Gender-sensitive Career Guidance Using Digital Media as an Educational Resource

Context: Gender stereotypes continue to often unconsciously shape young people’s career aspirations resulting in a narrowed range of perceived career options and gender-typical career choices. Despite increased awareness of gender inequality, horizontal segregation in education and the labour market persists, particularly in STEM fields. Schools represent a key environment for addressing these patterns, yet many teachers report lacking time, training, and materials needed to implement gender-sensitive career guidance in practice. Digital tools, when embedded in didactic concepts, offer promising opportunities to support teachers and engage students in meaningful reflection on gender and career. Approach: To explore the potential of digital media in promoting gender-sensitive career guidance, two practice-oriented studies were conducted in Switzerland. Both studies focused on the digital toolbox “Berufswahl klischeefrei!” [ “Career choice without stereotypes!” ] and its key components: the serious game like2be and new gender-sensitive teaching units for the educational resource Profolio. Study 1 examined teachers’ perspectives through qualitative interviews (n = 6), focusing on their needs, challenges, and feedback on the didactic design. Study 2 captured student perspectives (n = 74) through an online survey following the use of selected Profolio learning units in regular classroom instruction. Findings: Teachers and students emphasised the importance of accessible, clearly structured, and engaging materials. Key features identified as particularly helpful included relatable role models, opportunities for peer discussion, and reflective tasks in gender-sensitive contexts. Based on these results, the digital toolbox was revised and expanded. Both like2be and Profolio were positively evaluated as helpful resources for implementing gender-sensitive career guidance in schools. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate how digital tools can promote gender-sensitive career guidance when they are practice-oriented, embedded in teaching concepts, and aligned with curricular needs. The toolbox illustrates how digital media can support inclusive education and contribute to more equitable participation the world of work in the future.