Exploring Reasons for the Low Number of Males in High School Parenting and Child Development Classes

The purpose ofthis study is to identify the reasons for the low number of males that enroll in Parenting and Child Development classes at the high school level. A survey was developed to examine the attitudes and perspectives of male students in regards to enrolling in Parenting and Child Development classes. Females also participated to see if they had the same attitudes and perspectives as the males. The subjects used to obtain the needed data were current freshmen during the 2007-2008 academic year. Each student in the freshman class was given a Consent to Participate in UW-Stout Approved Research form to be shared and signed by their parent or guardian and returned to the investigator. The students that returned the signed consent forms were then given the survey. Responses were categorized, analyzed and presented in tables and figures.

The results verify that there currently exists a significant low number ofmales enrolled in Parenting and Child Development classes as compared to females. The study offers reasons for this behavior and suggestions for equalizing the enrollment. While females and males generally agree that these types ofcourses offer benefits such as knowledge on the subject and preparedness for pregnancy and responsibility, they tend to disagree on the timing ofthese classes and which gender would benefit more from being enrolled in Parenting or Child Development classes.
By implementing changes in the way the Parenting and Child Development classes are promoted and by designing a class format that would appeal more toward males, it might be possible to achieve increased enrollment in these courses.


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