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Open AccessArticle

Gender Complexity and Experience of Women Undergraduate Students within the Engineering Domain

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Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 467; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010467 - 27 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 913

Abstract

Despite continuous efforts for reducing gender inequality in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM), engineering still steadfastly remains one of the least equitable fields in Australian universities. There has been an increasing growth of international scholarship on women’s underrepresentation in engineering; nevertheless, research on [...] Read more.

Despite continuous efforts for reducing gender inequality in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM), engineering still steadfastly remains one of the least equitable fields in Australian universities. There has been an increasing growth of international scholarship on women’s underrepresentation in engineering; nevertheless, research on understanding contributing factors to the Australian women students’ participation in engineering is relatively underdeveloped. To address this knowledge gap, we examine the experience of women undergraduate students and explore influential factors that contribute to the complexity of pursuing engineering. Applying a qualitative approach, we conducted 16 interviews with women undergraduate students enrolled across five engineering courses at Macquarie University, Australia. The results of the thematic analysis indicate that women students often have a supporting network of relationships and view themselves as intellectually fit to study engineering. However, they have been facing several interrelated obstacles that negatively impact their experiences and persistence in engineering. Findings show that gendered perceptions around femininity and masculinity appear to be the origin of gender stereotypes surrounding engineering identity. These not only negatively impact women students’ experiences within the bound of university but also create systemic barriers in the future workplace environment and opportunities. These (mis)perceptions have actively and passively made women students feel out of place, doubt their abilities and feel alienated. We offer suggestions to shift engineering identity outside the dominant masculine construct towards ‘co-construct’ and ‘co-enact’. This will create windows of opportunities to move towards gender equality in engineering. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in STEM for a Sustainable Future)

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Open AccessArticle

Impact of Exposure to a Counter-Stereotypical STEM Television Program on Children’s Gender- and Race-Based STEM Occupational Schema

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Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5631; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095631 - 07 May 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1457

Abstract

Gender and racial diversity in STEM has been deemed an essential need for a sustainable future, but girls and children from underrepresented racial/ethnic backgrounds continue to show less interest in STEM than their White and male counterparts. Media has been shown to reflect [...] Read more.

Gender and racial diversity in STEM has been deemed an essential need for a sustainable future, but girls and children from underrepresented racial/ethnic backgrounds continue to show less interest in STEM than their White and male counterparts. Media has been shown to reflect children’s occupational schema from an early age, and therefore might be used to help broaden children’s beliefs about who participates in STEM. In this field-based pre/post-experimental study, children in kindergarten and first grades (N = 48, 62.5% female, M_age = 6.57) viewed episodes of a STEM-focused educational television series that features a diverse group of protagonists two to three times a week for eight weeks. Their occupational schema were measured before and after exposure. Results suggest there was no quantifiable change in their attitudes. However, qualitative analysis of their open-ended responses sheds light on how children’s beliefs about who participates in STEM are shaped, i.e., by both mediated and real-world exposure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in STEM for a Sustainable Future)

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Open AccessArticle

Establishing Social Learning in an Engineering MOOC: Benefits for Diversity and Inclusion in Engineering Education

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Jude S. Brereton

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Kat Young

Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5472; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095472 - 02 May 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1333

Abstract

Recent Higher Education Statistics Agency data shows that only 20% of engineering students at UK Universities are female, despite the hard work being undertaken by many educational institutions to address this gender imbalance via outreach events and special interventions focussing on girls/women in [...] Read more.

Recent Higher Education Statistics Agency data shows that only 20% of engineering students at UK Universities are female, despite the hard work being undertaken by many educational institutions to address this gender imbalance via outreach events and special interventions focussing on girls/women in STEM. It has been argued that student-centred teaching methods, together with changes in the engineering curriculum itself, which emphasise the social, creative, and human-centred aspects of the discipline, are required to effect real change in engaging with those from traditionally underrepresented groups. Through analysing quantitative data on age, gender, learner type, and commenting rates in peer-to-peer discussions, we examine the development and delivery of an engineering MOOC, before, during, and after COVID-19-related lockdowns in the UK, to identify what aspects of online learning might be harnessed to improve diversity in engineering education. The results show that the MOOC attracted a better gender balance than reported for UK-based in-person engineering programmes. In addition, we show that careful structuring of discussion prompts encouraged higher levels of social learning. We recommend the continued use of interactive and discursive elements within a blended learning environment to positively impact diversity and inclusion in engineering education specifically, and STEM education in general. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in STEM for a Sustainable Future)

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Open AccessArticle

Solving Ecological Problems through Physical Computing to Ensure Gender Balance in STEM Education

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Gabrielė Stupurienė

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Tatjana Jevsikova

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Anita Juškevičienė

Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 4924; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14094924 - 20 Apr 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1093

Abstract

Research and practice have shown that female students are less interested in engineering and programming. This is related to gender stereotypes and technological self-efficacy. Research has also pointed out that students in rural schools tend to do less well in STEM subjects and [...] Read more.

Research and practice have shown that female students are less interested in engineering and programming. This is related to gender stereotypes and technological self-efficacy. Research has also pointed out that students in rural schools tend to do less well in STEM subjects and are less likely to pursue STEM studies than their peers from large cities. Previous studies have highlighted the benefits of hands-on real-world-related engineering projects by building connections with students’ interests and technology while giving them something exciting to focus on. This study is aimed at investigating whether and how students’ individual characteristics (such as attitudes toward engineering and technology, motivation, and technology anxiety) are associated with rural school students’ engagement, gender differences, and inclusion in sustainable ecological engineering activities with Arduino microcontrollers. Surveys were conducted before and after the activity with pupils of a rural lower secondary school (ages 13–15). The results show that, female students’ initial attitude toward engineering and technology was significantly less positive than that of male students. Despite being novices in physical computing, a whole group of pupils were intrinsically motivated while performing these activities. The findings of this study provide transferable insights into practical STEM education that may strengthen students’ engagement, motivation, and achievement in STEM. The implications of the results of this study can be useful for a better understanding of the individual factors of students that influence future engineering activity design and STEM career selection opportunities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in STEM for a Sustainable Future)

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Open AccessArticle

Investigating the Experiences, Beliefs, and Career Intentions of Historically Underrepresented Science and Engineering Undergraduates Engaged in an Academic and Internship Program

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Shana L. McAlexander

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Katherine McCance

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Margaret R. Blanchard

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Richard A. Venditti

Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1486; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031486 - 27 Jan 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1733

Abstract

Women and students of marginalized race/ethnicity continue to be underrepresented in many science and engineering fields, and access to special programs, mentors, and internships may influence awareness, intention, and persistence in STEM fields. This mixed-methods case study investigated the experiences, beliefs, and career [...] Read more.

Women and students of marginalized race/ethnicity continue to be underrepresented in many science and engineering fields, and access to special programs, mentors, and internships may influence awareness, intention, and persistence in STEM fields. This mixed-methods case study investigated the experiences, beliefs, and career intentions of thirteen undergraduate students from historically underrepresented groups in the United States as they engaged in a federally funded grant program, “Sustainable Futures”. The program consisted of online courses, workshops, and a summer internship, intended to increase awareness, interest, and diverse participation in bioeconomy-related industries. The expectancy-value theory of achievement motivation theoretical framework guided this investigation of students’ changes in beliefs about bioproducts, bioenergy, the bioeconomy, and their career intentions. Program courses helped students develop skills and knowledge and program internships inspired and reinforced their career directions. Following program activities, students expressed greater intention to pursue bioproduct/bioenergy-related careers and articulated their career intentions with greater specificity. This study provides insight into the viability of focused academic and professional development programs as a practical method to promote students’ awareness, beliefs, and intentions to participate in careers in a sustainable bioeconomy, particularly across diverse populations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in STEM for a Sustainable Future)

Open AccessArticle

Can a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Approach Enhance Students’ Mathematics Performance?

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Suik Fern Kong

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Mohd Effendi Ewan Mohd Matore

Sustainability 2022, 14(1), 379; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010379 - 30 Dec 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2217

Abstract

The STEM approach is a student-centred teaching and learning process that involves an inquiry process in problem-solving questions. This study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of the STEM approach in enhancing students’ mathematics performance. The study used a quasi-experimental design of unbalanced [...] Read more.

The STEM approach is a student-centred teaching and learning process that involves an inquiry process in problem-solving questions. This study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of the STEM approach in enhancing students’ mathematics performance. The study used a quasi-experimental design of unbalanced groups through the pre-test and post-test for treatment and control groups. The instrument included a set of questionnaires on student attitudes towards STEM implementation and the three-dimensional geometric shapes achievement test. The research samples included 14-year-old students from one of the private secondary schools in Kuching, which involved 68 students who were selected using purposive sampling. The results showed that student attitudes towards the implementation of the STEM approach were at a moderate level. In addition, the results illustrated a significant and moderate difference in mathematics performance between students who participated in the STEM approach and the conventional method using pre-test and post-test. The mean score of the post-test performance for the STEM approach was higher compared to the mean score of post-test performance for the conventional method. The results of the study demonstrated that the implementation of the STEM approach that involved both inquiry-based learning and problem-based learning was effective and able to improve the students’ academic performance. This can help teachers to vary their teaching and learning methods by increasing student interactions and engagement. Improvements can be made in the future by adding more research samples to expand the context of the study and prolong the treatment duration. Researchers can also add research variables in future studies by examining student interests and motivations towards the STEM approach. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in STEM for a Sustainable Future)

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Open AccessArticle

Multimedia Analysis of Spanish Female Role Models in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

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Sonia Verdugo-Castro

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Alicia García-Holgado

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María Cruz Sánchez-Gómez

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Francisco José García-Peñalvo

Sustainability 2021, 13(22), 12612; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212612 - 15 Nov 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1843

Abstract

Horizontal segregation in the higher education framework is a problem that goes up in the work environment. Women are assuming traditional gender roles due to phenomena such as the threat of stereotyping, which prevents them from opting for higher studies in science, technology, [...] Read more.

Horizontal segregation in the higher education framework is a problem that goes up in the work environment. Women are assuming traditional gender roles due to phenomena such as the threat of stereotyping, which prevents them from opting for higher studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This research work arises within the project W-STEM, “Building the Future of Latin America: Involving Women in STEM”. The research aims to investigate women’s academic and professional development in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through their personal experience in making career-related decisions. The research was developed by applying a qualitative method. During the year 2020, video semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-one women professionals in the STEM field. Of the twenty-one participants, six are linked to science, eight to technology, fifteen to engineering and one to mathematics. Due to their research lines, some of them are located in more than one STEM area, for example, in technology and engineering. These women were interviewed about their choice of studies and training, their jobs, professional achievements, family and social environment and their perspective on the gender gap in STEM. They all agree on horizontal segregation and consider it necessary to motivate girls and young women to study what they like. Furthermore, they all show passion for their work. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in STEM for a Sustainable Future)

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Open AccessArticle

An Analysis of LGBTQIA+ University Students’ Perceptions about Sexual and Gender Diversity

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Harold Tinoco-Giraldo

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Eva María Torrecilla Sánchez

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Francisco J. García-Peñalvo

Sustainability 2021, 13(21), 11786; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132111786 - 25 Oct 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 11206

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to explore the perceptions of LGBTQIA+ students regarding sexual and gender diversity in the university context by (1) identifying conceptions about a being LGBTQIA+ student in the higher education context, (2) researching perceptions of the stigma [...] Read more.

The main objective of this study was to explore the perceptions of LGBTQIA+ students regarding sexual and gender diversity in the university context by (1) identifying conceptions about a being LGBTQIA+ student in the higher education context, (2) researching perceptions of the stigma and discrimination against, and inclusion of LGBTQIA+ students and (3) to recognize discourses and scenarios identified by students in the university context regarding sexual diversity and gender diversity, distinguishing their experiences in the classroom as well as in the university, with their peers and with their professors. This research was based on a quantitative method, the sample consisted of 171 students from the School of Medicine of a public university in the United States in the state of Texas. The results showed that there is currently a greater knowledge of the subject of sexual and gender diversity and of the spaces and resources offered by the university on the subject compared to previous years, however, it is found that knowledge is still limited and that this knowledge may possibly be due to the faculty in which they study. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in STEM for a Sustainable Future)

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