Motivating Pre-Vocational Female Students for Technical Education

This research aimed to identify and contextualise factors influencing female pre-vocational students’ choices for technical education, with a focus on the reasons behind women's underrepresentation in technical fields and explored potential interventions to encourage their participation. Using the Educational Design Research model, the study combined a literature review with a case study involving interviews with nine female students and five teachers at a technical pre-vocational school in the Netherlands. Girls' decisions to pursue technical education are influenced by societal factors, such as gender stereotypes and social dynamics, which often portray technical careers as male-oriented. A lack of female role models in the media and technical fields reduces girls’ motivation and confidence as well. Limited female-specific facilities and projects that do not align with their interests further discourage engagement with technical subjects. Nine targeted interventions were derived, ranging from short-term sol