Exploring situated expectancy-value theory: a study of gendered higher education choices

Ivana Pikić Jugović, PhD, Karin Doolan, PhD and Prof. Branislava Baranović, PhD are the authors of the paper Exploring situated expectancy-value theory: a study of gendered higher education choices. The paper is published in the journal “Psihološka istraživanja“.

Abstract: The paper explores the way in which motivational beliefs, gender roles and stereotypes, cultural resources and practices shape students’ choices of university courses in technical sciences and social sciences and humanities. It is grounded in Eccles et al.’s situated expectancy-value theory, with an emphasis on the importance of its gender dimension, as well as sociocultural background as expressed through cultural capital indicators. Questionnaire data were collected from 1301 secondary school students in Croatia. Results indicate that motivational beliefs, especially utility values, are the strongest predictors of study choice for both young women and men. Traditional gender roles predict weaker intentions to choose gender non-stereotypical courses. Endorsing gender stereotypes about a lesser talent of one’s own gender for occupations in technical sciences or social sciences and humanities predicts weaker intentions to choose courses in those fields of study. Finally, reading practices, serving as an indicator of cultural capital, add to the explanation of social science and humanities course choices for both young women and men. The implication of the study is the need to create intervention programmes aimed at deconstructing gender roles and challenging pupils’ stereotypes about educational domains and occupations.

The paper is available here: http://idiprints.knjiznica.idi.hr/1204/.