The relationship of socioeconomic status and gender to the occupational choices of grade 12 students , 1989 .

[28]  B. Phipps.  Career dreams of preadolescent students , 1995 .

[29]  A. Blackhurst,et al.  Factors Affecting the Occupational and Educational Aspirations of Children and Adolescents. , 2000 .

[30]  L. S. Liben,et al.  Pink and blue collar jobs: children's judgments of job status and job aspirations in relation to sex of worker. , 2001, Journal of experimental child psychology.

[31]  J. Satcher,et al.  Children's Occupational Aspirations: Comparisons by Gender, Gender Role Identity; and Socioeconomic Status. , 1999 .

[32]  Katharin Peter,et al.  Gender Differences in Participation and Completion of Undergraduate Education and How They Have Changed Over Time. Postsecondary Education Descriptive Analysis Reports. NCES 2005-169. , 2005 .

[33]  Andrew A. Helwig.  A Ten-Year Longitudinal Study of the Career Development of Students: Summary Findings. , 2004 .

[34]  A. Blackhurst,et al.  The Development of Elementary-Aged Children's Career Aspirations and Expectations , 2005 .

[35]  L. Seligman.  The Career Development of 10 Year Olds. , 1991 .

[36]  J. Evelyn.  Community Colleges Start To Ask, Where Are the Men?. , 2002 .

[37]  Y. Chung,et al.  Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy and Career Commitment: Gender and Ethnic Differences Among College Students , 2002 .

[38]  Beth A. Durodoye,et al.  Changing Patterns in Career Choices among African-American, Hispanic and Anglo Children , 1998 .

[39]  B. Cramond,et al.  The Positive Effects of Mentoring Economically Disadvantaged Students. , 1999 .