ERIC Number: EJ1249783
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Apr
Pages: 5
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2158-0502
EISSN: N/A
Increasing Female Enrollment in Technology and Engineering Classes: An All-Female Class
Walsh, Thomas; Wright, Geoffrey A.
Technology and Engineering Teacher, v79 n7 p13-17 Apr 2020
High school Technology and Engineering (TE) classes are, in the majority, comprised of male students (USDE, 2012). This data point is also true in middle and junior high school elective TE classes. In light of the rapid growth of technology and engineering career opportunities, the lack of women students enrolling in middle, junior high, and high school TE classes is problematic. If the enrollment disparity is not addressed, then jobs in the technology and engineering industry will continue to be dominated by males, which may limit the innovation and growth of the TE industry. In an effort to understand and address this issue, a junior high CTE/TE teacher decided to modify how he organized his classes--which he believed would be a simple and low-cost solution. This article highlights the teacher's effort to increase female interest in engineering, his findings about female enrollment and performance are interesting. He found that female enrollment increased when an all-female class was offered. Stereotypes of engineers being all male decreased in the all-female classes. Female classes needed less classroom management, were more creative, took less planning time and, in the end, finished assignments more completely and accurately than mixed classes.
Descriptors: Females, Enrollment Trends, Technology Education, Engineering Education, High School Students, Middle School Students, Junior High School Students, Gender Differences, Junior High School Teachers, Student Interests, Academic Achievement, Single Sex Classes, Sex Stereotypes, Classroom Environment
International Technology and Engineering Educators Association. 1914 Association Drive Suite 201, Reston, VA 20191-1539. Tel: 703-860-2100; Fax: 703-860-0353; e-mail: iteea@iteea.org; Web site: https://www.iteea.org/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education; Junior High Schools; Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A