Gender discrimination and hegemonic masculinity in study fields: A multi-level analysis among female and male students in vocational education

Aim/Purpose: Educational robotics competitions are a popular way to increase students’ interest in science and engineering during their K-12 years. However, female students are typically underrepresented in these competitions. The goal of this study is to determine differences in the experiences of male and female robotics competition students in order to better support female students and increase their representation in competition leagues. Background: VEX Robotics Competitions are one of the fastest-growing educational robotics competitions available to middle school and high school students around the world. Despite growing numbers of participants, VEX programs have a notice-able lack of female participants. In order to create a more diverse and representative program, it is important to investigate why fewer female students participate in the competitions and what can be done to better support female students. Methodology: Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from VEX mentors and students through online surveys. A total sample of N=675 VEX mentors and students participated (n=47 students and n=628 mentors). The surveys asked scaled, multiple choice, and free response questions. Through these surveys, the following research questions are answered: 1) What (if any) are the differences between male and female student experiences with VEX? 2) What (if any) are the differences in male and female students’ confidence in their technical ability? and 3) What (if any) are the differences in male and female students’ performance on VEX related robotics team tasks? Contribution: This study contributes to the growing body of work on engaging female students, and other underrepresented students, in STEM fields such as programming, engineering, and robotics. Findings: Results demonstrate the male students outnumber female students and male mentors also outnumber female mentors in this sample. Male students are significantly more confident in their general technical ability and their ability to put things together (p<.05) and students of both genders generally wished to have more female students on their teams. Results also indicate that mentors generally perceive their female students as requiring more help and that they are less engaged with construction tasks as compared to male students. Recommendations for Practitioners: VEX mentors should focus on enhancing female students’ confidence with the construction and building aspects of robotics and ensuring they get the same experience with these tasks as male students. They should consider providing supplemental hands-on training sessions, within or outside of regular team sessions, for students who wish to build confidence and experience in these areas. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers should continue to explore the experiences of female students in robotics competitions, including differences based on grade level, mentor gender, and more. Researchers should additionally look at female students who are not a part of robotics teams (or who have left a robotics team) to understand why these teams do not appeal to them. Impact on Society: Women are still underrepresented in engineering and computer science professions. In order to bridge this gap, it is critical to find effective ways to reach girls in their K-12 years to build their confidence and interest in these fields before they reach college. This study points out critical areas where robotics competition teams should focus on building female students’ confidence. Future Research: The findings in this paper present research from year 1 of a multi-year longitudinal study. Future research will continue to track the mentors and students in this study in order to gain information on retention and change over time.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not there are notable differences between male and female vocational training students in terms of academic, behavioral, and psychophysiological characteristics. A total of 411 vocational training students, 210 of whom were male and 201 of whom were female, participated in an online survey that assessed academic, behavioral, and psychophysiological patterns. In terms of extraversion and openness to experience, our research revealed that no statistically significant differences were noticed. When it came to agreeableness, however, significant differences were seen, with female students getting higher marks than male students. Furthermore, we found that there were significant gender differences in terms of neuroticism and conscientiousness, with female students achieving higher scores than male students. When compared to their male counterparts, females displayed higher performance in terms of academic success. They also demonstrated superior values in terms of reported stress, anxiety, and cognitive inflexibility. The findings of this study provide a more in-depth understanding of the numerous factors that have an impact on students engaging in vocational training. This will serve as a foundation for the development of individualized instructional and support programs.

Objectives This study analyzes the relationship between work experience in school and job values of male and female college students. In particular, it is to confirm the effect of work experience on job value according to gender. Using the 2017~2020 Graduates Occupational Mobility Survey, let's analyze the consistent effect of college student's work experience in school on job value.
 Methods Using The Graduates Occupational Mobility Survey (GOMS) 2017-2020 and subjects of this surveys were 35,217 people who four-year male and female college students(8,933 people in 2017, 9,116 people in 2018, 9,350 people in 2019, and 7,824 people in 2020). A t-test was conducted to verify the change in job value according to the work experience in school of male and female college students. And Regression analysis was conducted to analyze the impact.
 Results The study results can be summarized as follows. First, it was found that male students' work experience and work experience related to their major consistently increased intrinsic job value and had a positive (+) effect. Second, it was found that female students' work experience related to their major consistently increased the intrinsic job value and had a positive (+) effect. On the other hand, it was analyzed that female students' work presence or absence of work experience consistently increases the external job value and has a positive (+) effect. Third, the consistent effect of the number of work experiences of unversity students was not confirmed. However, it was confirmed that there was no effect except for 2020.
 Conclusions The work experience in school of a male and female college students was identified as an important factor influencing job values. First, male and female college students should have work experience related to their major in order to increase their intrinsic job values. Second, it seems necessary to differentiate the career guidance of male and female students. Third, the number of work experiences in school should be selected and focused on meaningful work experiences rather than work experiences that do not help university students' career development. This result presents the direction of work experience in school for the development of job values of university students. And I think it will be helpful for the school and the government to establish policies on the work experience of university students.

While the number of female medical students is increasing in Japan, gender differences in medical school performance have not been studied extensively. This study aimed to compare gender differences in repeat-year experience, Clinical Clerkship (CC) performance, and related examinations in Japanese medical students. We retrospectively analyzed the number of repeat-year students and years to graduation for male and female medical students, and assessed gender differences in performance on computer-based testing (CBT) before CC, CC as evaluated by clinical teachers, the CC integrative test, and the graduation examination in 2018-2020 graduates from our medical school. Subgroup analyses excluding repeat-year students were also performed. From 2018 to 2020, 328 medical students graduated from our medical school. There were significantly fewer repeat-year female students compared to male students (P = .010), and the average number of years to graduate was significantly higher for male students than female students (P < .001). Female students showed higher scores and performance in all integrative tests and CC (P < .05, each). In analysis excluding repeat-year students, there were no significant gender difference in performance on the CBT, and CC integrative test, although female students significantly outperformed male students on the CC and graduation examination. Female medical students had a fewer number of repeat-years and performed better in the CC and graduation examination compared to their male counterparts.

[Objective] The current study explored the correlation and contribution of critical thinking and metacognitive skills toward female and male students' retention in senior high school. [Methodology] This study used a descriptive correlational design, where critical thinking and metacognitive skills served as the predictor, during retention as the criterion. A total of 230 students participated in this study. The participants comprised 112 (48.70%) male students and 118 (51.30%) female students. An essay test and a scoring rubric were used to collect data on participants' critical thinking and metacognitive skills. The research data were analyzed using a multiple regression analysis at a 5% significance level, followed by ANOVA to examine the contribution of critical thinking and metacognitive skills toward male and female students' retention. [Results] The statistical analysis revealed that the simultaneous contribution of critical thinking and metacognitive skills toward female students' retention was higher than that toward male students' retention. The effective contribution values of critical thinking and metacognitive skills toward male students' retention were 2.44% and 10.06%, respectively. Meanwhile, critical thinking and metacognitive skills contributed 7.89% and 12.81% toward female students' retention. [Conclusions] There was a simultaneous correlation between critical thinking, metacognitive skills, and retention of male and female high school students. The effective contribution of critical thinking and metacognitive skills toward female students' retention was more significant than that toward male students' retention. The findings of this study suggest that high school teachers need to consider gender equality when implementing learning strategies to improve critical thinking and metacognitive skills.

The suicide mortality rate per 100 000 population (SMRP) consistently decreased before the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in Japan and then unexpectedly increased during the pandemic. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. To identify trends in and factors associated with suicidal mortality and motives among students in Japan from 2007 to 2022. In this cross-sectional study, data on SMRPs among Japanese middle-school, high-school, and university students were obtained from the government suicide database Suicide Statistics of the National Police Agency. Age-dependent and temporal fluctuations in annual SMRPs, disaggregated by suicidal motive (7 categories and 52 subcategories), sex, and school, were analyzed using linear mixed-effect and joinpoint regression models, respectively. Total suicide numbers from 2007 to 2022 were as follows: 760 male middle-school students, 635 female middle-school students, 2376 male high-school students, 1566 female high-school students, 5179 male university students, and 1880 female university students. The mean (SD) student populations from 2007 to 2022 were as follows: 1 752 737 (81 334) male middle-school students, 1 675 572 (78 824) female middle-school students, 1 648 274 (67 520) male high-school students, 1 614 828 (60 032) female high-school students, 1 652 689 (32 724) male university students, and 1 229 142 (57 484) female university students. Among male students, the leading motives were school-related factors (underachievement and worrying about the future), followed by family-related and health-related motives. Among female students, school-related and family-related motives decreased, but health-related motives showed an age-dependent increase. The SMRPs of middle-school male students and female students were almost equal (mean [SD], 2.7 [1.0] vs 2.4 [1.4]), but the age-dependent increase in SMRPs among male students was pronounced (mean [SD], high-school vs university male students, 9.1 [2.4] vs 19.6 [3.0]; high-school vs university female students, 6.1 [2.4] vs 9.6 [1.8]). However, the incidence of suicide among high-school students associated with health-related motives was greater in female students. The majority of suicides associated with major impactable suicidal motives (school-related, health-related, and family-related motives) began increasing before the pandemic. Changes in SMRP associated with interpersonal relationships, such as conflict with classmates or parents, were not significant, but the rates increased greatly during the pandemic. School-related, health-related, and family-related problems were major motives, whereas the impacts of health-related and family-related motives increased and decreased with age, respectively. Notably, most SMRPs associated with major impactable motives (underachievement, conflict with a parent or classmate, and mental illnesses) had already begun increasing in the late 2010s, indicating that recent increasing SMRPs among school-aged individuals were associated with pandemic-related factors and other factors affecting this generation before the pandemic. It may be inappropriate to uniformly apply research findings based on school-aged individuals to school-based suicide prevention programs for students in middle school, high school, and university.

This study examines gender disparities in financial literacy among students in Business, Technical, and Vocational Education and Training (BTVET) institutions in Uganda. Data was collected through structured questionnaires from 400 BTVET students in the central region of Uganda, selected via stratified random sampling. The study’s objectives are to evaluate financial literacy levels by gender and identify factors influencing these levels. Analytical methods include descriptive statistics, t-tests, and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression. Results indicate that male students generally have higher financial literacy levels than female students. Specifically, male students significantly outperform female students in technical fields, while female students show greater financial literacy in education fields compared to their male counterparts. The study identifies age and financial confidence as key determinants of financial literacy for both genders. Additionally, while parents’ education plays a significant role in enhancing financial literacy among male students, female students’ financial literacy is more influenced by their financial management skills and parental discussions on savings and spending. The study highlights the need for targeted initiatives to promote gender equality in technical education. Such initiatives could include mentorship programs, scholarships, library partnerships, and awareness campaigns aimed at encouraging female students to pursue technical fields and providing them with the necessary support to excel. These measures are essential for closing the financial literacy gender gap among BTVET students in Uganda.

Industry revolution 4.0 era provides opportunities as well as threats for the students and alumni graduated from vocational education. Man roles are gradually taken by automatic machines. Consequently, unemployment is increasing. This certainly will contribute to the either local or national problems. Therefore, vocational education students have to intensify their learning achievements. This study discusses the learning achievements of the male and female students at the Shipbuiding Institute of Polytechnic Surabaya (PPNS) and Medan State Polytechnic (Polmed). The analysis of learning achievements in this study used the documentation data of the GPA in scale 4, taking the whole population either male (M) or female (F) in the academic year 2015/2016, 2016/2017, and 2017/2018. In the last three years, total PPNS’s graduates are 1959 (1418 male, 541 female) and Polmed’s are 5938 (2821 male, 3117 female). Based on the descriptive quantitative analysis, the average of learning achievements at PPNS shows that accumulated GPA of the female students’ is 3.39 &gt; male students’ 3.28. While at Polmed, it is GPA of female students’ is 3.27 &gt; male students’ 3.14. Total of students is still gender imbalance referring to the graduates data in year 2018 for PPNS’ Welding Study Program in which having only two female students with average GPA 3.41 and 53 students with average GPA 3.15, meanwhile at Polmed, the total students with largest gap in gender occured at the Mechanical Engineering Study Program with total of male students 240 (average GPA 3.10) and female students only 11 (average GPA 3.20). This result indicates that in these two vocational educational institutions, e.i. PPNS and Polmed, the learning achievement of female students is betterand more competitivable than the other

The study was performed to examine the health interest, dietary habits, and depression in male and female college students in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do area. The survey was conducted on 566 (269 males, 297 females) college students, aged 19∼29 years. The online and written data were analyzed by using the SPSS WIN 21.0 program. Body weight, height, and body mass index (BMI) were higher in male students than in female students. In the category of health interest, the average score and the score for ‘I arrange the menu for weight control’ was significantly higher in female students than in male students, whereas the score for ‘I tend to exercise everyday’ was significantly higher in male students than in female students. For nutritional supplements, the intake of sports drinks, protein beverages and powders, vitamin A, vitamin B complex and calcium supplements showed significant differences according to sex. An analysis of dietary habits showed that the frequency of intake of seaweed, greasy food, processed food, and water was significantly higher in male students than in female students, while the frequency of intake of fruits, sweet food, and dairy products was higher in female students than in male students. The score for depression was significantly higher in female students compared to male students. Dietary habits were divided into appropriate dietary habits and inappropriate dietary habits. Health interest showed a significant positive correlation with BMI and appropriate dietary habits in both male and female students. In female students, inappropriate dietary habits were positively correlated with depression and negatively correlated with health interests. This study thus provides information on health interests, dietary habits and depression in college students according to sex and suggests further research to improve dietary habits in male and female college students with higher levels of depression.

Objectives: Paramedic education requires all students have the experience of attending childbirth. Obstetric (OB) experiences are limited for students in hospitals and even more so in the field. Gender bias may exist in hospital OB rotations for paramedic students but research on this is limited. This study is intended to examine whether a sex bias exists in field or hospital placements and if that bias correlates to OB test scores. Methods: Using data from Fisdap, numbers of OB experiences were analysed and compared to individual student sex and experience type (hospital clinical, field or skills laboratory). The number of experiences were compared to that student's score on the OB section of the Fisdap paramedic readiness examinations version 3 (PRE3) or version 4 (PRE4). Results: Of 12 090 paramedic students, male (n=5625) and female (n=2682) students who took the PRE3 had equal average scores of 0.76 and male (n=2498) and female (n=1285) students who took the PRE4 had average scores of 0.77 and 0.79 respectively. Students who took the PRE3 saw a mean of 4.32 births, a majority of which were in hospital (3.68); there was minimal difference in experiences between male and female students in field or skills laboratory settings, but women saw more births in hospital settings (3.92) than men (3.43). Students who took the PRE4 saw a mean of 4.54 births, a majority of which were in hospital (3.8) and there was minimal difference in experiences between male and female students in field or laboratory settings but women students saw more births in hospital (4.06) than men (3.54). Conclusions There is no correlation between the number of OB emergency encounters by paramedic students and their OB test scores. However, a potential gender bias exists as female students tend to have more labour and birth experiences in hospital settings than their male counterparts, while number of experiences in lab and field settings were similar.

Stress among university students has been a topic of interest for researchers and teachers for many years because it affects not only their academic performance but also their physiological and psychological health. Male and female students perceive and react to stressors differently due to their differences in appraising stressful situations. The aims of this study were to examine differences in the perception of stressors and reactions to stressors between male and female Jordanian university students, and to identify the best predictors of stressors among them. Descriptive cross-sectional design was employed. The Student-Life Stress Inventory was used to measure stressors and reactions to stressors of 465 male and 485 female Jordanian university students recruited through stratified random sampling. There were statistical differences between male and female students regarding their perception and reactions to stressors. Female students reported a higher perception of stressors in frustrations, conflict, pressures and changes, as well as emotional reactions to stressors. Male students reported higher behavioural and cognitive reactions to stressors than female students. Participation in stress workshops, perception of general health, and perception of stress level in general were found to predict stressors among male students, while mother's educational level, perception of general health, and perception of stress level in general were found to predict stressors among female students. This study showed that gender differences in perception of stressors and reactions to stressors are similar to previous studies conducted all over the world. Interventions can be developed to help students better cope with stress. Conducting specific stress-training programmes for male and female students will help in reducing stress levels.

Background: The number of female medical students increased steadily over the last decades, outnumbering the male students in some medical schools including ours. Gender differences in academic performance among male and female medical students were addressed in many studies with variable results. The aim of this study is to investigate the difference in grades scored in different medical school subjects in a 6-year curriculum by female students, compared with the scores of fellow male students. Methods: Three cohorts of students, graduated in the years 2011, 2012 and 2013 were selected. The total number of students was 1254, 876 females (69.9%) and 378 males (30.1%). The achieved scores (grade-point average or GPA) were recorded for each subject’s final examination. Data was analyzed using PSPP statistical software. Results: T-test for the first examination (anatomy, physiology and biochemistry) showed a slightly higher male mean total score (6.38) versus 5.76 for female, but the difference was not significant (P= 0.12). For the second exam (pathology, pharmacology and microbiology), the mean score of male students was also higher than female students' mean score (5.19 versus 4.65) but the T-test was not significant (p= 0.14). For the third exam (medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology) the mean scores were almost equal (8.31 for females, 8.3 for males) and the T-test was not significant (P=0.98). Female students performed slightly better than males in obstetrics and gynecology and surgery, while male students scored better in medicine and pediatrics. However, these differences were not significant (p= 0.6). Conclusion: The academic performance of medical students shows no significant differences among male and female students. The small differences noted could be explained by many factors influencing the performance of both sexes rather than attributed to gender only.

Gender differences in the expression and cognition of empathy among nursing students: An educational assessment study

We examine the attitudes of entering freshman engineering students and how they change over the course of the first year at 17 institutions. In addition to better understanding these attitudes and the changes that occur, we explore how these changes potentially affect such issues as “first term probation” and attrition from engineering programs. Particular attention is directed at isolating differences due to gender and ethnicity. Thirteen different student attitudes were captured using thePittsburgh Freshman Engineering Attitude Survey© (PFEAS) at the beginning of the first semester (pre) and at either the end of the first semester or first academic year (post).Definite gender differences were found on the pre‐survey for five of the attitude measures. For all but one of these measures, female engineering students' initial attitudes were more negative than those of male students. Across the sample of institutions, female students consistently began their engineering studies with a lower confidence in background knowledge about engineering, their abilities to succeed in engineering, and their perceptions of how engineers contribute to society than did their male counterparts. However, those same female students were more comfortable with their study habits than were the male students. The post questionnaire data indicated that differences for three of these five attitude measures persisted. Most important, female engineering students continued to maintain a lower confidence in their abilities to succeed in engineering as compared to male engineering students. When the PFEAS data were mapped into EC 2000 outcomes, comparable cross‐institutional gender differences were observed that paralleled those found for the attitudinal measures.Because the number of minority students was relatively small, significant cross‐institutional differences between each minority cohort studied (African American, Asian Pacific, and Hispanic) and the majority cohort, similar cross‐institutional patterns could not be observed. However, possible trends were found between African American and majority students' attitudes for certain measures, while other attitudinal measures were found to be significant when Hispanic students were compared to majority students. Significant attitudinal differences between Asian Pacific and majority students were similar to those found between female and male engineering students.By knowing how attitudinal measures differ among gender and ethnic cohorts, and understanding how those differences relate to attrition from engineering programs, we can then developed more informed programmatic initiatives that can impact these attitude in a positive manner. As a result, we may be able to reduce engineering attrition, especially by underrepresented student cohorts.

This study was conducted to investigate the preference and consumption status of non-alcohol and alcohol beverages of Korean and Chinese university students in the Jeonbuk area. Self-administered questionnaires were collected from 241 Korean and 198 Chinese students. Statistical data analysis was completed using SPSS v. 12.0. ‘Water’ was the most commonly consumed non-alcohol beverages by all Korean and Chinese students. The intake frequency of ‘carbonateddrink’ (p<.001), ‘fruits/vegetable juice’ (p<.05), and ‘vinegar drink' (p<.01) of Chinese male students was significantly higher than the Korean male students. The intake frequency of ‘ionic drink’ (p<.001; p<.01) of Korean male and female students was significantly higher than the Chinese male and female students. The intake frequency of ‘fruits/vegetablejuice’ (p<.001), ‘milk’ (p<.01), and ‘soymilk’ (p<.05) of Chinese female students was higher than the Korean female students. For the choosing the non-alcohol beverages, the Chinese female students were more health-oriented than the Korean female students (p<.01). ‘Beer’ was the most commonly consumed alcohol beverages by the Korean male and female and Chinese male students whereas ‘Wine’ was the most commonly consumed alcohol beverages by the Chinese female students. The intake frequency of ‘Soju’ of Korean male (p<.001) and female (p<.001) students was higher than the Chinese male and female students. The intake frequency of ‘Wine’ of Chinese male (p<.05) and female (p<.001) students higher than the Korean male and female students. Compared with the Chinese female students, the Korean female students more funds have to spend, in order to buy alcohol beverages (p<.01). More 81% of the Korean male and 80% of the female students reported drinking alcohol in ‘beer house' whereas 78% of the Chinese male and 65% of female students drunken the alcohol in the ‘beer house' or at ‘home' (p<.01; p<.001). In conclusion, a practically and foreigner-friendly alcohol policies of university should be devised to reduce the alcohol consumption of students and related problems.