2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Ethiopian Women Students’ Recommendations for Enhancing Their Sense of Belonging in Engineering Education

Presented at Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY) Technical Session 12

It is well understood across diverse cultures and disciplines that students' well-developed sense of belonging is vital to their academic success, persistence, and satisfaction in their major and learning environments. Ethiopia’s Ministry of Education (MOE) has developed initiatives to educate the next generation of engineers, however, these initiatives can sometimes neglect the facilitation of inclusive environments in engineering. This qualitative study utilizes interviews with four Ethiopian women who were studying engineering in Ethiopian universities to explore how they felt their institutions could support them in developing and improving their sense of belonging in engineering. Our research question guiding this study is the following: How, according to Ethiopian women engineering students, could their sense of belonging be enhanced? What could the engineering school and university do to improve these women students’ sense of belonging, according to the students? We collected data using narrative interviews, analyzed data using a thematic approach, and used a ‘sense of belonging’ lens to guide the overall study. The findings center Ethiopian women students’ advice and recommendations to their colleges and universities for improving women’s sense of belonging in engineering education, which includes providing additional academic support for women, covering practical aspects of the engineering curricula (not just theories), creating a safe learning environment (e.g., practicing “strict” sexual harassment policy, ensuring reliable campus safety and security, building separate libraries for women), providing a well-equipped learning environment (equipping labs with resources), monitoring the teaching-learning process, creating opportunities for women (e.g., jobs, scholarships), and hiring more women faculty who could inspire and be role-models for women students. This study suggests that it takes diverse and multi-faceted measures to enhance women engineering students' sense of belonging. This study also provides recommendations for the Ethiopian government, which may help make engineering a safer and more inclusive space where students of all genders feel they belong.

Authors

Mr. Jemal Bedane Halkiyo Arizona State University, Polytechnic Campus [biography]

Jemal Halkiyo is a Ph.D. student in Engineering Education Systems and Design at Arizona State University. Mr. Halkiyo has a Bachelor of Science from Hawassa University, and a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Arba Minch University, both in Ethiopia. Mr. Halkiyo uses mixed methods to study his primary research interest: engineering education equity and inclusivity among diverse student groups: international and domestic undergraduate students in focus in the United States higher education institutions. In addition, Mr. Halkiyo is interested in broadening the participation of engineering education in Ethiopian universities to increase the diversity, inclusivity, equity, and quality of Engineering Education. He studies how different student groups such as women and men, rich and poor, students from rural and urban, and technologically literate and less literate can have quality and equitable learning experiences and thrive in their performances. In doing so, he focuses on engineering education policies and practices in teaching and learning processes, assessments, laboratories, and practical internships. Mr. Halkiyo has been teaching different Civil Engineering courses at Bule Hora University, Ethiopia, where he also served as a department head and conducted various research and community projects.
Madeleine Jennings http://orcid.org/https://0000-0003-3165-9230 Arizona State University, Polytechnic Campus [biography]

Madeleine Jennings is a doctoral student and graduate research assistant at Arizona State University - Polytechnic Campus, pursuing a PhD in Engineering Education Systems and Design. They have a MS in Human Systems Engineering and a BS in Manufacturing Engineering.
Sultan Bedane Halkiyu Bule Hora University, Ethiopia [biography]

Sultan Bedane Halkiyu lecturer at Bule Hora University, Ethiopia. Mr. Halkiyu pursued his Master of Science degree in Road and Transport Engineering and Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering at Hawassa University (2017) and Jimma University (2015) respectively. Mr. Halkiyu is a lecturer at Bule Hora University, Ethiopia, teaching different Civil Engineering courses. He is a mixed methods researcher and pursuing his research interests: quality of road construction, and transport/traffic mobility in urban areas. He is also interested in broadening the participation of engineering education in Ethiopian universities. Mr. Halkiyu has conducted some research in engineering education ecosystems and community service projects.
Dr. Nadia N. Kellam http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9327-1226 Arizona State University, Polytechnic Campus [biography]

Nadia Kellam (she/they) is Associate Professor of Engineering within The Polytechnic School of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. They are a faculty in the Engineering Education Systems and Design PhD program. Dr. Kellam is an engineering education researcher and a mechanical engineer. They are also deputy editor of the Journal of Engineering Education and co-chair of the newly formed ASEE’s Committee on Scholarly Publications. In their research they are broadly interested in developing critical understandings of the culture of engineering education and, especially, the experiences of marginalized undergraduate engineering students and engineering educators.

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