Addressing Inclusivity of Women in Engineering Education: Suggestions from Students in South Africa and Germany

Despite continuing recruitment efforts, women remain underrepresented in engineering education. This paper draws on ongoing doctoral work that aims to address this problem at two case study universities, one located in the Global North (Düsseldorf, Germany) and one in the Global South (Cape Town, South Africa). Semistructured interviews were the primary data collection method and narrative inquiry was used to analyse students' lived experiences while employing the theoretical lens of identity theory. The sample included students at undergraduate level in mechanical engineering; six from Germany and eight from South Africa. In light of these interviews, this paper considers the areas of impact on women's inclusivity in engineering. In particular, it explores the advice provided by the participants during their interviews to incoming students and suggests recommendations to facilitate academic success, improve student experiences, and increase rates of retention. These recommendations include emphasising mentorship, increasing representation of women in engineering, facilitating community building, adjusting degree content, and introducing single-gender teaching. Detailing these potential avenues of change can be beneficial to creating a more positive engineering classroom culture and improving the inclusivity of the field in both national contexts.