The Role of Gender in the Formation of Vocational Interests and Career Orientation in Adolescence

This paper aims at studying the role of gender in the formation of vocational interests and career orientation during adolescence; the study is based on John L. Holland's theory regarding vocational interests and E. Schein's theory of career anchors. The sample was composed of eighty-four pupils in the 12th grade, forty boys and forty-four girls. The results show that there are no gender differences regarding vocational interests or career orientation, neither at global level nor on either of the dimensions described by the authors of the theories which form the base of the study.