Engineering Disciplines of Undergraduates and Gender Comparison of Creative Self-Efficacy, Mindset, and Perceptions

This research full paper is a continuation of prior research and considers creativity and engineering in the investigation of why certain engineering disciplines are more popular with women. Creativity in engineering is appealing to women, and women are known to enjoy the design aspect of engineering. This portion of the study involves a gender comparison of creative self-efficacy (CSE), mindset, and perceptions of undergraduate engineering students in ten disciplines. From these perspectives, investigation into why certain disciplines have higher percentages of women needs further investigation. Prior research employed a mixed methods study that focused on CSE, mindset, and lived experiences of women in undergraduate engineering majors. Findings revealed that CSE and mindset contributed to life experiences. In a second study, the survey was distributed to engineering students at all levels and genders, and to working engineers. Analysis of a subset of undergraduate women and men in different disciplines helped to answer the research question, “How do CSE, mindset, and perceptions of engineering as creative compare for women and men in different engineering disciplines?” Comparisons of GP A, CSE, mindset, and perceptions of engineering as creative were analyzed of respondents in biological, architectural, biomedical, chemical, electrical, civil structural, civil environmental, mechanical, industrial, and computer engineering. Initial findings revealed that (1) in biomedical, women had higher GP A; (2) in mechanical. women had higher growth creative mindset (GCM) and lower fixed creative mindset (FCM); (3) in computer, men had higher GCM; and (4) in mechanical and civil environmental, women reported stronger agreement that engineering is creative.