Preferences of Male and Female Students Technology Student Association

The small body of professional literature concerning lack of women in technology education and factors keeping females out has been modest but useful. The effects of gender bias in technology education is very clear in today’s world in a way that affecting the women preferences.  Research reveals major differences in career preferences between males and females, women prefer fields that involve people and living things, such as law, medicine, and biological sciences, while men prefer fields that deal with the inanimate, such as physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, and engineering.

In the article I found very interesting statistics about the women preferences and the field that most dominated by the women are the following:

    1. Use a software-editing program to edit a music video.
    2. Use a computer software program to design a CD cover.
    3. Design a model of an amusement park.
    4. Design a school mascot image to print on t-shirts.
    5. Design a "theme" restaurant in an existing building.
               

Table 1. Students Enrolled in North Carolina Technology Education Courses 2004-2005

Course                          Males           Females          Ratio

Exploring Technology Systems         30258            18446          1.64:1

Fundamentals of Technology           11107             1594          6.97:1

Manufacturing Systems                 853               27           31.59:1

Principles of Technology I           1943              547           3.55:1

Principles of Technology II           395               49           8.06:1

I found very interesting video about this issue and how girls is sometime just not like to involve in this types of espaciallity, for me as a women who grew in a third world country can understand that where men represent any and every thing in the community but I do not understand or digest that to happened even in USA.

  In contrast, field of technology education evolved from a historically male-dominated industrial arts curriculum, so males picked the following five items as their top choices:
    1. Build a rocket.
    2. Construct an electric vehicle that moves on a magnetic track.
    3. Perform simple car maintenance tasks on a car engine.
    4. Program a robotic arm.
    5. Design a model airplane that will glide the greatest distance.

Table 2.

 Percent of Women in Technical Occupations 2005

Occupation                      Percent

Construction manager                  6.4

Engineering manager                   5.9

Aerospace engineer                   11.3

Chemical engineer                    15.8

Civil engineer                       11.7

Computer hardware engineer           12.7

Electrical and electronics engineer   7.9

Mechanical engineer                   5.8

  Kitts, Charles R. Haynie, W. J. (2010). Preferences of male and female students for tsa competitive events. Technology and Engineering Teacher, 70, 19-26