Perceptions of academics on women in engineering education and work place

Win, N. L. and Win, K. M. (2013) Perceptions of academics on women in engineering education and work place. Journal of Institutional Research South East Asia, 11 (1). pp. 28-41.

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Abstract

The under-representation of women in engineering has been observed at the faculty of engineering in a private university in Malaysia. The number of women academics in the faculty does not show any significant variation over the past thirteen years while the enrolment of female students has shown a decreasing trend. Currently, 35% of academics in the faculty are female and only 8% of the total students studying in engineering programs are female. The aim of this study is to explore the perceptions of academics on women in engineering education and engineering workplace. Based on the survey conducted at the faculty, all academics perceive that female students are as good as, if not better than, those of their male peers in academic preparation and study habits. About 70% of academics of both genders feel that female and male students are equally favourable in engineering programmes at the faculty. About half of academics believe that men receive more favour than women in the engineering workplace. However, female academics responded that there is no discrimination between male and female academics regarding salary, workload and career advancement at the faculty. A majority of academics feel that a special effort should be made to recruit female students in engineering programmes and about half of the respondents agree that the university should have special programmes to address female students’ needs. The results from this study can be used in finding the ways to attract a larger number of women in engineering in the future.

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