Sociology of Engineering: Exploring Female Students Social Quest of Engineering at University of Sierra Leone, Fourah Bay College, Freetown, Sierra Leone

Abstract

Sierra Leonean women and undervalued social minority students persevere to be undervalued in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and attain the shallow segment of undergraduate engineering degrees. The sociological researcher engaged a mixed methods research approach predicated in social networks premise to examine when they first contemplate pursuing engineering as a university degree major, who shapes this social commitment, and how the social guidance transpires. Foremost, the sociological researcher inquired one thousand one hundred and eighty six first year undergraduate students entering engineering programs at University of Sierra Leone, Fourah Bay College in Freetown during the commencement of the 2022/2023 pedagogical year of course. Subsequently, the sociological researcher dialogued a down-sample of fifty five women and female students. The inquiry social findings specified that women were further probable than men to contemplate pursuing engineering while in secondary school, prior admission into university, or duration in university alternately contemplating it beforehand in their pedagogy. Metropolitan or western urban students were further probable than rural students to contemplate pursuing engineering after secondary school. Besides, metropolitan and western urban students were further probable than rural students to recognize a school mentor (alternately a household associate) as possessing the ultimate guidance on their engineering academic and vocation resolutions. In social dialogues, women and undervalued social minority students gifted instances of prominent folks who associated their competence and zest for mathematics, science, and problem elucidating to engineering, analyzed the merits of being an engineer, and furnished counsel about engineering pedagogical and vocation trajectories. Inspiring previous contemplation of engineering majors, such as during junior secondary school, may permit women and undervalued social minority female students cadence to grasp essential programs and grasp merit of university rudimentary planning. Correspondingly, Sierra Leonean universities can capture in conscious attempts to recognize women and undervalued social minority female students with engineering curiosities and issue social counsel. Comparable attempts should also involve associating them with other women and undervalued social minority students in engineering. Furthermore, Sierra Leonean universities need assist secondary school and university staffs in offering direction that can impact student’s social resolution to proclaim engineering major, that might succor enlist further women and undervalued social minority students into engineering.