Investigation of initial teacher education student views of engineers and engineering practice

This report contributes to understanding the gender imbalance in engineering by highlighting soon-to-be teachers’ views of the profession and the people who are working within it. 

There is a recognised lack of female, Māori and Pasifika participation in most engineering disciplines. Prior research infers that children aged 11-13 years reject careers in engineering due to the perceptions of key role-models such as teachers. ​

The research intended to highlight any false perceptions held by teachers in training, who in-turn heavily influence student career choices, and ultimately has the potential to improve diversity in the engineering workforce. 

Download the report:

Initial Teacher Education (ITE) students’ perceptions of typical engineers: Assessing potential for bias in the formative career decision years (PDF, 900Kb)

Background:

This one-year collaborative project, completed in 2010 at the University of Canterbury and University of Waikato, sought to identify the attitudes and perceptions educators have regarding the typical character profile suited for engineering practice.

Research report prepared by Paul D. Docherty and Wendy Fox-Turnbull with contributions from Pinelopi Zaka and Tessa Impey.

Co-funded by the Ako Aotearoa Regional Hub Project Fund (RHPF)