The Motivations, Career Decisions, and Decision-Making Processes of Female PhD Students in Engineering: Experiences and Challenges

Abstract

This study investigates the motivations, career decisions, and decision-making processes of a group of female engineers who decided to pursue their PhD degree in engineering and the understand women’s experience challenges and difficulties during their career voyage in South Korea. Engineering is considered as a maleoriented profession. Although women may join the profession, no more than 16% of registered engineers are women in South Korea. Employing the phenomenological approach with semi-structured interview and focus group activity, 12 participants joined the study. Based on the social cognitive career and motivation theory, this study is guided by two research questions: 1) Why do female engineers decide to pursue their PhD degree in engineering in South Korea? What are the motivations and reasons? 2) How do female engineers describe their experiences and challenges in the engineering profession, particularly as female engineers in South Korea? The findings indicated that the relationship between gender and the engineering profession, we need to educate the new generation and conduct and exercise our academic goals and dreams were the main themes. The results of this study provided references to university leaders, department heads, government agencies, and policymakers to reform and upgrade the current regulations and policies to close the social stigma and bias gaps for women and minorities in engineering education and profession.