Motivation is defined "as the set of intermediate variables that activate the behavior and orient it in a particular way to achieve a goal" (Isus, 1995: 100).

One of the personal variables related to the differences in motivational functioning is gender. The studies show how the academic and professional motivations behind the choice are different for male and female students: The girls seek the satisfaction of the personal preferences and the boys are guided by the professional opportunities that the choice will bring to them (Duart, Quiñones & Tobarra, 1993; Muñoz & Mullet, 1990). Young boys consider more important in their future job to earn a lot of money, to do and create new things, to become famous... while for girls it is more important to help others (Jones et al, 2000).

In the context of professional formation, Mariño (2008) found that the most valued motivation for female students enrolled in industrial branches is the vocation they have for these professions, closely followed by the belief that this sector will have greater chances of finding a job and because they think they possess good qualities to perform these professions.

In research conducted by Porto and others (2011) male students from professional formation identified as the major reason for the choice of certain studies, "Because I have skills" while the motives most mentioned by the female students are "To help" and "Because it is appropriate for my sex".

Motivation is also closely related to the establishment of goals of achievement. In this sense, studies show that men and women choose different goals: women choose learning goals, intrinsic, and men choose performance goals, extrinsic in nature (Pajares et al, 2000; Pajares and Cheong, 2003; Brouse et al, 2010). Barberá (2002) found gender differences in relation to the achievement motive; this way men give more value to public recognition while women value intrinsically well done things or external recognition of the social utility of their efforts. In what is referred to the emotions involved, women take into consideration when choosing the career those activities that do not mean to lose affection; this means, they are more interested in membership reasons while men give more importance to the pursuit of power.

Our study aims to analyze the formation itineraries of certain professional families from the perspective of gender and to study and compare the motivations of male and female students of     intermediate and advanced grade of professional formation.

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