Lee, H. (2024). Exploring Female-Identifying Student Participation in Robotics and Post-Secondary Disciplinary Interests. The Young Researcher, 8(1), 96-119. http://www.theyoungresearcher.com/papers/lee.pdf

Abstract
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), as a whole, has seen an in- crease in female participation within recent years. The same trend is not apparent within engineer- ing, with female-identifying student enrolment in post-secondary engineering programs remaining proportionally low. Current research shows little understanding between high school experiences and interest in engineering, especially within the female-identifying population. This study aims to explore female-identifying participants in high school robotics and their post-secondary plans. To fill the gap in research, a mixed-method survey with embedded design, employing Likert scales and short-answer questions, was distributed to female-identifying robotics participants in Ontario Independent Schools. The results of the paper suggest that participation in robotics does not necessarily denote an interest in post-secondary engineering but that the skills and support gathered from robotics are applicable to many related post-secondary disciplines of choice.

Keywords: extracurricular activities, engineering, post-secondary enrolment, STEM perception, STEM gender gap


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