A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP AMONG SEX-ROLE, SELF-CONFIDENCE, AND CAREER SELECTION IN WOMEN RETURNING TO COLLEGE (SCIENCE EDUCATION, COUNSELING)

"I've never been good in science" is a phrase so typically spoken, either explicitly or implicitly, by females that it is currently a generalized sex-stereotype of females. Why is this so, and how can one explain and predict its occurrence? With over 40% of our country's paid labor force being female, one discovers only a limited number in the scientific fields (41% in the life sciences, 23% in the physical sciences, and about 5.8% in engineering). Does the lack of female role models impact on selecting one of these careers, or are other factors playing a role in this scenario?;The relationship examined the connection among a woman's sex-role identity, self-confidence level, and her selection of a career in one of the sciences. It was hypothesized that the more self-confident and androgynous a woman was, the more likely she was to select a scientific or scientific-related career.;The sample had been drawn from female community college students (30 years old or older) who had just recently returned to a formal learning environment after being away from an academic environment for five or more years.;The following major conclusions were reached based on the research findings: (1) In adult females there was a high correlation between sex-role identity and self-confidence. A woman with an androgynous sex-role identity was more likely to have a positive self-confidence level. (2) There was no statistically significant prediction of sex-role identity or self-confidence, alone or jointly, upon career selection.;Over many years math has been seen as a filter for entrance into the sciences, while at the same time numerous studies have demonstrated that females have lower aptitude scores in math. These low scores have been attributed to a variety of influences, including right/left brain dominance, sex-influence, length of exposure to the subject, and teacher attitude. The research considered another possibility--that a female's perception of self, her self-confidence as well as sex-role identity, was really the ultimate critical filter.;Recommendations were suggested for future research based upon the various questions raised by the study.