Abstract

The purpose of the study was to attempt to understand why Brigham Young University Technology Teacher Education program has attracted and retained a high number of females. This was done through a self-created survey composed of four forced responses, distributed among the Winter 2006 semester students. Likert-scale questions were outlined according to the five theoretical influences on women in technology, as established by Welty and Puck (2001) and two of the three relationships of academia, as established by Haynie III (1999), as well as three free response questions regarding retention and attraction within the major. Findings suggested strong positive polarity in four of the five influences and in both relationships, with particular emphasis on subject content, positive teacher/student relationships, as well as an overall positive environment as major contributors to attraction and retention at this university. "Role Models, Mentors, and Peers" was the only influence that scored in the negative range. Though the effect size showed differences between males and females on individual questions as well as the two relationships and "Messages from Counselors", no practical difference was found between the male and female perceptions under the five remaining general categories. In all three categories where a medium to large effect size was shown, females were favored in having more positive responses and perceptions than males.

Degree

MS

College and Department

Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology; Technology

Rights

http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2006-07-12

Document Type

Thesis

Handle

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd1416

Keywords

women, gender, stereotypes, Technology Education, female, enrollment, college, Technology Teacher Education, attraction, retention, Ken Welty, Brenda Puck, influences, role models, mentors, peers, classroom climate, social fit, counselors, curriculum, instruction

Language

English

Technology Emphasis

Technology Engineering Education (TEE)

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