A Systematic Literature Review Examining the Gender Gap in Collegiate Aviation and Aerospace Education

Abstract

Using a systematic literature review research methodology, researchers identified 22 scholarly journal articles published between January 2004 to May 2020, from five engineering, science, technology, and education databases. The objective of this study is to systematically explore the gender gap in collegiate aviation and aerospace education and highlight some of the factors that may be contributing to the gender gap in aviation and aerospace college programs. In addition, the researchers provide an in-depth analysis showing the research areas covered in the existing literature on the topic of gender imbalance and perceptions of female students in collegiate aviation education. Two research questions were developed, and a search strategy was developed. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) was used to search, screen, and set inclusion and exclusion criteria for the scholarly journal articles. The 22 scholarly journals were analyzed thematically. Results show that lack of organized mentorship and challenges in recruitment and retention of female students are among the areas that need more attention to bridge the gender gap in collegiate aviation programs. Other themes include persisting gender stereotypes and masculine culture in traditionally male-dominated fields. Based on the findings of this study, the researchers recommend a follow-up study focusing on the analysis of the trends in the number of women enrolled in collegiate aviation and aerospace programs.