Gendered Career Choices: Paths Toward Studying a Degree in Physical Activity and Sport Science

Abstract

[eng] Drawing on Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), we examined factors affectinginterest in pursuing a degree in Physical Activity and Sport Science (PASS) amongSpanish teenage students. Although women were awarded 55.1% of all bachelordegrees in Spain in 2017–2018, female enrollment in PASS degrees is decreasingand currently stands below 20% across the country. To better understand theunder-representation of women in this field, 4146 students (50.2% girls; meanage = 16.82 years; SD = 0.837) participated in a survey designed to measure aseries of SCCT constructs: interest in studying a PASS degree, career outcomeexpectations, goal representations, and perceived social supports. With these data,we tested a set of path analysis models to explain gender differences in interest instudying a degree in PASS. These models tested the assumption that interest in PASSwould mediate the paths from outcome expectations and social supports to goalrepresentations. Model 1 assumed that interest would partially mediate the path fromoutcome expectations to goal representations, Model 2 assumed complete mediation,and Model 3 assumed absence of mediation. All models were tested separately forboys and girls. Our results provide information on how male and female students setpersonal goals based on expected career outcomes and show that this process isaffected by gender stereotypes. The lack of interest by young women in studying adegree in PASS (only 7.8% of girls expressed this interest compared with 19.0% ofboys), together with the gender differences observed in perceived social supports,outcome expectations, and goal representations, have several important theoreticaland practical implications. The present research suggests that interventions that fosterpositive outcome expectations and social support are necessary to increase interest instudying PASS among teenage girls.