Evolving gender Dynamics in Teamwork Experiences Among Female Engineering Students in PBL Settings

This paper explores how power dynamics shape the lived experiences of undergraduate female engineering students engaged in teamwork within project- and problem-based learning (PBL) environments. This study employs a longitudinal social phenomenological approach to examine how diverse female engineering students navigate challenges and evolve strategies in PBL teamwork throughout their academic journey. The study draws on a longitudinal, qualitative dataset of 41 interviews with 22 female engineering students from seven countries and diverse backgrounds at Technological University Dublin in Ireland. Data were analyzed deductively and inductively to identify emerging themes related to participants' teamwork experiences and informal support. The findings have been generated and presented using four analytical lenses that the first author defined using the Gender at Work analytical framework (Rao et al., 2016) and an intersectionality approach (Collins & Bilge, 2020): (1) uneven educational access to engineering programs; (2) support gaps and disciplinary practices; (3) gendered and cultural expectations in team dynamics; and (4) redefinition of the identity as woman student in engineering. The study reveals that although students' confidence and participation increased over time, gendered biases and cultural norms continued to influence their roles and credibility in teams. The paper concludes by calling for structural interventions that address more than individual resilience: we argue for inclusive educational practices that recognize and challenge systemic inequities, particularly in collaborative learning contexts. Insights presented in this paper contribute to current debates on gender, equity, and inclusive pedagogy in engineering education.