The Background and Motivation of First-year Engineering Students in Relation to Gender

Christel Heylen; Kathleen Geraedts

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Conference: 2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Publication Date: June 10, 2012
Start Date: June 10, 2012
End Date: June 13, 2012
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: Retention of Women Students II
Tagged Division: Women in Engineering
Page Count: 10
Page Numbers: 25.1278.1 - 25.1278.10
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--22035
Permanent URL: https://strategy.asee.org/22035
Download Count: 409

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Paper Authors

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Christel Heylen Katholieke University, Leuven

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Christel Heylen obtained her master's of science in materials engineering in June 2000 and the academic teacher training degree in 2004, both from the Katholieke Universiteit, Leuven (Belgium). She is a member of the tutorial services of the engineering faculty and is responsible for the implementation and daily coordination of the course Problem Solving and Engineering Design in the first year of the bachelor's of engineering at the Katholieke Universiteit, Leuven, with a special focus on the didactic interpretation. Regarding this subject, she obtained a Ph.D. in engineering in Aug. 2010 from the Katholieke Universiteit, Leuven. She is a member of LESEC (Leuven Engineering and Science Education Centre), where she coordinates one of the four sectors, namely project-based learning.

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Kathleen Geraedts Katholieke University, Leuven

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Faculty of Engineering, KU Leuven, Belgium

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Abstract

The background and motivation of first year engineering students in relation to genderIntroductionThe engineering curriculum at our university consists of a three year Bachelor’s program thatprepares the students for a subsequent Master’s program of two years. Each year over 400students enter the first year of the Bachelor’s program, which is common for all engineeringdisciplines. Amongst them, there are only about 14% female students.Materials and methodsIn the beginning of the academic years 2009 – 2010 and 2010 – 2011, all 800 first yearengineering students filled out a written questionnaire. In the first part of the survey thestudents indicate their background: the level of their prior mathematical education and overallscore (percentage) in high school. The study motivation of the entering students, as it is apredictor for study success, is measured by a series of Likert-type statements, based onprevious research of Vansteenkiste et al. (2009). Furthermore, at the end of the first andsecond semester, after the exams, study time measurements were performed.ResultsThe female students do not differ from the male students in background. However, significantdifferences are noticed in the overall percentage in high school, their motivation profiles,their self-esteem and their total study time.The overall high school score of the starting female students is significantly higher comparedto the male starting students: 78%, σ = 8 versus 75%, σ = 6 (p < 0.05). The motivation profileof the female students is in general of a much better quality: an average of 2.5 (σ = 1.0) on ascale from 1 (best motivation profile) to 4 (worst motivation profile), whereas the averagemale student has a motivation profile of 2.9 (σ = 1.1), with p < 0.01. Furthermore, at the startof the academic year, more male students (60%) are certain, they will pass their exams withgood results compared to the female students (only 40%), with p < 0.01. From study timemeasurements it was concluded that the average female student spends more time (about 8h)on studying each specific course of the first year compared to the average male student.DiscussionDue to all aforementioned observations, it is expected that the average female student wouldbe the significant better performer in her first year at university. But it was observed, that thegroup of female students did not scored better in their first year. For the more general courseslike Calculus, General Physics and Philosophy the female students score indeed(significantly) better; on the other hand, for more typical engineering courses such as AppliedMechanics, Technical Chemistry and Informatics, the male students score better.The female students have less self-confidence, which could explain their results compared tothe male students. However, some course specific features of the technical courses of theBachelor’s program might appeal more to male students. An effort could be made to come upwith more society-related technological examples to motivate the female students.ReferenceVansteenkiste, Maarten; Sierens, Eline; Soenens, Bart; Luyckx, Koen; Lens, Willy;Motivational profiles from a self-determination perspective: The quality of motivationmatters. Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol 101(3), Aug 2009, 671-688

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Heylen, C., & Geraedts, K. (2012, June), The Background and Motivation of First-year Engineering Students in Relation to Gender Paper presented at 2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, San Antonio, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--22035

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -       The background and motivation of first year engineering students                          in relation to genderIntroductionThe engineering curriculum at our university consists of a three year Bachelor’s program thatprepares the students for a subsequent Master’s program of two years. Each year over 400students enter the first year of the Bachelor’s program, which is common for all engineeringdisciplines. Amongst them, there are only about 14% female students.Materials and methodsIn the beginning of the academic years 2009 – 2010 and 2010 – 2011, all 800 first yearengineering students filled out a written questionnaire. In the first part of the survey thestudents indicate their background: the level of their prior mathematical education and overallscore (percentage) in high school. The study motivation of the entering students, as it is apredictor for study success, is measured by a series of Likert-type statements, based onprevious research of Vansteenkiste et al. (2009). Furthermore, at the end of the first andsecond semester, after the exams, study time measurements were performed.ResultsThe female students do not differ from the male students in background. However, significantdifferences are noticed in the overall percentage in high school, their motivation profiles,their self-esteem and their total study time.The overall high school score of the starting female students is significantly higher comparedto the male starting students: 78%, σ = 8 versus 75%, σ = 6 (p &lt; 0.05). The motivation profileof the female students is in general of a much better quality: an average of 2.5 (σ = 1.0) on ascale from 1 (best motivation profile) to 4 (worst motivation profile), whereas the averagemale student has a motivation profile of 2.9 (σ = 1.1), with p &lt; 0.01. Furthermore, at the startof the academic year, more male students (60%) are certain, they will pass their exams withgood results compared to the female students (only 40%), with p &lt; 0.01. From study timemeasurements it was concluded that the average female student spends more time (about 8h)on studying each specific course of the first year compared to the average male student.DiscussionDue to all aforementioned observations, it is expected that the average female student wouldbe the significant better performer in her first year at university. But it was observed, that thegroup of female students did not scored better in their first year. For the more general courseslike Calculus, General Physics and Philosophy the female students score indeed(significantly) better; on the other hand, for more typical engineering courses such as AppliedMechanics, Technical Chemistry and Informatics, the male students score better.The female students have less self-confidence, which could explain their results compared tothe male students. However, some course specific features of the technical courses of theBachelor’s program might appeal more to male students. An effort could be made to come upwith more society-related technological examples to motivate the female students.ReferenceVansteenkiste, Maarten; Sierens, Eline; Soenens, Bart; Luyckx, Koen; Lens, Willy;Motivational profiles from a self-determination perspective: The quality of motivationmatters. Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol 101(3), Aug 2009, 671-688
AU  - Christel Heylen
AU  - Kathleen Geraedts
CY  - San Antonio, Texas
DA  - 2012/06/10
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - The Background and Motivation of First-year Engineering Students in Relation to Gender
UR  - https://strategy.asee.org/22035
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--22035
ER  -