The influence of gender stereotyping and demographic factors on academic choice: The case of the University of Debrecen

Abstract

Abstract Education is the proven guarantor of gender equality and sustainable development. Empirical evidence from previous studies in European countries (Favara, 2012; Geerdink & Dekkers, 2011; OECD, 2009) shows that women are incompletely represented in many areas of technical and scientific education. This study examined the impact of gender stereotypes and factors related to family background, university criteria, and the main factors influencing students’ academic choices at the University of Debrecen. The research question was: what is the impact of gender stereotypes and demographic factors on students’ academic choices? The research relied on a qualitative approach. 12 qualitative interviews were conducted with international students at undergraduate and postgraduate level. The research used semi-structured interviews with five main blocks of questions. The dimensions explored included the following: 1. introduction and context of the interviewee, 2. gender stereotypes, 3. family background, 4. university characteristics, 5. factors motivating academic selection. After data collection, the transcripts were analysed using an open coding method, which involved line-by-line and word-by-word analysis (Khandkar, 2009). This helped to identify the most important factors influencing students’ academic choices. The socio-educational role of the family, the scholarship Stependium Hungaricum, the facilities and services of the university, the geopolitical academic location, the UNIDEB ranking, the quality of life and study, the scholarships, the realistic, materialistic goals of future life, and the impact of gender stereotypes expressed by the students (as a product of society, choice and belief, the liberal generation) influenced the academic choice of the international students at the University of Debrecen.