Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
JOURNAL FOR CRITICAL EDUCATION POLICY STUDIES, cilt.24, sa.1, ss.65-107, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus)
Gender, as a socially and culturally constructed phenomenon rather than a purely biological distinction, shapes career choices and sustains occupational segregation that limits women’s social mobility. In this context, gendered patterns in higher education preferences constitute a critical issue, as they reflect and reproduce unequal power relations and social norms that restrict individuals’ access to educational opportunities based on gender, thereby undermining equality of opportunity in education. Accordingly, this study critically examines how gender influence female students’ higher education preferences in faculties of education in Türkiye, situating these choices within the broader context of educational inequality and the reproduction of patriarchal norms. In the research, phenomenology, one of the qualitative research designs, was utilized, and the study group consisted of undergraduate students determined with purposeful sampling techniques in accordance with the qualitative research. The data were collected using semi-structured interview form prepared by the researchers after expert opinions and pilot interview, and then were analysed with content analysis. The findings demonstrated how deeply embedded gender expectations, reinforced by family, school, and societal discourses, channel women into caregiving professions such as teaching. This process illustrates how Funda Kurt Keskin & Mevlüde Feyza Ataş 66 | P a g e education systems function as microcosms of broader gender regimes, legitimizing existing social relations while constraining women’s professional agency. The article argues for gender-transformative reforms that challenge the ideological and structural mechanisms of inequality, ensuring that women’s academic success translates into genuine professional and socioeconomic empowerment.