"We Treat Everyone Equally, but…” Finnish Engineering Teachers’ Perceptions of Gendered Differences in Guidance and Counselling

Gender segregations in the fields of engineering and technology remain persistent. The number of women studying STEM in higher education is around 20 %, but there are varieties in these fields, i.e. both horizontal and vertical divisions. The segregation continues in working life as differences in career paths. This study focuses on gendered differences in guidance and counselling in engineering higher education. The data consists of 14 interviews with university teachers and researchers responsible for counselling, guiding or supervising students in thesis writing, tutoring, and working life connections. We examine, 1) what kind of gender equality issues are attached to student guidance practices, 2) whether teachers recognize differences in male and female students' orientation and career expectations, and 3) what kind of gendered stereotypes are read in teachers’ descriptions. We approach the data from Joan Acker’s conception of gendered organizations, especially in terms of the construction of divisions of labor and the construction of symbols and images.