Factors that prevent female students from enrolling in technology education courses at Richfield Senior High School

Abstract

We live in a society that is inundated with technology. Projections suggest that the rate of technological developments will continue to increase as we move forward in the 21st century. Educational leaders stress the need for all students to prepare for life in a technological society, which can be accomplished by participation in technology education courses. Unfortunately, most female students do not enroll in these courses. The purpose of this study was to determine what factors contribute to the reluctance of female students to enroll in technology education courses at Richfield Senior High School. The factors that were identified and used within the questionnaire to measure student responses were: a) sense of self and social fit factors, b) guidance counselor factors, c) role model mentor and peer factors, d) curriculum and instruction factors, e) classroom climate factors. The instrumentation for this research surveyed students in grades 9-12 at Richfield Senior High School regarding their perceptions of technology education courses. The sample consisted of 400 students with a return rate of 90.5%. The results of this research indicated the following: a) female students lack support from influential individuals such as parents and peers when it comes to pursuing interests that are non-traditional for their gender, b) male students receive more encouragement and information from guidance office staff concerning technology education courses when compared to female students, c) female students have a fear of being the only member of their gender in the majority of technology education courses, d) technology education labs are perceived to be dangerous and dirty places by female students, e) most students at Richfield Senior High School do not view technology education courses as environments where real world problems are solved, and f) after graduation, the majority of students at Richfield Senior High School plan on pursuing a university education which causes them to focus on core curriculum courses during their high school career.