Exploring the experiences of female engineering students at an undergraduate evangelical religious institution in the United States

DeYoung, Jamie Kathleen (2023) Exploring the experiences of female engineering students at an undergraduate evangelical religious institution in the United States. Ed.D thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

The National Science Foundation (2022) reports that women earn roughly a quarter of the engineering degrees conferred at American universities while the Society of Women Engineers (2020) reports more than 32% of women declaring a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) major at American universities change programmes. At evangelical universities in the United States, the additional factor of religious views of gender roles may play a part in the recruitment and retention of female engineering students. This study aims to further academic knowledge as to the experience of students in a gender minority at a type of university that is under-researched. This is a qualitative research study situated within an interpretivist research paradigm, using Connell’s theory of gender regimes and gender order (2005) to investigate the experiences of female undergraduate engineering majors at an evangelical university in the United States. Nine female engineering students and three staff members from the same university took part in semi-structured interviews via Zoom. Using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis (2006), themes surrounding self-identifying as an engineer, finding belonging at university, and viewing professors as mentors are discussed. Interestingly, the students and staff display a variety of understandings regarding the intersection of religious views and gender in career prospects. These findings indicate an opportunity for universities to create a sense of belonging within the university but also within departments to better support a diverse and inclusive student body. They also demonstrate the importance, even within a seemingly homogenous university such as an evangelical campus, to be aware of the multiple interpretations of understandings and experiences related to gender, religion, and engineering.

• Item Type: Thesis (Ed.D)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Subjects: L Education > LC Special aspects of education; L Education > LD Individual institutions (United States)
• Colleges/Schools: College of Social Sciences > School of Education
• Supervisor's Name: Read, Professor Barbara and Slade, Professor Bonnie
• Date of Award: 2023
• Depositing User: Theses Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2023-83910
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 06 Nov 2023 07:07
• Last Modified: 06 Nov 2023 07:09
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.83910
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/83910