Abstract:
The purpose of the study was to investigate the participation of women in engineering
courses in Technical and Vocational Education and Training CTVET) institutions. The
specific objectives of the study were to: establish the factors that motivate women to
choose engineering courses in TVET institutions; investigate the attitude of women
engineering students towards engineering as a course and as a profession; identify the
experiences that women students encounter when pursuing the engineering profession;
determine the future plans women students have regarding their future professional
pursuits in the engineering field; find out the ways that women students believe should
be adopted to attract more women to the engineering field. This study adopted
descriptive research design. This type of research design is a conclusive research design
whose major purpose is the description of something usually variables associated with
the problem. The target population for this study comprised of female engineering
students pursuing diploma in middle level public TVET institutions in Nairobi and its
environs. The study employed the use of census instead of sampling the populations.
This study utilized primary data that was collected by use of questionnaires. Both
quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques were used in this study. Majorly
descriptive statistics were employed. The findings of the study were that there were
social, academic, psychological factors that influenced women participation in
engineering. In general women engineering students had a positive attitude towards
engineering as a profession and as a field of study. Despite facing challenges in the
pursuit of a career in engineering, many of the female students were determined to stay
in the engineering field and they expressed feeling that more needs to be done to attract
and retain women in engineering field. On the basis of the above findings, the study
concluded that participation of women in engineering is influenced by a number of
factors and dynamics; women students generally have a positive attitude towards
engineering despite the challenges they faced. Finally recommendations for various
stakeholders were given on what activities and efforts each should undertake in order to
enhance women participation in engineering. This study is beneficial to various
stakeholders who include education policy makers, women, Non Governmental
Organizations, and career and guidance counselors as efforts are being made to address
the gender gap in engineering disciplines. The study provides an in-depth understanding
of the various aspects of women participation in the engineering disc
