FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CAREER CHOICE DECISION OF WOMEN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY IN PERU

This study analyzes the factors that affect the decision of women high school students to pursue a science and technology (ST) career in Peru. The study specifically analyzes the women high school students’ perception of ST careers and women in the ST field; the influence of people outside of the school (family, friends, others) with regard to their performance in ST subjects; the teachers’ influence in ST motivation, and the school mechanisms to motivate their interest in ST fields. The sample consisted of 25 Peruvian women students in their last two years of high school. Data were collected through in-depth interviews based on the students´ perspectives of their experiences. The collected data were coded, categorized, and analyzed according to the stages suggested by Moustakas [Phenomenological Research Methods, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications (1994)]. The study proposes a conceptual framework with 13 factors that explain the decision of women high school students to pursue a ST career, related to individual, family, educational, social, and economic aspects. These results will help policymakers develop informed programs to attract more women to ST careers.