Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
The International Conference on Critical Education 2025, Thessaloniki, Yunanistan, 1 - 05 Temmuz 2025, ss.1-2, (Özet Bildiri)
Gender refers to not only the physical and biological differences
between men and women, but also how these differences are culturally
interpreted, what society attributes to men and women, and how these
interpretations are structured in social life (Connell, 2002). Gender roles
significantly affect society in different ways such as creating stereotypes,
influencing career choices, affecting mental health, and shaping social
interactions (United Way of the National Capital Area, 2025). Studies have
shown that girls are more likely to be guided to professions such as nursing or
teaching from an early age, and these gendered messages shape their perceptions
of suitable career paths, ultimately limiting their choices (European Union,
2025; Guide, 2025). Statistics support this idea across the U.S, Europe and Türkiye.
However, beyond the statistics, what is the reason behind that female students
tend to choose a career in teaching? Is it gender self-image,
expectations/pressure of family or the environment? Or is it all of them to put
female students in a dead-end even without being aware. It is highlighted that
professions should be about aptitude and passion for the job, not about the
gender (European Union, 2025). In this context, it is explicit that it is
worthy to search on the reflections of the gender roles especially on higher
education preferences of female students in Türkiye, in depth. For this reason,
the aim of this research is to reveal the influence of gender roles on the
higher education preferences of the female students in faculties of education
in terms of fields of study, university and city within the context of equality
of educational opportunity. In the research, phenomenology, one of the
qualitative research designs, is utilized (Merriam, 2023), and the study group will
consist of undergraduate students determined with purposeful sampling
techniques in accordance with the qualitative research (Patton, 2002). The data
will be collected using semi-structured interview form prepared by the
researchers after expert opinions and pilot interview. The data collected will
be analysed with content analysis. As a result of the study, it is expected to
reveal the gender-related factors on the students’ preferences of higher
education. Accordingly, the research is expected to contribute to educational
studies, especially higher education and gender studies, and a better world
including educational opportunities for all, regardless of any kind of
“otherness”.