Abstract:

According to the Ministry of Education in Spain, in the last 10 years, more than 50% of University Degrees students are women. However, when analysing these data by subject areas, it is observed that women represent just 28.5% of students in Engineering Degrees. This gender gap is also is also apparent in the university teaching and research staff structure in Higher Technical School of Engineering, where only 23% of positions are occupied by women.

The main objective of this work is to analyse the situation of women (students and professors) in Higher Technical Schools of Engineering. The aim is to know if the female engineering students perceive the lack of female role models, such as well-known female engineers or their own teachers. The study also analysis if this lack of female role models has effect on their own the student’s perception of her future performance as an engineer. Regarding university teachers, the study analyses whether female teachers and staff appreciate gender bias in Spanish Higher Technical School of Engineering and which work and/or personal factors influence in this perception.

Spanish universities carry out satisfaction surveys to students, in order to know their perception of the subjects, contents and the performance of teachers. In this study, the results regarding female teachers are analysed and compared with those obtained for male, in order to know whether or not there is a gender bias in the surveys. Additionally, a set of surveys to female teachers and researchers has been carried on the female teachers and researchers, to find out the influence of the employment situation on their perception of gender equity in each phase of their professional career. The results of one academic course obtained for the degrees and master taught at several Civil Engineering High Technical Schools are presented.

Keywords:

Gender bias, female engineers, woman researcher, civil engineering education.