The Impact of Students' Life Experiences on Program Retention: A Study of Female Engineering Students in Mexico

摘要

The purpose of this study was to identify why female students remain in and graduate from engineering schools in Mexico. The study sought to understand and describe the perceptions of women engineering students in Mexico regarding the personal, institutional, and cultural characteristics that help them persist in their programs. To address this concern a qualitative method of inquiry was used in which data were collected using interviews and observations. Because student experiences differ between countries, we expected that Mexican students would present specific needs dictated by their culture. Furthermore, within any particular country students have different experiences depending on the type of institution and particular engineering program they participate in; we thus chose a range of institutions and programs to examine. The participants in this study were 20 female engineering students enrolled in at least their third year in selected colleges of engineering in Mexico, in both public and private universities, and pursuing a variety of engineering majors. There is little information about the factors that contribute to the persistence of women in engineering colleges in Mexico. The number of women in engineering is still low compared to the number of women enrolled in higher education institutions in general. It is thus important to identify the factors that contribute to the persistence and graduation of women in engineering programs, which was the focus of this study. Findings from this study can help faculty, advisers, and program planners to better meet the needs of women students and reduce their rate of attrition in engineering programs.