Women’s Participation and Factors Affecting Their Academic Performance in Engineering and Technology Education: A Study of Ethiopia

Academic performance is one of the reasons for gender imbalance in STEM education. This study has two objectives: analyzing women’s participation in STEM education and investigating the factors affecting women’s achievements in Engineering and Technology university majors in Ethiopia. Secondary data have been analyzed to establish women’s involvement in STEM education using enrollment and graduation data and to observe the gender gap. Primary data were collected from 376 women students of engineering and technology. The OLS multiple regression model results reveal that the academic performance of women in engineering and technology education is positively influenced by students’ capabilities to gather information about the institution before joining the university. Interventions followed by institutions for supporting women students, peer learning habits of students, and the accessibility of university infrastructure also positively affect women’s academic performance. In contrast, sexual harassment and the existence of engineering and technology professionals in the family negatively influence the academic performance of women. Hence, educational organizations, governments, and other stakeholders should work to enhance women’s academic performance and reduce the gender gap in STEM education. Engineering colleges must also give attention to students’ psychological, economic, and educational support, try to fulfill infrastructure and learning equipment, and protect students from sexual harassment through strong commitment and regulations.

The Transformation from STEM to STREAM Education at Engineering and Technology Institutions of Higher Education

The scope of STEM based academic programs such as engineering and technology education should be widened to include Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STREAM) to enable future STEM graduates to be able to respond to the rapid changes of IR 4.0 and be ready for STEM based professions of the 21st century. A STREAM based curriculum for STEM focused programs will promote 21st century skills including collaboration, communication, creativity and critical thinking. STREAM has been gaining much popularity globally, given its ability to provide opportunities for learners to develop 21st century skills and the 4Cs necessary to strive in the future workplace. In this paper, we provide a succinct review of current debates surrounding this issue, drawing upon examples from across the globe, in Malaysia and Vietnam.