Addressing Inclusivity of Women in Engineering Education: Suggestions from Students in South Africa and Germany

Research Paper Recommended citation: Arbi, S., Kloot, B., & Shaw, C. (2025). Addressing Inclusivity of Women in Engineering Education: Suggestions from Students in South Africa and Germany. In Kangaslampi, R., Langie, G., Järvinen, H.-M., & Nagy, B. (Eds.), SEFI 53rd Annual Conference. European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI), Tampere, Finland. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17631288. This Conference Paper is brought to you for open access by the 53rd Annual Conference of the European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI) at Tampere University in Tampere, Finland. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License. ADDRESSING INCLUSIVITY OF WOMEN IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION: SUGGESTIONS FROM STUDENTS IN SOUTH AFRICA AND GERMANY S Arbi a,1, B Kloot b, 2, C Shaw c, 3, a University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa, 0009-0002-3709-4031 b University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa, 0000-0001-8644-3248 c University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa, 0000-0002-9868-277X Conference Key Areas: Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity; Attractiveness to Engineering Education Keywords: women students, recommendations, identity, social structures, inclusivity ABSTRACT Despite continuing recruitment efforts, women remain underrepresented in engineering education. This paper draws on ongoing doctoral work that aims to address this problem at two case study universities, one located in the Global North (Düsseldorf, Germany) and one in the Global South (Cape Town, South Africa). Semistructured interviews were the primary data collection method and narrative inquiry was used to analyse students’ lived experiences while employing the theoretical lens of identity theory. The sample included students at undergraduate level in mechanical engineering; six from Germany and eight from South Africa. In light of these interviews, this paper considers the areas of impact on women’s inclusivity in engineering. In particular, it explores the advice provided by the participants during their interviews to incoming students and suggests recommendations to facilitate academic success, improve student experiences, and increase rates of retention. These recommendations include emphasising mentorship, increasing representation of women in engineering, facilitating community building, adjusting degree content, and introducing single-gender teaching. Detailing these potential avenues of change can be beneficial to creating a more positive engineering classroom culture and improving the inclusivity of the field in both national contexts. 1 S Arbi [email protected] 2 B Kloot [email protected] 3 C Shaw [email protected] 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background This paper emerges from a doctoral research study that demonstrates how social structures influence the identities of women students in engineering. One of the objectives of the larger study is to make recommendations to improve inclusivity in engineering education because, despite continuing recruitment efforts, women remain underrepresented in the field of engineering (Hill et al., 2010). The poor rates of retention of women students is particularly alarming, with significant numbers of students dropping out, transferring out of the degree, or not entering industry. This phenomenon, commonly referred to as the ‘shrinking pipeline,’ is not limited to the developed or developing world and can be attributed to several social, cultural and environmental factors (Ceci et al., 2009). Some of these factors include societal beliefs, parental influence, and academic environment, all of which weigh on women students’ enrolment decisions and their continued experiences during their studies (Longe et al., 2019). Ceci et al (2009) also documented that women can experience lower levels of self-efficacy, a poorer sense of belonging, gender discrimination, and pressures of engineering stereotypes. Hill et al. (2010) postulates that even “little changes” enacted by tertiary institutions or external support programs can contribute towards positively affecting their experiences and increasing rates of recruitment and retention. Globally, there are existing efforts to assist and support women students in engineering. Such interventions play a critical role in ensuring incoming students have access to supplementary materials, mentorship, and community engagement (Knight et al., 2010; Martin et al., 2013; Seymour & Hewitt, 1997). While continuing national and international efforts remains important, learning what is needed directly from students is also worthwhile. Preliminary findings from the doctoral work indicated that the role of family, peers and educators remained significant in how participants navigated their journeys through engineering and negotiated expressions of their identity. This paper uses a selection of these findings to highlight and explore areas of influence in improving the experiences for women students in engineering. To achieve a more inclusive learning environment, proposed recommendations were drawn from existing literature and interview responses provided by participants living in two research sites, located in two national contexts The cultural, institutional and societal norms of each case study location provided interesting backdrops to explore and possibly transfer leverage points for proposing interventions. This paper aims to disseminate these points of engagement to make appropriate recommendations towards improving inclusivity, as well as highlight the importance of context, as the success and feasibility of these recommendations can vary across different social structures. 1.2 Research Approach The approach to this research drew on the work of Crotty (1998) and Maxwell (2005) to facilitate in aligning the investigation’s objectives with its theoretical lens and methods. The conceptual framework of identity theory simultaneously guided and limited the data included in this paper. Identity can refer to the appearances, behaviours and characteristics that define the position or positions of an individual or collective in society (Fearon, 1999). Some theories focus on the social aspects of identity, where others concentrate on the internal processes of identity. For the larger doctoral work, the identity theory presented by Stryker and Burke (2000) in their paper, ‘The Past, Present and Future of Identity Theory’ was primarily adopted. This theory brings together these two strands of identity by combining the factors that influence identity expression from origins of both social structures and the self. This theory adopts the notion that the social structures in which a person is embedded, which act as boundaries for overlapping and interconnected social groups and relationships, can influence a person’s expression of identity and, ultimately, their behaviour (Stryker & Burke, 2000). It is also these cultural and social structures that dictate the identity standard: an identity that is deemed socially acceptable, and is dependent on each society’s views (Stryker & Burke, 2000). Identities are, therefore, dynamic and can be the product of one’s interactions within a society. In this theory, they are seen to be internally negotiated to be as close to the identity standard, thereby eliciting a more positive reaction. It works, then, that efforts towards altering the perceived identity standard can have the effect of influencing student identities, as viewed through their behaviour. This can be accomplished in a number of ways, some of which are detailed in this paper. 2 METHODOLOGY 2.1 Two National Contexts as Case Studies In order to understand how social structures influence the identities of women students in engineering, two case studies representing two research sites in two different national contexts were used. Each site was treated as a separate case study, existing with their own social structures, cultures, and populations. According to Yin (2014), case studies present an avenue for understanding social phenomena more deeply and within a particular, specific context, making them especially useful in qualitative research. A university in each research site provided the context for the study, one in the Global North, (Düsseldorf, Germany), and the other in the Global South (Cape Town, South Africa). Both sites provided a backdrop of diverse populations, rich histories, and maritime geographical positions. While the sites do maintain some similarities, their differences in education systems, population size and makeup, religious divisions, and languages are considered significant. From these differences in context, variations in the application and feasibility of interventions can arise. 2.2 Interview Protocol In qualitative research, collected data is more likely not represented by numbers or statistics, which is especially true when adopting techniques situated in narrative inquiry (Polkinghorne, 1995). As a result, relevant data were primarily collected through the use of semi-structured individual and group interviews. After receiving ethical clearance, participants were recruited from each research site using purposive sampling, with the intention of finding a diverse selection of pupils to offer deeper, more nuanced insights into student identity and experiences (Kim, 2016). The sample consisted of women students at undergraduate level in mechanical engineering, with six participants from Germany and eight from South Africa. All but one interview was conducted in person and held on each university’s campus, where they opened by reviewing the research problem and assuring the participants’ anonymity and autonomy, before proceeding with the questions. Depending on the participants’ experiences and willingness to share, the interviews ranged in length from fifteen minutes to more than an hour, with the shortest recorded interview requiring a scheduled follow-up to form a more complete story of the participant’s journey. Despite their open-endedness and being opinion-based, the interview questions were set up to address three main objectives. Firstly, to gather preliminary biographical information; secondly, to learn about the participants’ journeys to engineering and their thoughts and attitudes about engineering; before lastly hearing about their experiences through their respective degrees. Table 1, below, provides the participants’ pseudonyms and brief biographical information. Table 1: Participant Pseudonyms and Biographical Information Pseudonym Research Site Age Nationality Heritage Julia Germany 23 German German Claudia Germany 21 German German Kaya Germany 23 German Turkish Veronica Germany 28 German Polish Astrid Germany 27 German German Nehir Germany 22 Turkish Kurdish Crystal South Africa 23 Zimbabwean Zimbabwean Louisa South Africa 23 South African South African Mbali South Africa 22 Zimbabwean Zimbabwean Yusra South Africa 21 South African South African Teresa South Africa 23 South African Malawian Nandi South Africa 23 South African South African Amira South Africa 22 South African South African Zahra South Africa 21 South African South African 2.3 Approach to Data Analysis Narrative inquiry is described as a method of analysis that focuses on exploring the way in which people tell the stories of their own lives (Moen, 2006). Its use, as a result, allowed researchers to dive deeper into how participants speak of and make sense of their own experiences. By accessing the stories of each individual participant’s journey, patterns could be observed and interpreted, and presented as themes in the findings. The data, in the form of audio recordings and transcripts, were synthesised using cases and coding methods to extract and propose specific recommendations for counteracting or, in some cases, amplifying their experiences in engineering. 3 FINDINGS The individual interviews all concluded with the same question: “If you could offer one piece of advice to incoming women students in engineering, what would it be? Or, was there any advice you wish you received?” of which the responses are the source of data for this paper. Each participant provided individual feedback to the question, drawing from their personal thoughts, opinions, and experiences as women students in engineering. These answers and subsequent follow-ups are included in the findings below and formed the foundation for the proposed recommendations in Section 4. 3.1 Self-Confidence of Women in Engineering A lack of confidence in women students’ academic abilities and in making their voices heard was prevalent in interviews from both samples. Three students from Germany alluded to having to conquer their fears of approaching other peers and lecturers to ask for assistance, particularly in regards to the content of the degree. Julia (Germany) said, “Don’t be afraid to ask for help and, yeah, don’t be afraid to talk to people.” Both Kaya and Veronica echoed her advice, highlighting a need to address women students’ courage to articulate their needs. From South Africa, Nandi and Louisa also touched on this sentiment, with Louisa saying specifically, “Don’t shy away from the men. Like, work with them so you can see that you also belong in the space, because they’re not any smarter than you are just because you’re a woman.” Also from the South African sample, Amira’s advice was simply, “Listening to yourself is very important, because you know yourself the best.” Zahra also provided significant insight on the topic, alluding to discovering, through COVID-19 regulations, that she is more successful in her learning by using lecture recordings rather than attending live lectures. She emphasised the importance of determining which learning styles best worked for her, something that went a long way towards improving her academic performance and bolstering her confidence. 3.2 Perceptions of Women in Engineering Interestingly, one student from each sample directly expressed their concern over how women are viewed in the engineering space, at both student and faculty level, and felt a responsibility to uphold women’s standing in the field. From Germany, Kaya expressed her admiration of strong women “who want to achieve something, who have dreams, who have plans, career plans,” and aims to become a role model for other incoming women students. Yusra (South Africa) made a point of saying she wishes faculty would hire more women lecturers who are strong, intelligent and driven. As a representative of women in a higher position, she acknowledged that faculty performing at anything other than the highest level would inevitably lead to “jokes about her being a woman.” Nehir (Germany) spoke of advice she received from her older sister, also an engineer, who told her, “I have to show them how much do I know because I’m going to be young when I graduate and the work is not going to take me serious because I’m young and then because I’m a woman.” This notion that women students are less capable and less knowledgeable than their male counterparts was also mentioned by Mbali (South Africa) who blithely said, “Just get used to that: nobody will ask you anything because they assume you don’t know anything,” which further highlighted an uncomfortable, stereotypical reality for women in engineering. She later added, “Maybe make women studies compulsory,” hoping that it would help all genders to understand the experiences of women in engineering. In her interview, Yusra (South Africa) also mentioned times when she felt her capabilities were being diminished. Her reflection on this led her to conclude that she wished she had been “more on top of [her] work because then it probably contributed to people undermining [her] when [she] wasn’t doing as well.” In a similar way, Veronica (Germany) said, “You just have to sit down and have an open mind and learn the things you don't know,” to become successful and be seen to be so. From the South African sample, Crystal expressed that women’s own pride can act as a barrier to their success, expressing her thinking that it may be “why we have like such a weak, female force. It’s because, us, we are not united.” This, she believes, can be improved through women showing more support for other women. 3.3 Building and Investing in Support Systems for Women in Engineering From the German sample, Astrid highlighted the importance of knowing more about which engineering courses suited her best. She found it overwhelming to make the choice early in her degree, but felt she benefitted from being able to gain work experience through the mandatory internship semester embedded in her engineering degree. She stated, “I’m really happy that I did my apprenticeship since, there, I already got involved with a few different types of engineers, and my teacher in my apprenticeship kind of helped me and told me, ‘Well, you’re really good in these kinds of things, you should do that afterwards.’” This form of mentorship and tutelage proved to be useful in helping her make the right decisions regarding the discipline of engineering she ultimately chose to pursue. It should be noted that a similar internship program does not currently exist as part of the mechanical engineering degree at the case study university in South Africa. Mbali (South Africa), however, spoke of the mentorship program in which she was involved in her first year of university, which she found beneficial, prompting her to apply for a similar position in the senior years of her degree. She felt it was important to be clear to incoming students about the realities of becoming a woman engineer in a maledominated field right from the start. She made it clear her advice would be a warning, based on her own experiences, stating: “You will get a lot of mansplaining, you will be undermined, these are the possible things that can happen to you, keep that in mind as you interact, but I will try and say it in a way that would scare [them].” Her experiences with group work and vacation work contributed to her caution among her peers and her hesitance to enter industry. 3.4 Forming Communities with Other Students Students from both samples spoke of finding a core, solid support system and maintaining relationships inside and outside of engineering. In particular, from Germany, Claudia’s advice was, “For me, it really helped that I found my theatre group because they are from different study programs and there are no engineers.” She felt it was important to have a group of friends besides engineers who are also good and supportive to help maintain stability. Keeping a balance was also highlighted by Teresa (South Africa), who said it was important, “not [to] be scared to have fun beyond Engineering. […] Don’t feel like your time is only limited to when you’re on campus.” The idea, Nandi (South Africa) determined, is to “find a community because it stabilises you,” which she said found through her church’s congregation and has been significant in helping her remain true to herself. While establishing a sense of community outside of engineering was seen to be important, two students from South Africa highlighted the need for women students in engineering to support their fellow women. In particular, Louisa said, “Find the women in your year and become friends with them, because I think women know how to support women best.” Crystal further addressed a phenomenon she experienced where she and other women in her courses made a point of not interacting with one another, though she remained unsure as to why. Her advice, therefore, included, “Support other girls. Let us not pretend like we all don’t exist,” and reiterated that this would be a strength and not a weakness. Mbali (South Africa) mentioned she found it difficult to get “comfortable making friends with people of the opposite gender,” as she attended an all-girls’ high school. She was not prepared to have to set physical and friendship boundaries, and had to be more intentional in looking for friends who view her as an equal. Zahra echoed this, from an academic standpoint, saying, “Find a solid group of people that you can work with. Find people who are smarter than you or like on the same level of intelligence […] and have the same work ethic.” She acknowledged that the degree was already difficult enough without other students holding her back. 4 DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS Based on these findings and select literature, several recommendations can be made. By altering the environments within which women students live, learn and communicate, they can benefit from positive and notable steps towards improving inclusivity. These recommendations, while affecting aspects of only a part of their existing social structures, can significantly influence how women students negotiate their expressions of identity and how they experience engineering education. 4.1 Emphasise Mentorship and Other Support Systems By creating avenues for women students to access information and support from fellow students and faculty, levels of academic anxiety can lessen while instilling confidence in their capabilities (Knight et al., 2010). Heightening oversight of existing institutional mentorship programs or creating social groups within the degree can also help facilitate relationships across the years and introduce women students to one another. Mbali, from the South African sample, specifically highlighted the benefits of having participated in a student mentorship program. Mentorship, however, isn’t limited to the faculty or the university, as significant opportunities for connection and guidance lie in partnering students with graduate women engineers in industry. In South Africa, the Women in Engineering Leadership Association (WELA) operating out of Nelson Mandela University is just one example of a project aiming to empower women students in the field (University, 2023). By offering a range of services in support and leadership development, the presence and stature of women in engineering can continue to grow and advance. At a larger scale, WomEng, a non-profit subsidiary of an even larger organization, facilitates connections and collaborations among students from various universities and partners in industry (WomHub, n.d.). Facilitating access to mentors in industry can significantly improve rates of retention of women by providing role models and visible pathways into engineering as a potential career. 4.2 Increase Visible Representation of Women in Engineering In order to improve representation among students and faculty, efforts can be taken to showcase women’s accomplishments and successes in engineering. This can be done in a number of ways including, though not limited to, posters, newsletters, and acknowledgments from more senior faculty in their respective departments. While it seems simple, even a small acknowledgement of ongoing work and progress can make a difference. In keeping with this directive, inviting successful women in industry to hold talks or workshops can significantly contribute to students’ persistence, as Seymour et al. (1997) found to be the case in programs where women are highlighted as role models. This can also be achieved by hiring more women in senior faculty positions, as mentioned by Kaya (Germany) and Yusra (South Africa). 4.3 Facilitate University Community Building Hosting social events targeted at women in engineering can help students find one another and more easily create communities for themselves from early in their degrees. By giving students the space and opportunity to meet one another in an informal setting, their sense of belonging and perceived loneliness can be positively affected (Martin et al., 2013). In disciplines with such low numbers of women students such as mechanical engineering, it would also benefit them to interact with students outside of their immediate fields. By opening up these events to more than just engineers, students can establish more balance in their peer groups, as was highlighted by Claudia from Germany and both Nandi and Teresa from South Africa. Martin et al. (2013) also noted that participants who formed study groups that included other women and joined student organizations displayed greater motivation to continue with engineering. 4.4 Adjust the Content of the Degree By including a more comprehensive internship component in the South African degree, as they do in Germany, students can garner a more informed understanding of their disciplinary and career interests before graduating and joining the workforce. From the German sample, Astrid was especially vocal about how important this experience was for her. Through partnering with engineering industry, firms and workplaces are more prepared to teach and mentor incoming students, which not only improves the experience for students but also offers potential employers access to the graduating workforce in South Africa. Incorporating targeted coursework to address discrimination or prejudice in the classroom and industry into the curriculum of the degree can increase awareness not only for women, but men as well. From the South African sample, Mbali’s suggestion of incorporating mandatory women studies into the degree could contribute towards educating students on the ongoing experiences of women. This could allow for new