Gendered Engineering Laboratories: Microcosms of Universities in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda (Poster 19)

• In Event: Excellence in Education Research: Early Career Scholars and Their Work

Abstract

A laboratory is a place where theoretical concepts are applied practically. In this project, I use an institutional ethnography (IE) design to study the gendered dimension of university laboratories in private universities in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. IE is appropriate because it is a feminist methodology that offers insight into the day-to-day realities of an organization (Campbell, 1998; Smith, 1987). Additionally, private higher education institutions are growing quickly in these countries (Altbach, 2005; Teferra & Knight, 2008). Specifically, I explore engineering laboratory spaces, curricular materials, and the perspectives of engineering faculty in three countries to unpack the contextual factors that influence how women navigate this discipline. The main research question (RQ) is: What can be learned about equitable teaching experiences for women from a comparative study of engineering laboratory classrooms in private African institutions? The four sub-questions are: (SRQ1) How, if at all, do faculty design pedagogical approaches to create an equitable learning environment? (SRQ2) What messages are communicated based on artwork, signs, and other physical attributes of laboratory environments? (SRQ3) How are relevant materials, such as course syllabi, flyers, and physical laboratory equipment, used? and (SRQ4) How, if at all, do women engage in placemaking in engineering labs, as observed by faculty? (Uganda). Overall, this work contributes to improvements in education because it shows how private universities in Africa are supporting women pursuing engineering degrees. Additionally, engineering is a timely discipline to focus on because it tends to pay economic dividends for graduates and is important to local economies.

Author

• Meseret F. Hailu, University of Georgia