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2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Gender Gaps in STEM Higher Education: Trends and the Role of Learning Modalities in Chile

Presented at Women in Engineering Division (WIED) Technical Session 5

Historically, women’s participation in higher education has been shaped by traditional social roles. Although gender parity has improved in several academic fields, significant disparities persist in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In Chile, first-year enrollment in STEM programs increased by 37.7% between 2011 and 2024, alongside the expansion of online and hybrid learning modalities. This study analyzes the evolution of gender gaps in STEM higher education and examines whether non-traditional delivery modalities have reduced gender segregation compared with face-to-face programs. Using a quantitative, descriptive, longitudinal design, the analysis draws on public data from Chile’s Higher Education Information System (SIES) covering 1,298,786 first-year students. Gender disparities are assessed using the Global Gender Gap Index and the Index of Dissimilarity, disaggregated by modality, institutional type, field of knowledge, and program level. Results show that the effects of online and hybrid education on gender equity are uneven. While universities and post-bachelor programs display higher female participation in online formats, pronounced gender gaps persist in the most populated STEM fields and in technical-professional institutions. Overall, flexible modalities support equity in specific contexts but do not constitute a structural solution to gender segregation in STEM.

Authors

Ms. Cristian Saavedra-Acuna Universidad Andres Bello, Concepcion, Chile [biography]

Cristian Saavedra is an assistant professor at the School of Engineering at the University Andres Bello
in Concepcion, Chile. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Electronics Engineering and a master’s degree in Technological Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Cristian is certiﬁed in Industrial Engineering, University
Teaching, Online Hybrid and Blended Education, and Entrepreneurship Educators. He teaches industrial
engineering students and carries out academic management activities. His main research interest areas are Innovation, entrepreneurship, engineering education, gender perspective studies in STEM education, and
data analysis and visualization.
Dr. Monica Quezada-Espinoza http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0383-0179 Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile [biography]

Monica Quezada-Espinoza is a professor and researcher at the School of Engineering at Universidad Andrés Bello in Santiago, Chile, where she collaborates with the Educational and Academic Innovation Unit (UNIDA) as an instructor in active learning methodologies and mentors engineering faculty in educational research. She is the Secretary of the Women in Engineering Division (WIED) of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and an associate researcher in the STEM Latin America Network, specifically in the STEM + Gender group. Her research interests are diverse and focus on university education in STEM fields, faculty and professional development, research-based methodologies, and the use of evaluation tools and technology for education. She is also passionate about investigating conceptual learning in abstract physics topics, developing strategies to improve the retention of first-year engineering students, and enhancing skills and competencies in higher education. Additionally, Monica is dedicated to exploring gender issues in STEM education, with a particular emphasis on studying and proposing improvements for the inclusion of women in highly male-dominated fields. For more information on her work, visit her ORCID profile.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 21, 2026, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 24, 2026

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