Gender Inequality in Career and Technical Education: Women in Nontraditional Trade and Industry Programs.

Abstract

This study explored why we have such an underrepresentation of women in our CTE trade and industry programs. The purpose of the research was to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the phenomena surrounding nontraditional students within traditional CTE trade and industry programs of study to discover practical and real-world applicable and equitable actions that can be taken to provide improved equalitarian opportunities. This general inductive qualitative study focused on five Oklahoma City metro area technology centers, each representing diverse communities, socioeconomics, ethnicities, and races. A total of ten nontraditional female students, two from each district, who were currently enrolled in a male-dominated program of study, and eight CTE faculty and staff members, including one counselor from each district, were interviewed one-on-one utilizing tailored protocol in a semi-structured setting. Three primary themes emerged from the data: The impact of gender roles and stereotypes, the reality that mentors, representation, and support matter, and lastly, the binding characteristic of resiliency among nontraditional students. The underlying conclusion of this research is that while legal protections prohibit discrimination based on gender, culturally ingrained gender roles and stereotypes are still active and pervasive in society. Actionable implications for practice include increased and intentional representation in marketing and recruiting efforts and support strategies such as peer support groups and regular check-ins with counselors.