Work

The Development of Co-curricular Interventions to Strengthen Female Engineering Students’ Sense of Self-efficacy and to Improve the Retention of Women in Traditionally Male-dominated Disciplines and Careers

Year: 2014

Type: article

Abstract: Self-efficacy relates to positive outcomes for women studying and working in traditionally male-dominated fields such as engineering, science, and technology. Many women engineering students (WES) experience fear and insecurity about how they will be treated and perceived in this traditionally male-dominated field, either as a WES or as a working engineer. This study provides support for the development of co-curricular interventions to improve the self-efficacy of WES at a South African tertiary institution. The research design for this study is based on a phenomenological approach that uses a process of critical analysis of evaluation and feedback documents relating to the various co-curricular interventions and their perceived influence on selected WES’s self-efficacy. Finally, as there has been no other South African research on WES and the sources of self-efficacy, this research is unique in the South African context.

Source: The South African Journal of Industrial Engineering

DOI: 10.7166/25-3-502

Author: Ann Sharon Lourens

Institution: Nelson Mandela University

Language: English

Topic: Career Development and Diversity

Subfield: Safety Research

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Gender equality, Reduced inequalities, Quality education

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $67