The study of gender stereotypes in the educational system and their impact on academic success and professional preferences of students

Abstract

This study is devoted to the analysis of gender stereotypes in the educational system and their impact on academic success and professional preferences of students. The relevance of the topic is due to the continuing inequality in the educational and career trajectories of men and women, despite the formal equality of opportunities. The aim of the work is to identify and characterize the specific mechanisms of reproduction of gender stereotypes in the school and university environment. Tasks include: 1) systematization of theoretical approaches to the problem; 2) analysis of gender stereotyping practices in the pedagogical process; 3) identification of the relationship between internalization of stereotypes, academic success and professional choice. The research methodology is complex in nature. The analysis of sociological, psychological, and pedagogical literature is carried out at the theoretical level. The empirical part is carried out in line with a qualitative strategy and includes a series of semi-structured interviews with high school students, students and teachers (n=40), as well as an analysis of educational materials and practices of interaction in the classroom/audience. The results show that: 1) Despite the egalitarian discourse, educational institutions de facto continue to broadcast gender stereotypes; 2) Stereotypical representations affect students' self-perception and level of claims, mediating their academic success; 3) Professional preferences are formed under the pressure of learned prescriptions about "male" and "female" occupations. The analysis deepens the understanding of the phenomenon of gender inequality in education, demonstrating subtle, often unconscious mechanisms of its reproduction. The data obtained can be used to develop practical recommendations on minimizing gender stereotypes in the pedagogical process. The prospects of the study are related to cross-cultural verification of the results obtained, as well as the study of subjective strategies for overcoming stereotyping by students themselves.