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Women's career experiences in Ag-Education.

Article Excerpt
Abstract

This study described women's career experiences in agricultural education using Social Cognitive Career Theory. The SCCT adequately explained the women's decision to become agricultural education teachers but lacked refinement for explaining women's experiences with career entry in nontraditional teaching roles, especially when encountering gender bias. More research is needed to understand women's career entry experiences in nontraditional careers as this phase is poorly understood and underreported.

Introduction

In spite of a century of women's activism for equality in the workplace, they remain the target of discrimination, especially in nontraditional careers such as secondary agricultural education (AgEd). In the state where this study was conducted women constituted only three percent of the AgEd teachers.

Variables for explaining why women are underrepresented in agricultural education are poorly understood (Myers & Dyer, 2004); however, the broader literature demonstrates that two variables, discrimination during the selection process and physical attractiveness effectively bar women from entry and advancement in nontraditional careers (Fitzgerald & Betz, 1983; Glass Ceiling Commission, 1994; Wirth, 2001). Formal sex discrimination (policy aimed at disallowing women or men in specific jobs because of sex) was outlawed in 1964 by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act; however, informal discrimination (differential treatment of women not related to job performance) persists. For example, given exact resumes of two qualified individuals, an employer will select a male for "masculine-typed positions" and a female for "feminine-typed positions" (Fitzgerald & Betz, 1983, p. 123). The Glass Ceiling Commission (1994, p. 5) reported that women's advancement in corporate America was stymied by "stereotypes and preconceptions about women; exclusion of women from information channels of communication; and counterproductive behavior of male coworkers."

Female AgEd teachers have experienced discrimination and gender bias on the job, a lack of acceptance by male AgEd teachers, and administrator disapproval (Foster, 2001; Knight, 1987; Cano, 1990). The majority of the literature in agricultural education surveyed women who had entered the profession. There are gaps in the literature surrounding the phenomenon of career entry for women in AgEd, especially those who desire to become AgEd teachers but who fail to gain employment (involuntary attrition). Therefore, there is a need for more research to explain women's experiences surrounding career choice and career entry into the AgEd teaching profession.

The purpose of the study was to describe career experiences of women AgEd teachers and college students majoring in AgEd to further understand why women chose a nontraditional career, if they were satisfied with their choices, if they were able to balance family with career, and the impact of role models on career choices.

The Social Cognitive Career Theory

The Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) was chosen to frame this study because it is more inclusive of women's experiences than other dominant career choice theories (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 2002). The theory posits that self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and personal goals drive career interests and are fueled by bidirectional interactions of these three variables. According to the level of success experienced, the person will develop high or low self-efficacy and outcome expectations, which in turn increases or decreases interest in a career activity. Through "repeated activity practice, modeling, and feedback from important others ... adolescents are able to develop their skills ... and form a sense of their capability at diverse tasks (self-efficacy), and beliefs about what will happen if they perform these tasks (outcome expectations)" (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 2002, p. 265). Conversely, adolescents will not develop interests in activities when their self-efficacy is low or when they receive neutral or negative feedback from...