Gender in Engineering Education Research: A Content Analysis of Research in JEE, 1998–2012

Background: The participation of women in engineering education has increased only slightly since the 1980s, despite the publication of many research studies on gender in engineering education. We think that these studies have not affected practice because researchers have focused too narrowly on how gender relates to engineering education. Purpose: This article investigates whether there is indeed a narrow focus by analyzing how articles published in JEE investigate gender. We asked, What are the dominant themes and patterns in the structure of gender research published in JEE? We wanted to see how engineering education research articles incorporated gender theory and research methods from the social sciences and education to explore the relationships between gender and engineering education. Design/Method: We conducted a content analysis of gender-related research published in JEE between 1998 and 2012. We developed scientometric and other classification categories and applied them quantitatively. Results: Articles related to gender are predominantly quantitative studies that focus on undergraduate students in formal university settings, and incorporate participant identities in the groups of women and men (together) or women, men, and racial minorities (together). Researchers used varied theories of gender, but most of those theories were not used again in later research in the articles analyzed. Conclusions: A greater diversity of theories and designs should lead to a better understanding of gender in engineering education. We suggest areas for future research.