How to display the selected item in an MVC 2.0 ChildView and NOT the first item in the list?

[EDN Admin]

I have asked this same question in another forum and after approximately one week have not received any replies, so I am now asking it here.
Using the sample explanation found on MSDN for:

SelectList Class (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.web.mvc.selectlist_members(v=vs.90).aspx)

SelectListItem (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.web.mvc.multiselectlist.items(v=vs.90).aspx)

And IEnumerable (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.collections.ienumerable(v=vs.90).aspx)

I have created the following classes from the sample Person/People code.
Choice ClassPublic Class Choice

Private _Value As String = Nothing
Private _Text As String = Nothing
Private _Selected As Boolean = Nothing

Property ItemValue As String
Get
Return _Value
End Get
Set(value As String)
_Value = value
End Set
End Property

Property ItemText As String
Get
Return _Text
End Get
Set(value As String)
_Text = value
End Set
End Property

Property ItemSelected As Boolean
Get
Return _Selected
End Get
Set(value As Boolean)
_Selected = value
End Set
End Property

Public Sub New(ByVal pValue As String, ByVal pText As String)
Me._Value = pValue
Me._Text = pText
Me._Selected = False
End Sub

Public Sub New(ByVal pValue As String, ByVal pText As String, pSelected As Boolean)
Me._Value = pValue
Me._Text = pText
Me._Selected = pSelected
End Sub

End Class

Choices Collection (IEnumerable)Public Class Choices
Implements IEnumerable

Private _Choices() As Choice

Public ReadOnly Property SelectedValue() As Choice
Get
Dim i As Integer = Nothing
Dim x As Choice = Nothing
For i = 0 To _Choices.Length - 1
If _Choices(i).ItemSelected Then
x = _Choices(i)
Exit For
End If
Next i
Return x
i = Nothing
x = Nothing
End Get
End Property

Public Sub New(ByVal pArray() As Choice)
_Choices = New Choice(pArray.Length - 1) {}
Dim i As Integer
For i = 0 To pArray.Length - 1
_Choices(i) = pArray(i)
Next i
End Sub

Public Function GetEnumerator() As IEnumerator Implements IEnumerable.GetEnumerator
Return New ChoicesEnum(_Choices)
End Function

End Class



Choices Enumerator (for Choices collection class)Public Class ChoicesEnum
Implements IEnumerator

Public _Choices() As Choice

Dim position As Integer = -1

Public Sub New(ByVal list() As Choice)
_Choices = list
End Sub

Public Function MoveNext() As Boolean Implements IEnumerator.MoveNext
position = position + 1
Return (position < _Choices.Length)
End Function

Public Sub Reset() Implements IEnumerator.Reset
position = -1
End Sub

Public ReadOnly Property Current() As Object Implements IEnumerator.Current
Get
Try
Return _Choices(position)
Catch ex As IndexOutOfRangeException
Throw New InvalidOperationException()
End Try
End Get
End Property

End Class

In my model I have declared the field with the issue as follows
Private _Gender As Integer = Nothing

In my controller I instantiate the selectlist by calling a function as follows:Friend Function GetGenderList(SelId As Integer) As SelectList

Dim ChoicesArray() As Choice = { _
New Choice("0", "Please Select Gender", IIf(SelId = 0, True, False)), _
New Choice("1", "Male", IIf(SelId = 1, True, False)), _
New Choice("2", "Female", IIf(SelId = 2, True, False)), _
New Choice("3", "Unspecified", IIf(SelId = 3, True, False))}
Dim ChoicesList As New Choices(ChoicesArray)
GetGenderList = New SelectList(ChoicesList, ChoicesList(SelId))
ChoicesList = Nothing
ChoicesArray = Nothing

End Function

Then I pass the selectlist in the viewdata to the view using the following code<ChildActionOnly()> _
Function EditPersonalUserCtrl(ByVal MyPersonal As MemberPersonalModel, FoundErrorInfo As String) As PartialViewResult
Dim sxGenderList As SelectList = Nothing
sxGenderList = GetGenderList(MyPersonal.Gender)
ViewData.Add("Gender", sxGenderList)
ViewData.Add("FoundErrorInfo", FoundErrorInfo)
Return PartialView(MyPersonal)
sxGenderList = Nothing
End Function


In my view the html is as follows<table>
<tr>
<td class="FormFieldLabel" style="width: 30%; Gender</td>
<td class="FormFieldLabel" style="width: 70%;
<%= Html.DropDownListFor(Function(Model) Model.Gender, New SelectList(ViewData("Gender").Items, "ItemValue", "ItemText", "ItemSelected"), New With {.style = "font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 14pt; color: #333333;"})%>
<%= Html.ValidationMessageFor(Function(Model) Model.Gender)%>
</td>
</tr>
</table>

FINALLY
When I test the view in the MVC EDIT view the SelectList/DropDown always shows the FIRST option item in the list, regardless or whats selected.

Its baffled me for days and I cannot see where its going wrong! Please can someone take a look at my code and see where its going west.

Thanks in advance.
DocZaf

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