"It Kind Of Chose Me": Agency And Influence In Women's Decision To Major In Engineering

Abstract

These findings echo those of earlier studies 6 in which students reported interest and ability in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), attraction to applications including helping people/society, building/designing, environmental protection, and space exploration, positive high school experiences, enjoyment of tinkering with machines, job prospects and the versatility of an engineering degree as preparation for numerous fields, and the social standing of engineers as factors influencing their decision to pursue engineering. Women reported significant sources of encouragement in their pursuit of engineering including their own interest in the subject, their parents, employment opportunities, and peers. Gender, however, is only one lens of analysis, and some researchers have begun to consider intersectionality within engineering, that is, how multiple categories such as race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and ability influence experiences of engineering. Foor, Walden, and Trytten 7 described the experience of one multi-racial, working-class female student in engineering, considering how race, class, and gender influenced her experience as an undergraduate. Eglash 8 considered power relations at the intersection of race, gender, and nerd identities. Similarly, we sought to consider not only gender in our analysis, but also culture, language, family, and other influences that emerged through our interviews. Lichtenstein and colleagues 9 note that students" decision-making about careers can be influenced by a wide range of factors including students" perceptions, experiences, and even chance events, which are necessarily limited in certain ways. It is not unusual for students to experience ambivalence or indecision, perhaps reflecting the strong role of serendipity. 10 Yet Lichtenstein et al. 9 also note that studies of engineers" career decisions are few and mostly based on quantitative surveys, which may not capture the process of decision-making.

Complicating Difference: Exploring and Exploding Three Myths of Gender and Race in Engineering Education

“…Taking another angle, Jaffee and Riley's 23 open-ended interviews with engineering majors at a women's college highlight the importance of narratives that capture the complexities of students' decision-making influenced by myriad factors operating in social, cultural and economic contexts. It is important to understand not only the factors students identify, but also the ways in which they are able or unable to talk about those influences on their lives.…”

“…The student was interviewed her first, second, and fourth years (she studied abroad as a junior and was not available for an interview). The open-ended interview proceeded as described in Jaffee and Riley, 23 initially exploring larger life and career goals, focusing next on college and major choice, followed by course decisions and approaches to learning. The purpose of the case study is not to look for difference, but instead to understand the individual's experience through her narrative.…”

Familial Influence on the Choice to Study Engineering: Insights from a Cross-University Study.

“…Research conducted within this area has identified numerous factors reported by students to have influenced the choice to pursue engineering as a college major. These factors include math-and science-related interest [1][2], prior STEM experiences in elementary and secondary school [3], earning potential [1,[4][5], and positive self-assessment of one's math, science, and/or problem-solving skills [2,[6][7]. Social relationships such as those of family [8][9][10][11], peers, and teachers have also been cited by students as key factors influencing their choice to pursue engineering [12].…”