Research

Open AccessArticle

Gender Diversity in Research and Innovation Projects: The Proportion of Women in the Context of Higher Education

by

Natalia Restrepo

,

Alfonso Unceta

and

Xabier Barandiaran

Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 5111; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13095111 - 02 May 2021

Viewed by 648

Abstract

Europe has gradually consolidated its integration of the gender dimension in the field of research and innovation. Institutional structures have shown that the development of gender diversity policies have improved the conditions of equality between women and men. However, the representation of women [...] Read more.

Europe has gradually consolidated its integration of the gender dimension in the field of research and innovation. Institutional structures have shown that the development of gender diversity policies have improved the conditions of equality between women and men. However, the representation of women in the workforce is still an everyday and universal concern. This article analyses the position of women in academic research. For this purpose, the evolution of the participation of women in research and innovation projects in the context of higher education is observed, taking the University of the Basque Country, Spain, as a case study. In order to evaluate the situation of women in research and innovation projects, the authors analyse a database with 75,864 records of projects collected between 2007 and 2018. The analysis confirms that a more balanced participation has been achieved between women and men in research and innovation teams and in project management structures. However, it also shows that gender diversity should continue to be a priority, in addition to its integration in science and technology financing programmes. Knowing this reality can be useful to promote the intensive development of public policies and to contribute towards the effort to improve the statistics of women’s participation in science. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gender Diversity in STEM Disciplines)

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Open AccessArticle

Introducing and Evaluating the Effective Inclusion of Gender Dimension in STEM Higher Education

by

Marta Peña

,

Noelia Olmedo-Torre

,

Elisabet Mas de les Valls

and

Amaia Lusa

Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 4994; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13094994 - 29 Apr 2021

Viewed by 541

Abstract

The need to incorporate the gender dimension in higher education is a central element of gender equality policies within the European Union (EU). When most institutions of higher education have already strengthened and consolidated their curricula, the next challenge is to include and [...] Read more.

The need to incorporate the gender dimension in higher education is a central element of gender equality policies within the European Union (EU). When most institutions of higher education have already strengthened and consolidated their curricula, the next challenge is to include and ensure that all people have the same opportunities to progress in education. This study intends to incorporate the gender dimension in teaching through a guide providing recommendations for the introduction of changes that will allow its effective incorporation in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) areas. It will take into account the administration in charge of formulating policies in the field of education, the students, and, mainly, the teaching staff. Its objective is to cover aspects related to the principles of equal opportunities and gender equality in STEM higher education disciplines. For this purpose, 41 volunteer teachers from 8 degrees and master’s degrees from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya in Spain participated. To achieve the results of this study, aspects related to social and gender relevance of the subjects, inclusive methodology, classroom management and assessment were considered. As a preliminary step to the development of the guide of recommendations, a teacher’s self-assessment tool and a questionnaire for students to analyze the perception of the gender dimension were developed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gender Diversity in STEM Disciplines)

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Open AccessArticle

Women’s Participation and Factors Affecting Their Academic Performance in Engineering and Technology Education: A Study of Ethiopia

by

Addissie Melak

and

Seema Singh

Sustainability 2021, 13(4), 2246; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042246 - 19 Feb 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 813

Abstract

Academic performance is one of the reasons for gender imbalance in STEM education. This study has two objectives: analyzing women’s participation in STEM education and investigating the factors affecting women’s achievements in Engineering and Technology university majors in Ethiopia. Secondary data have been [...] Read more.

Academic performance is one of the reasons for gender imbalance in STEM education. This study has two objectives: analyzing women’s participation in STEM education and investigating the factors affecting women’s achievements in Engineering and Technology university majors in Ethiopia. Secondary data have been analyzed to establish women’s involvement in STEM education using enrollment and graduation data and to observe the gender gap. Primary data were collected from 376 women students of engineering and technology. The OLS multiple regression model results reveal that the academic performance of women in engineering and technology education is positively influenced by students’ capabilities to gather information about the institution before joining the university. Interventions followed by institutions for supporting women students, peer learning habits of students, and the accessibility of university infrastructure also positively affect women’s academic performance. In contrast, sexual harassment and the existence of engineering and technology professionals in the family negatively influence the academic performance of women. Hence, educational organizations, governments, and other stakeholders should work to enhance women’s academic performance and reduce the gender gap in STEM education. Engineering colleges must also give attention to students’ psychological, economic, and educational support, try to fulfill infrastructure and learning equipment, and protect students from sexual harassment through strong commitment and regulations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gender Diversity in STEM Disciplines)

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Open AccessArticle

Teaching and Learning Styles on Moodle: An Analysis of the Effectiveness of Using STEM and Non-STEM Qualifications from a Gender Perspective

by

María Consuelo Sáiz-Manzanares

,

Raúl Marticorena-Sánchez

,

Natalia Muñoz-Rujas

,

Sandra Rodríguez-Arribas

,

María-Camino Escolar-Llamazares

,

Nuria Alonso-Santander

,

M. Ángeles Martínez-Martín

and

Elvira I. Mercado-Val

Sustainability 2021, 13(3), 1166; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031166 - 22 Jan 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 829

Abstract

Teaching in Higher Education is with increasing frequency completed within a Learning Management System (LMS) environment in the Blended Learning modality. The use of learning objects (activities and resources) offered by LMS means that both teachers and students require training. In addition, gender [...] Read more.

Teaching in Higher Education is with increasing frequency completed within a Learning Management System (LMS) environment in the Blended Learning modality. The use of learning objects (activities and resources) offered by LMS means that both teachers and students require training. In addition, gender differences relating to the number of students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and Non-STEM courses might have some influence on the use of those learning objects. The study involves 13 teachers (6 experts in e-Learning and 7 non-experts) on 13 academic courses (4 STEM and 9 Non-STEM) and a detailed examination of the logs of 626 students downloaded from the Moodle platform. Our objectives are: (1) To confirm whether significant differences may be found in relation to the use of learning objects (resources and activities) on Moodle, depending on the expertise of the teacher (expert vs. non-expert in e-Learning); (2) To confirm whether there are significant differences between students regarding their use of learning objects, depending on the expertise of the teacher (expert vs. non-expert in e-Learning); (3) To confirm whether there are significant differences for the use of learning objects among students as a function of gender. Differences were found in the use of Moodle learning objects (resources and activities) for teachers and for students depending on the expertise of the teacher. Likewise, differences were found for the use of some learning objects as a function of gender and the degrees that the students were following. Increased technological training for both teachers and students is proposed, especially on Non-STEM qualifications, in order to mitigate the effects of the technological gap and its collateral relation with the gender gap and the digital divide. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gender Diversity in STEM Disciplines)

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Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Signaling Value through Gender Diversity: Evidence from Initial Coin Offerings

by

Alexander Guzmán

,

Cristian Pinto-Gutiérrez

and

María-Andrea Trujillo

Sustainability 2021, 13(2), 700; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13020700 - 13 Jan 2021

Viewed by 753

Abstract

We analyze women’s participation and the effects of team gender diversity on initial coin offering (ICO) success measured by the total funding amount raised in the actual ICO and the project’s long-term survival. Using a database featuring 875 initial coin offerings between 2017 [...] Read more.

We analyze women’s participation and the effects of team gender diversity on initial coin offering (ICO) success measured by the total funding amount raised in the actual ICO and the project’s long-term survival. Using a database featuring 875 initial coin offerings between 2017 and 2019, we find that women are significantly under-represented in ICO projects (on average, only 13% of team members are women). However, for projects that do have participation of women, we find that team gender diversity increases the total funding raised in the ICO. Moreover, when we separate team members into areas of expertise or roles in the project, we find that the presence of women in critical positions, such as being a founder or having financial or legal responsibilities, significantly reduces the likelihood of long-term coin failure. Our results are consistent with the notion that investors perceive women’s participation in leadership positions as a positive signal of desirable organizational practices that will translate into better performance. Our results are also consistent with the idea that having women, who abide by ethical values and are less prone to fraud, reduces the likelihood that informationally opaque ICOs turn out to be scams. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gender Diversity in STEM Disciplines)

Open AccessArticle

Gender Balance in Mars Exploration: Lessons Learned from the Mars Science Laboratory

by

María-Paz Zorzano

Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10658; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410658 - 20 Dec 2020

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 660

Abstract

There is, recently, a global concern about the gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) areas, starting from education role models, student applications, through the academic, industrial and management career progression. Given the high visibility and popularity of all subjects related [...] Read more.

There is, recently, a global concern about the gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) areas, starting from education role models, student applications, through the academic, industrial and management career progression. Given the high visibility and popularity of all subjects related to space exploration, female participation in this field may be used to change the existing stereotypes and provide role models to the younger generations, thus having a positive influence on education while also demonstrating to other organizations how to promote diversity in the working environment. Previous studies on spacecraft science teams, considering only principal and co-Investigators, PIs and co-investigators (CoIs), respectively, show that the percentage of women in the role of investigators has remained flat at 15.8% since 2000. The NASA Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission is taken here as an example to perform a statistical analysis of the gender profile for the period 2004–2018. The results are compared with: (1) data from the US National Science Foundation (NSF) about gender distribution in STEM postdoctoral profiles and faculty members; (2) the trend of planetary exploration team profiles; (3) research and innovation statistics in Europe; (4) proposals of the EU FP6 funding program; and (5) the percentage of female researchers from the Elsevier status report. This analysis shows that the process of continually holding open calls for Participating Scientists based on individual merit and the application of a flat working structure have allowed gender balance within the MSL team to improve naturally while maximizing individual and team performance. Women represent approximately 30.6% of the team, in agreement with the current percentage of female planetary exploration researchers and senior faculty members in academia. Interestingly, the percentage of female-led articles has been above the MSL women percentage trend. While the percentage of women in planetary science appears to be increasing, their role on the proposing teams is still low. As in other STEM fields, attention should be paid to secure the adequate promotion of younger generations to achieve the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 5 of achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls by 2030. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gender Diversity in STEM Disciplines)

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Open AccessArticle

Is It Time for a Revolution in Work‒Life Balance? Reflections from Spain

by

Rocío Rodríguez-Rivero

,

Susana Yáñez

,

Celia Fernández-Aller

and

Ruth Carrasco-Gallego

Sustainability 2020, 12(22), 9563; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12229563 - 17 Nov 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1051

Abstract

The COVID-19 crisis has taken the world by surprise, and its effects are widening pre-existing inequalities such as socioeconomical, educational, and digital divides. The gender gap is no exception, and research shows that lockdowns are strongly impacting women, who, on the whole, are [...] Read more.

The COVID-19 crisis has taken the world by surprise, and its effects are widening pre-existing inequalities such as socioeconomical, educational, and digital divides. The gender gap is no exception, and research shows that lockdowns are strongly impacting women, who, on the whole, are more vulnerable to the effects of a crisis. This study analyzes the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown in Spain on families, from a gender perspective. To this end, 663 participants related to the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields were recruited to participate in the research through their connection with the Equality Office of the major technical university of Spain, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, which offers most engineering and architecture degrees. The results indicate that the great myths of gender inequality are still alive in Spain, and that a crisis of this nature can perpetuate them. However, the crisis also presents an opportunity for change. Will the STEM careers be prepared to take advantage of this opportunity, or will this crisis end up perpetuating their markedly masculine character? Are we ready for a revolution? The COVID-19 crisis and its learnings about the importance of care can open the path to change. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gender Diversity in STEM Disciplines)

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Open AccessArticle

Equity or Stereotypes in Science Education? Perspectives from Pre-University Students

by

Raquel Fernández-Cézar

,

,

,

and

Sustainability 2020, 12(22), 9354; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12229354 - 11 Nov 2020

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 531

Abstract

In this work, we explore the presence of stereotypes in pre-university students with respect to gender, science, and scientists. The possible differences between boys and girls, school stage, and rurality are analyzed. For this purpose, a sample of 404 participants between 13 and [...] Read more.

In this work, we explore the presence of stereotypes in pre-university students with respect to gender, science, and scientists. The possible differences between boys and girls, school stage, and rurality are analyzed. For this purpose, a sample of 404 participants between 13 and 18 years old were delivered a form with items from the Questionnaire on Opinions about Science, Technology, and Society. The responses were offered using a five-point Likert scale and agreement percentages were calculated. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for the analysis, where the effect size was calculated for items associated with any of the three factors. Our findings show that the stereotyped ideas of gender in science were more intense in Compulsory Secondary Education (CSE) students in rural areas than in High School (HS) students from urban areas. In addition, perceptions of science and scientists showed greater agreement for CSE than for HS students. However, no differences were found between girls and boys. Regarding science items, there was a major agreement on the relationship between science and technology with problem solving, regardless of sex or school rurality. Finally, reflections on stereotypes and the presence of girls in STEM careers are provided. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gender Diversity in STEM Disciplines)

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