ERIC Number: EJ1195326
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Nov
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0018-9359
EISSN: N/A
Gendered Interests in Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering: Intersections with Career Outcome Expectations
Potvin, Geoff; McGough, Catherine; Benson, Lisa; Boone, Hank J.; Doyle, Jacqueline; Godwin, Allison; Kirn, Adam; Ma, Beverly; Rohde, Jacqueline; Ross, Monique; Verdin, Dina
IEEE Transactions on Education, v61 n4 p298-304 Nov 2018
Contribution: The current study finds that female-identified students report stronger associations between "helping others" and interest in bioengineering/biomedical engineering than non-females, while they report less interest in electrical and computer engineering overall, with similar associations to factors such as "inventing/designing things" than non-females. Background: While women have made gains in STEM, electrical and computer engineering programs award 13% of their Bachelor's degrees to women while bioengineering/biomedical engineering programs award over 40%. Prior work suggests that women's persistent under-representation in electrical and computer engingeering may be due to them being drawn into other disciplines. Women persist in engineering at similar rates as men, so a better understanding of early college attitudes is needed. Research Questions: (1) How are career outcome expectations associated to electrical engineering, computer engineering, and bioengineering/biomedical engineering? (2) What are females' interests in electrical engineering, computer engineering, and bioengineering/biomedical engineering? (3) Are outcome expectations and major interests distinct for female-identified students? Methodology: Regression analyses were conducted on multiply-imputed data of introductory engineering students at four public universities in the U.S. Findings: Students associate inventing/designing things and "developing new knowledge and skills" to electrical engineering, and associate inventing/designing things and "working with people" (negative) to computer engineering. Students associate helping others and "supervising others" (negative) to bioengineering/biomedical engineering. Female-identified students are less interested in electrical and computer engineering, more interested in bioengineering/biomedical engineering, and associate helping others to bioengineering/biomedical engineering more strongly.
Descriptors: Gender Differences, STEM Education, Engineering Education, Disproportionate Representation, Student Attitudes, Student Interests, Computer Science, Biomedicine, Design, Occupational Aspiration, Womens Education, Undergraduate Study
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. 445 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08854. Tel: 732-981-0060; Web site: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=13
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: EEC1428523; EEC1428689