ERIC Number: EJ1174343
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0304-3797
EISSN: N/A
Investigation of Students' Experiences of Gendered Cultures in Engineering Workplaces
Male, Sally A.; Gardner, Anne; Figueroa, Eugenia; Bennett, Dawn
European Journal of Engineering Education, v43 n3 p360-377 2018
Women remain severely under-represented in engineering in Australia as in all Western countries. This limits the pool of talent, standpoints and approaches within the profession. Furthermore, this under-representation equates to restriction of the benefits of being an engineer mainly to men. Gendered workplace experiences have been found to contribute to women leaving the profession. In this study we explore "students'" experiences of gendered cultures in engineering workplaces, using interviews with a purposive sample of 13 students (4 male) recruited following a previous survey. Although the overall experience of workplace learning is positive for many students, male and female engineering students reported experiences consistent with masculine cultures. Educators and employers must proactively lead improvements to the culture in engineering workplaces, prepare students for gendered workplaces and support students to reflect during and after workplace experiences. The experiences presented here could be adapted to enhance inclusivity training.
Descriptors: Student Experience, Engineering Education, Foreign Countries, Interviews, Undergraduate Students, Workplace Learning, Professional Identity, Gender Issues, Gender Differences, Organizational Culture, Sex Fairness, Employment, Employers, College Faculty, Internship Programs, Inclusion, Surveys
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A