Women's Career Influences in Traditional and Nontraditional Fields.

A study examined the types of role models who influence career choice in young women planning traditional (education) careers in math- and science-related fields or nontraditional (engineering) careers. The hypothesis was that nontraditional women would be more likely to cite the influence of male role models or influences on career selection than women planning to enter traditional fields. The Career Values Questionnaire, developed for the study, was completed by 150 female students enrolled in either a post-baccalaureate teacher certification program, master's in teaching program in math/science, or a junior, senior, or graduate level engineering program at a large, urban research university. Findings indicated nontraditional women were more likely to cite male role models as influencing their career choice; women following a traditional career path identified teachers and professors as most influential; and both traditional and nontraditional women cited their mothers as having influenced their choice of career, but nontraditional women were more likely to mention their fathers as a career influence. (Contains 14 references and 2 tables.) (YLB)