Making the change: A basic qualitative study examining the factors influencing women to make the change from information technology practitioner to information technology educator in a community or technical college

This basic qualitative study presents an examination of the factors that influence a woman in a successful information technology career in industry to change to a career teaching information technology in a community or technical college. The purpose of this investigation was to gain an understanding of this change and create a basis for future development of theory to explain it. The research question used to guide this study was: What factors contribute to a woman leaving a successful career in the field of information technology for a position as an information technology instructor in a community or technical college?;The findings of the study indicate that multiple factors influence a woman when making this change from practitioners of information technology to educators in information technology. The personal interests of the participants were the most significant factor, but their stage-in-life and their feelings of receiving different treatment from men in industry also played a part.