Expectations and motivations in the choice of university studies from a gender perspective

Abstract

Choosing a university degree is one of the first important decisions that young people make. Men and women make this decision based on different motivations and expectations. The present study initially aimed to validate the multidimensional structure of a scale to assess the motives that influence the choice of studies. Subsequently, the relationship between academic-professional motivations, study choice and student gender was analyzed. The Motivations Influencing Course Choice Questionnaire (MICC) test was applied to a total of 538 university students. The results allowed validating the multidimensional structure of the scale. An association was also observed between female students, the choice of socio-educational, legal or health studies and expectations related to the helping dimension. In the case of male students, who were more likely to choose engineering or science, the link with extrinsic motivators was less strong. Gender stereotypes that link different professions to men and women in different ways are still considered to be present in society and these continue to affect the expectations and motivations of students, especially female students. Measures are proposed to be adopted from the academic guidance.