Women’s Pursuit of Undergraduate Engineering Degrees: Exploring Higher Education Retention in Kenya

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Dynamics in Creating Desirable Educational Possibilities for Learners From/in the Global South (Table 11)

Abstract

In this study, we studied the role of engineering laboratories in shaping women’s persistence at a public university in Kenya. Using a concurrent, mixed-methods research design, we surveyed 50 women in the quantitative phase and interviewed 20 women in the qualitative phase. To analyze the data, we conducted descriptive statistics on the survey responses and multiple rounds of open and axial coding of interview transcripts. We found that students encountered sexist, discriminatory comments, and that women demonstrate a high degree of agency and strength to support each other and confront discriminative narratives. Based on these findings, we conclude that faculty members at institutions such as the University of Kenya should design pedagogy and classroom practices that resists discrimination against women.

Authors

• Keti Tsotniashvili, Arizona State University

• Meseret F. Hailu, University of Georgia

• Roseanne Njiru, University of Nairobi