Do Female and Male Students in Engineering Degree Programs Differ?

What is it about?

In Dutch UAS, female engineering students outperform their male peers. This study aims to answer two questions: Do female and male students differ in background characteristics, engagement factors, and academic success? Are differences in the relationships among background characteristics, engagement factors, and academic success gender-specific? The study found that fFemale students spent more time on independent study, reported more social integration, completed more credits, and were more likely to stay in engineering than were male students. Academic integration and intention to persist were important for completion of credits for both genders. Social integration was only important for men’s academic success. Females seemed to benefit less from good preparation through active learning during secondary education, and the effect of a high grade point average on math was negative for females but positive for males. The overall conclusion is that interactionalist concepts can explain academic success, but the relationships among concepts vary by gender. Males’ intentions to persist in engineering are an outcome of engagement processes during the first year, whereas females’ intentions to persist in engineering are manifest at the start of the first year. Keywords gender; engagement; persistence

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Why is it important?

The outcomes of the study are important because they clarify that, when trying to improve academic success in engineering programs, genders should not be treated the same way.

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