Rural adolescents' participation in extracurricular activities and nontraditional gender-typed occupational aspirations: A study of achievement motivation

This study applied the Eccles et al. (1983) expectancy-value model of achievement-related choices to test a sophisticated model of nontraditional gender-typed occupational choices. The model test in this study hypothesized relations among intensity of involvement in extracurricular activities, career-relevant motivational factors (competency beliefs and occupational values), and nontraditionality of occupational aspirations. This investigation conceptualized nontraditionality of occupational aspirations as an indicator of the rural adolescents' willingness to consider a broad range of occupational options, namely, nontraditional gender-typed occupations. Data for this study was collected in the 2007-2008 academic year during an era in which forces of the 2001 American recession and economic globalization had substantially impacted the rural economy and labor market opportunities (Gibbs et al., 2005; UDSA, 2011). Participants included 3,698 male and female adolescents residing in U.S. rural regions who participated in the Rural High School Aspirations national survey. This study found that, on average, rural adolescents aspired to careers that predominantly employed persons of the same gender as the respondent. Rural girls, in comparison to their male counterparts, reported more flexible occupational aspirations. Consistent with the Eccles et al. (1983) choice model, the study provided support for the associations between participation in extracurricular activities (achievement-related contexts), motivational factors, and nontraditionality of occupational aspirations specifically for rural girls. In contrast, the hypothesized model was a poor fit of the data for rural boys in the sample. Findings suggest that select types of activity involvement are associations with occupational values and competency beliefs. Implications for the development of rural adolescents' career aspirations will be highlighted. For boys and girls, faith-based activities, honor societies, and sports were associated with career-relevant motivational factors. For girls, the pattern of associations between the motivational factors and nontraditionality of occupational aspirations suggest that values are more important contributors to occupational choices than competency beliefs. Implications for research and practice are discussed.