Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Engineering tertiary studies and gender'

ABSTRACT KINETIC STUDIES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF TERTIARY ETHERS USED AS GASOLINE ADDITIVES Boz, Nezahat Ph. D., Department of Chemical Engineering Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Timur Dogu Co-supervisor: Prof. Dr. Gü
lSen Dogu June 2004, 174 pages In the present study, the kinetics studies for etherification reactions were investigated in detail. In the first phase of present study, different acidic resin catalysts were prepared by the heat treatment of Amberlyst-15 catalysts at 220°
C at different durations of time and also by the synthesis of sulfonated styrene divinylbenzene cross-linked resins at different conditions. A linear dependence of reaction rate on hydrogen ion-exchange capacity was in 2M2B+ethanol reaction. However, in the case of 2M1B+ethanol reaction hydrogen ion-exchange capacities over 2.8 meq.H+/g did not cause further increase in reaction rate, which was concluded to be majorly due to significance of diffusional resistances. DRIFTS experiments carried out with alcohols, isobutylene, isoamylenes and TAME (tert-amyl-methyl-ether) in a temperature range of 333-353 K supported a Langmuir-Hinshelwood type reaction mechanism involving adsorbed isoolefins molecules forming a bridged structure between &ndash
SO3H sites of the catalyst and adsorbed alcohol molecules. A rate expression derived basing on the mechanism proposed from the DRIFTS results gave good agreement with the published data. Reaction rate was found to give a sharp maximum at ethanol activity of around 0.1. The third phase of this work included evaluation of effective diffusivities and adsorption equilibrium constants of methanol, ethanol and 2M2B, in Amberlyst-15 from moment analysis of batch adsorber dynamic results. Models proposed for monodisperse and bidisperse pore structures were used for the evaluation of effective diffusivities. It was shown that surface diffusion contribution was quite significant. In the last phase of the work, a batch Reflux-Recycle-Reactor (RRR) was proposed, modeled and constructed to achieve high yields and selectivities in equilibrium limited reactions. The batch reflux recycle reactor was modeled by assuming plug flow in the reactor section, perfect mixing in the reboiler and vapor-liquid equilibria between the liquid in the reboiler and reactor inlet stream. In this system conversion values of isoamylenes reaching to 0.91 were achieved at 82°
C with almost 100% selectivity. Such conversion values were shown to be much higher than the corresponding equilibrium values that could be obtained in vapor phase fixed bed reactors. The activation energies evaluated in this system were found to be much less than the activation energies evaluated in the fixed bed reactor studies. This was concluded to be majorly due to the significance of transport resistant in the batch Reflux-Recycle-Reactor in which catalyst particles are partially wet. As a result of catalyst development, characterization, kinetic and reactor development studies carried out in this study, it was concluded that tert-amyl-ethyl-ether (TAEE) could be effectively produced and used as a gasoline blending oxygenate.

Purpose. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify barriers for women to advance into executive management positions in STEM professions, and to identify strategies deemed to be effective for women to advance into STEM executive management positions, by women currently in STEM executive management positions in the aerospace industry.

Conceptual Framework. The conceptual framework included 3 concepts: (a) cultural and societal factors; (b) mentorship, sponsorship, and networking; and (c) motivation and power levels. These concepts are connected to barriers women face when entering leadership and efforts to empower women entering leadership in the aerospace industry.

Methodology. This was a qualitative case study utilizing the transformative framework. The participants were 7 women in STEM executive management position in the aerospace industry. The participants responded to 8 open-ended questions designed to reveal barriers women in STEM executive management positions face and to highlight strategies deemed to be effective for women to advance into STEM executive management positions in the aerospace industry.

Findings. Through data collection and analysis, the data indicated major themes consisting of work performance, big picture, strong work ethic, underrepresentation, and trusted networks. Other themes emerged such as diversity of thought, advocacy, mentorship, credibility, no plan for executive management, and unfavorable perception.

Conclusions and Recommendations. The findings revealed that 5 major themes emerged from the data analysis pertaining to barriers women face to career advancement and effective strategies used by successful women in STEM executive management positions in the aerospace industry. It is recommended that this qualitative case study be replicated with a larger sample population. Additionally, future studies could explore other populations that would directly benefit from women in STEM executive management positions, such as men, millennials, aspiring women leaders, and other key stakeholders in the aerospace industry.

The purpose of this study was to expand on the current research pertaining to women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors, better understand the experiences of undergraduate women in the sciences, identify barriers to female persistence in their intended STEM majors, and understand the impact of the STEM co-educational Living Learning Community (LLC) model on female persistence. This study employed a mixed-methods approach that was grounded in standpoint methodology. The qualitative data were collected through focus groups and one-on-one interviews with the female participants and was analyzed through a critical feminist lens utilizing standpoint methodology and coded utilizing inductive analysis. The quantitative data were collected and analyzed utilizing a simple statistical analysis of key academic variables indicative of student success: cumulative high school GPAs, SAT scores, first year cumulative GPAs, freshman persistence patterns in the intended major, and freshman retention patterns at the university. The findings of this study illustrated that the co-educational LLC model created an inclusive academic and social environment that positively impacted the female participants' experiences and persistence in STEM. The findings also found the inclusion of men in the community aided in the demystification of male superiority in the sciences for the female participants. This study also highlighted the significance of social identity in the decision making process to join a science LLC.

This study investigated the learning preferences of female students enrolled in pre-requisite math classes that are gateway to chemistry, engineering, and physics majors at a 4-year public university in southern California. A gender gap exists in certain Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) disciplines; this gap may be exacerbated by pedagogies that favor males and make learning more difficult for females. STEM-related jobs were forecast to increase 22% from 2004 to 2014. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Women’s Bureau, only 18.8% of industrial engineers are female. From 2006 - 2011, at the institution where this study took place, the percentage of females who graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering was 16.63%. According to the National Science Foundation, in 2010 there were 1.569 million “Engineering Occupations” in the U.S., of which only 200,000 (12.7%) were held by females. STEM professions are highly paid and prestigious; those members of society who hold these positions enjoy a secure financial and societal place.

This study uses the Women’s Ways of Knowing, Procedural Knowledge: Separate and Connected Knowing theoretical framework. A modified version of the Attitudes Toward Thinking and Learning Survey was used to assess student’s pedagogical preference. Approximately 700 math students were surveyed; there were 486 respondents. The majority of the respondents (n=366; 75.3%) were STEM students. This study did not find a statistically significant relationship between gender and student success; however, there was a statistically significant difference between the learning preferences of females and males. Additionally, there was a statistically significant result between the predictor variables gender and pedagogy on the dependent variable student self-reported grade. If Connected Knowledge pedagogies can be demonstrated to provide a significant increase in student learning, and if the current U.S. educational system is unable to produce sufficient graduates in these majors, then it seems reasonable that STEM teachers would be willing to consider best practices to enhance learning for females so long as male students’ learning is not devalued or diminished.

The United States is competing on a global level for jobs in the STEM fields but retention and graduation rates in the engineering disciplines are lower than desired. African American males make up 5 % of the population of American colleges and universities (Strayhorn, 2010) and many of those pursuing an engineering degree often are not academically prepared for a career in engineering. There are African American males who have successfully persisted in engineering; however, limited research is provided about the success of these African American males and their experiences in engineering programs. The purpose of this study was to understand factors that impact successful persistence of African American male engineering majors at a predominantly White institution. Critical Race Theory was used as a framework to gain a broader scope of the underlying themes interwoven into the fabric of American society and a better understanding of the perceptions about African American male engineering majors. A qualitative case study was conducted to understand real-world phenomena through the experiences of successful African American male engineering majors. Using constant comparative analysis technique, two major themes were identified: Overcoming challenges and social identity. Early academic experiences, developing a positive identity, and a connection to others experiencing similar challenges were found to contribute to successful persistence.

According to the World Resources Institute, Barbados is one of seven Caribbean countries ranked as being the most water stressed territories in the world. Prevailing drought conditions for the period 2010-2016 further compromised its water security while confirming predictions of a drier regional Caribbean climate. The simultaneous failing of at least 50-year-old water infrastructure at many points in the distribution network adds to these water stress conditions, and presents a financial burden to the local water utility in the form of lost revenues, and increased energy consumption for pumping. Climate change and its impacts are not gender-neutral, and water infrastructure projects developed to mitigate and or adapt to climate change impacts will have different degrees of gender dimensions, based on the social and economic contexts within which populations are embedded. Incorporating gender differences in climate projects is smart economics, and as such the Green Climate Fund (GCF) is the first international fund to mandate the integration of a “gender-sensitive approach” throughout project life cycles. The Barbados Water Authority (BWA) is applying, with the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center (5Cs), for funding from the Green Climate Fund to pursue an Energy-Water-Nutrient Nexus for Sustainable Coastal Infrastructure (EWN-SCI) project. The proposed project will develop an interdisciplinary program in Barbados that implements demonstration sites with integrated water supply, resource recovery, and renewable energy management systems that are designed to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, support climate change adaptation strategies, build technical capacity in the Caribbean region, and share lessons learnt with the rest of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries. The overall goal of this research is to present practical guidelines, and approaches to mainstream and operationalize gender throughout the life cycle of water and wastewater infrastructure projects using an Energy Water Nutrient nexus project in Barbados. The objectives to guide this research are (1) to determine the institutional and legal frameworks that inform the types and extent of gender mainstreaming activities to be incorporated in the development of water and wastewater climate infrastructure projects in Barbados, (2) to characterize the current landscape for integrating gender into the design and management of water and wastewater infrastructure in Barbados, and (3) evaluate and recommend opportunities for gender integration in the life cycle of water and wastewater infrastructure in Barbados. Literature and tools for categorization of the gender dimensions of water and wastewater infrastructure (centralized and decentralized) projects in Small Island Developing States, and particularly Caribbean nations to determine the scope, and type of appropriate gender mainstreaming activities are limited. In the literature, gender equality as a goal of climate financing mechanisms was introduced retroactively for several multilateral climate funds due to sub-optimal project outcomes from gender blind projects. Projects implemented by these funds globally, post inclusion of explicit gender equality outcomes can provide direct, or indirect guidance on appropriate gender mainstreaming activities to be included in the development of water and wastewater infrastructure projects in Barbados. Case studies on water and sanitation gender vulnerabilities in Jamaica provide one of the few ideal sources of information on Caribbean gender mainstreaming activities. To inform objective 1, literature on Barbados’ population, socio-economic statistics, and national gender and climate change policies was used to determine the status and scope of institutional and legal commitments to gender mainstreaming the development of water and wastewater climate adaptive infrastructure in Barbados. To satisfy objective 2, a gender profile of technical and leadership roles at the BWA was created, and social media information, results of a water user survey, focus groups and interviews were analyzed to gain cultural context, and community insight on existing gender inequalities, impacts resulting from the types of water infrastructure projects pursued and their methods of implementation. The survey, focus groups and interviews were conducted in Barbados during the period 10/20/16 to 11/8/16. This period was characterized by unprecedented water shortages and interruptions which were reflected in the feedback from the data analysis. For objective 3, gender impacts of the infrastructural components of the EWN-SCI projects were described, and opportunities to address these concerns across the individual infrastructure project cycles were proposed. There are currently no legislative commitments to gender equality in water and wastewater resources management in Barbados. A Draft National Policy on Gender is presently before parliament but the policy does not address gender and water. The BWA has more men than women employed in technical (45% vs 3.5%), and leadership (9.1% vs 3.9%) roles which directly contribute to the design and management of the utility’s projects. Most of these individuals are in the middle or near the end of their careers (> 40 years of age), and thus present a timely opportunity to recruit, train and promote women to fill these roles. On social media (Facebook and Twitter), many individuals described the challenges experienced during the water shortages. Individuals also criticized the BWA for their lack of communication during this period. The lack of an online presence by the BWA represented a lost opportunity to engage its stakeholders on collaborative solutions that could temporarily or permanently alleviate the challenges. The water user survey revealed a statistical significant association (p ≤ 0.05) between gender and type of water storage container used at the household level. Men were more likely than women to report use of larger plastic buckets and tanks, while women showed a preference for smaller buckets and bottles. Identification and consideration of design parameters such as preference for type and size of storage receptacle, system elevation, position of cleaning access point, and need for a pump will facilitate or limit the successful adoption or adaptation of rainwater harvesting systems. The proposition of a research arm of the utility that could study gender dimensions of health impacts of water quality and water interruptions, and economic studies assessing feasibility of introducing a tariff structure on water provision were priority projects from the BWA. Investment in equipment at the national government lab, and at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Chemistry Department represents a skills building and economic empowerment opportunity for women who form the bulk of workforce at these institutions. The key recommendations identified from the Gender Impact Assessment for the model EWN-SCI Projects were to the need to identify clear gender objectives and targets prior to project implementation to ensure their incorporation in the project. Budgetary allocations to appoint a gender focal point who would coordinate these activities are also recommended. Job creation is one the main areas for distribution of project benefits for the EWN-SCI Project. Since the current skillsets for technical jobs at the BWA bias allotment to men, and at the UWI Chemistry Department there is bias in favor of women, targeted training and recruitment should be aimed at the under-represented sex for each position. Additionally the inclusion of socio-economic information as a criterion for prioritization of locations for intervention was recommended.

Females have been discouraged from taking science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) classes during high school and college, resulting in limited access to high-paying STEM careers. Therefore, these females could miss opportunities for these high-paying careers. The rationale of this research was to quantify the relationship between the number of STEM classes the sampled females took, the number of female role models they had during high school and college, their career choices, and salaries. The theoretical construct was based on Erikson's social developmental theory, which postulates a relationship between earlier life events and later life events, and Acker's masculinity theory, which postulates that females in traditionally male fields may be uneasy performing functions opposite to what they naturally perform. Key questions examined the relationships between STEM classes, role models, career choices, and salaries. The sample was a stratified random sample (n = 48) of female alumnae of 4 universities, born after 1980. Data were collected from a designed online instrument, validated by a pilot. The data were analyzed with a multiple regression and an analysis of variance. The findings revealed a significant relationship between the number of STEM classes, career choices and salary. However, there was no significance found between the numbers of role models, career choices and salary The implication for social change is that by making scholars in the fields of education and management aware about the relationship between the number of STEM classes taken, career choices, and salaries, females can be more encouraged to become interested in STEM courses earlier in life, making it more likely they will choose STEM careers This can be accomplished through scholarly journals, which hopefully will improve perceptions of the STEM abilities of females.

Syfte: Allt fler svenskar känner sig otrygga utomhus när det är mörkt, speciellt kvinnor som till och med i vissa fall väljer att inte gå ut. Denna otrygghet begränsar kvinnors rörelsefrihet utomhus. Tidigare studier om ljus och färgtemperatur har funnit en skillnad mellan kvinnors och mäns preferens för ljus utomhus, dock krävs ytterligare studier inom området.  Syftet med denna studie är att ta reda på vilken påverkan som färgtemperatur har på kvinnors upplevelse av trygghet utomhus samt om det går att se om varmt, neutralt eller kallt ljus föredras. Målet med denna studie är att vidare studera vilka faktorer som påverkar kvinnors upplevelse av trygghet utomhus i hopp om att det kan leda till ökad rörlighet för kvinnor utomhus. Metod:  Studien utfördes i två etapper, i etapp ett utfördes ett experiment på Dunkehalla kyrkogård i Jönköping där tre olika färgtemperaturer jämfördes, 2700K, 3000K och 4000K. För att optimera placeringen av armaturerna till experimentet utfördes två trygghetsanalyser, en på dagen och en på kvällen när det var mörkt. Data samlades in via enkäter och semistrukturerade gruppintervjuer där totalt 6 kvinnor deltog.  Etapp två bestod av en online- enkät där bilder från experimentet utvärderades. I denna enkät var intervjufrågorna med som frisvarsfrågor där deltagarna fritt fick skriva sina svar. Totalt svarade 20 kvinnor på online-enkäten. Resultat: Studiens resultat visar på att färgtemperatur har en viss påverkan på kvinnors upplevda trygghet utomhus på kvälls-/nattid. Resultatet visar på att färgtemperaturen påverkar den upplevda atmosfären och ljusnivån och att detta har en påverkan på tryggheten. Gällande vilken färgtemperatur som föredras så valde majoriteten av studiens deltagare 3000K då den upplevdes som ljusare, varm, naturlig och behaglig.  Konsekvenser: Studiens resultat indikerar att ytterligare studier av färgtemperatur med genusperspektiv krävs för att få en större förståelse för ämnet. Resultatet visar även vikten av genusperspektiv när exteriör belysning ska planeras i det offentliga rummet. Begränsningar: Studien är avgränsad till att endast undersöka kvinnor upplevelse av trygghet utomhus och tog inte mäns upplevelse i beaktning, resultatet kan därmed inte generaliseras för hela populationen.
Purpose: More people in Sweden feel unsafe outdoors when it is dark, especially women who even in some cases choose not to go out. This insecurity limits women's freedom of movement outdoors. Previous studies on light and colour temperature have found a difference between women's and men's preference for outdoor lighting, however further studies in this area are required. The purpose of this study is to find out what effect colour temperature has on women's experience of outdoor safety and whether it is possible to see if a warm, neutral or cold light is preferred. The aim of this study is to further study the factors that affect women's experience of safety outdoors in the hope that it can lead to increased mobility for women outdoors. Method: The study was performed in two stages, in stage one an experiment was performed at Dunkehalla cemetery in Jönköping where three different colour temperatures were compared, 2700K, 3000K and 4000K. To optimize the placement of the luminaires for the experiment, two safety analyses were performed, one during the day and one in the evening when it was dark. Data were collected via questionnaires and semi-structured group interviews in which a total of 6 women participated. Stage two consisted of an online survey where images from the experiment were evaluated. In this survey, the interview questions were included as open answer questions where the participants could freely write their answers. A total of 20 women responded to the online survey.  Findings: The results of the study show that color temperature has a certain effect on women's perceived safety outdoors in the evening- and night-time. The results show that the color temperature affects the perceived atmosphere and light level and that this influences perceived safety. Regarding which color temperature is preferred, most of the study participants chose 3000K as it was perceived as brighter, warm, natural and comfortable. Implications: The results of the study indicate that further studies of color temperature with a gender perspective are required to gain a greater understanding of the subject. The results also show the importance of a gender perspective when exterior lighting is to be planned in the public space. Limitations: The study is limited to examining only women's experience of security outdoors and did not take men's experience into account, the result can therefore not be generalized for the entire population.

The purpose of this study was to expand on the current research pertaining to women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors, better understand the experiences of undergraduate women in the sciences, identify barriers to female persistence in their intended STEM majors, and understand the impact of the STEM co-educational Living Learning Community (LLC) model on female persistence. This study employed a mixed-methods approach that was grounded in standpoint methodology. The qualitative data were collected through focus groups and one-on-one interviews with the female participants and was analyzed through a critical feminist lens utilizing standpoint methodology and coded utilizing inductive analysis. The quantitative data were collected and analyzed utilizing a simple statistical analysis of key academic variables indicative of student success: cumulative high school GPAs, SAT scores, first year cumulative GPAs, freshman persistence patterns in the intended major, and freshman retention patterns at the university. The findings of this study illustrated that the co-educational LLC model created an inclusive academic and social environment that positively impacted the female participants‟ experiences and persistence in STEM. The findings also found the inclusion of men in the community aided in the demystification of male superiority in the sciences for the female participants. This study also highlighted the significance of social identity in the decision making process to join a science LLC.

Despite our awareness of the fascination modern humans have with the Internet, little is known about how and why colleges and universities create and maintain Websites. At the most general level, in this case study, I hypothesize that university Websites serve as communication and marketing tools in attracting students. At the most specific level, I postulate that civil engineering programs with Web pages depicting images of women and minorities would be more successful in recruiting and retaining women and students of color than civil engineering programs with Web pages displaying fewer or no images of women and minorities. The primary goal of this case study was to examine the relationships between Website information content and the recruitment and retention of women and minority pre-civil engineering students. The second, but equally important, goal was to investigate the reason(s) why, despite efforts to recruit and retain individuals from disenfranchised populations into STEM majors, students from these groups not only remain underrepresented in engineering, but leave this discipline at a much higher rate than their non-minority male counterparts. This case study focused on two Florida state university civil engineering programs and drew on ethnographic research methods. I used interviews, focus groups, Web pages, demographic sheets, and observations to examine the relationships between Website content and access to undergraduate civil engineering programs for women and students of color. The study sample involved 40 respondents, including pre-civil engineering students, civil engineering professors, and university administrators. Research findings suggested that Internet marketing has become a key strategy used by civil engineering programs in recruiting and retaining students from underrepresented groups. Additionally, the study revealed that both prospective and pre-civil engineering students use departmental Websites for communication and enrollment purposes. Last, but certainly not least, the study found that online climate is a significant factor in the recruitment and retention of women and students of color in civil engineering programs.

Sammanfattning Att planera för mer trygga och jämställda miljöer där både män och kvinnor, barn och gamla känner en större känsla av trygghet är väldigt aktuellt inom den fysiska planeringen. Uppsatsen tar avstamp i problematiken om att det finns en vilja att planera för trygghet men att det saknas riktlinjer i hur trygghet och jämställdhet kan uppnås. Uppsatsen syftar till att bidra med en ökad kunskap och förståelse kring möjligheten och förmågan att planera för trygghet genom att se till olika gömda narrativ om trygghet. Problemformuleringen har operationaliserats i tre frågor som senare ska diskuteras. —   Hur genereras kunskap om trygghet inom planeringen?                —   Vilka antaganden om trygghet finns inom planeringen? —   Vilka åtgärder föreslås för att åstadkomma tryggare miljöer?  Uppsatsen teoretiska perspektiv bygger på postrukturalism och intersektionalitet som både är två teoretiska ansatser som ämnar att se bortom det hegemoniska narrativet för att hitta de historier och berättelser som gömmer sig bakom den. Intersektionella perspektivet hävdar att det finns maktstrukturer i samhället baserade på genus, klass och etnicitet som hindrar vissa berättelser från att berättas. Den tidigare forskningen fokuserar på maktrelationer och speciellt den mellan män och kvinnor och den otrygghet kvinnor känner för vissa offentliga platser. Undersökningen av trygghetsvandringarna visar på att det är snarare ålder än genus som påverkar en aktörs upplevda känsla av otrygghet. Vidare ses ungdomar som de aktörer som orsakar otrygghet medan barn och äldre ses som de aktörer som upplever otrygghet. Resultatet visar också på att narrativen är väldigt skilda och att det finns många scener som uppfattas otrygga. Diskussion lyfter problematiken med tanken om kunskap som något objektivt, något som kan legitimera en viss typ av fysisk åtgärd i planeringen. Den kunskap som trygghetsvandringar genererar argumenteras för att vara en reproducering av en redan berättade historia om trygghet. En berättelse baserad på en hegemonisk föreställning om vad trygghet innebär. Vidare diskuteras att de antaganden som finns om trygghet i planeringen inte nödvändigtvis behöver vara sanna. Idén om att genus är en de viktig faktor om man ser till maktrelationer och vilka berättelser om trygghet som har möjlighet att berättas kan ifrågasättas då enligt undersökningen är snarare ålder som avgör aktörers möjlighet att berätta sina historier. Vidare diskuteras hur fysiska åtgärder för att skapa en tryggare miljö kan verkligen leda till tryggare miljöer, huruvida detta är en placeboeffekt kan diskuteras. Utifrån undersökningen samt diskussion har följande slutsatser dragits. Kunskap är en viktig faktor inom planeringen för att legitimera vissa typer av åtgärder. De narrativ som har identifierats visar på att den kunskap som generas är en reproducering av en redan etablerad berättelse över vad trygghet är och vad det innebär att vara otrygg. Vidare visar undersökningen att de antaganden som finns över trygghet inte nödvändigtvis behöver vara sanna. De identifierade narrativen visar att det är snarare ålder som maktfaktor än genus som förklarar vilka berättelser som blir hörda. Vidare visar undersökningen att otrygghet kan planeras bort med hjälp av fysiska åtgärder men då skapandet av en placeboeffekt. För att skapa riktig trygghet behöver det sociala och maktrelationerna mellan olika aktörer tas med in i ekvationen. Mångfalden av personer och berättelser visar på en svårighet att planera för en trygg miljö där alla känner sig inkluderade. Till sist dras slutsatsen att trygghetsvandringarna som medel sätter själva ramarna för vilka berättelser som blir berättade.

The theme of this bachelor thesis was Queer Games. We discussed how queerness is applied in video games for queer people. We made some observations on how LGBTQ characters were represented within a few games that had representations of Queer experiences. We explored the topic of Queer Mechanics as presented by game creator Avery Mcdaldno (2014) and we researched discussions about Queerness in games by a select number of scholars. Namely, Bonnie Ruberg (Campus Gotland GAME, 2017), Naomi Clark (2017, Chapter 1) and Edmond. Y. Chang (2017, Chapter 2). We explained why we used Gay Memes as our anchoring topic for our Queer Game design and then we went through the methods and design process that we had while developing our Queer Game. These methods included Innovation By Boundary Shifting (Löwgren and Stolterman, 2004), Design Pillars (Max Pears, 2017) and The Crystal Clear method (New Line Technologies, 2018). Then, we broke down the design process starting with how we came up with the game concept, what design pillars we used and the programs and tools we used in the development of the game. We also explained the relation between our design process and the information we learned from the previously mentioned scholars and creators. At the end of this bachelor thesis, we discussed the effectiveness of the chosen methods, the results we found through research which included questioning the role of empathy and fun in games, putting less focus on superficial forms of representation and creating game mechanics that are queer. We described the finished video game we made and we introduced our ideas for future research on Queer Game Design.
Temat för detta kandidatarbetet var Queer Spel. Vi diskuterade hur queerhet appliceras i digitala spel för HBTQ personer. Vi gjorde några observeringar kring hur HBTQ karaktärer representerades inom några spel som innehöll representationer av queer upplevelser. Vi undersökte ämnet “Queer Mechanics” som presenterades av spelskaparen Avery Mcdaldno (2014) och undersökte diskussioner från vissa forskare om Queerhet i Spel. Nämligen, Bonnie Ruberg (Campus Gotland GAME, 2017), Naomi Clark (2017, Kapitel 1) and Edmond. Y. Chang (2017, Kapitel 2). Vi förklarade varför vi använde “Gay Memes” som vår huvudämne för vår Queer-Spelgestaltning och sedan tydliggjorde våra metoder och designprocess som vi hade under utvecklingen av vår Queer-Spelgestaltning. Dessa metoder inkluderade Innovation By Boundary Shifting (Löwgren and Stolterman, 2004), Design Pillars (Max Pears, 2017) och The Crystal Clear method (New Line Technologies, 2018). Sedan bröt vi ner designprocessen till sina olika steg från hur vi kom fram till spelkonceptet till vilka “Design Pillars” vi använde och vilka datorprogram och verktyg vi använde för att utveckla spelgestaltningen. Vi förklarade också relationen mellan designprocessen och informationen vi lärde oss från de sistnämnda forskare och spelskapare. I slutet av detta kandidatarbetet diskuterade vi hur bra de valda metoderna fungerade och resultaten vi hittade genom vår undersökning. Dessa inkluderade att ifrågasätta rollen av empati och vikten av att ha roligt i spel, att lägga mindre fokus på ytliga former av representation och att skapa spelmekanik som är Queer. Vi beskrev den färdiga spelgestaltningen som vi skapade och introducerade våra egna idéer för framtida undersökningar om Queer Speldesign.

Arbetets resultat ledde till ett digitalt spel som kan laddas ner via denna länken https://ahmad-al-shehabi.itch.io/boyles-queer-quest-for-tea 

The state of queer representation in games is poor, and queer consumers are growing increasingly vocal in their demands for nuanced portrayals. This thesis investigates how queer players perceive the tropes and stereotypes commonly used to portray them in games. By sorting through existing representation and using the most common tropes found, this study created two example characters which were represented both narratively and visually. These characters were then the subject of a study of 29 participants. The comments and opinions of these 29 participants were then analysed to find a largely negative consensus which is chiefly concerned with making portrayals less tragic. From this, this study proceeds to analyse the desires of queer consumers and contextualize them in relation to a world which still actively oppresses them.

Bakgrund: Under flera årtionden har företag arbetat med kvalitetsledning i syfte till att förbättra och utveckla sina verksamheter. Metoder och verktyg har fungerat som stöd för att möta företagets värderingar och möta de interna och externa kundernas behov med minskad mängd resurser. Nyligen utförda projekt har kunnat bekräfta att jämställdhetsintegrering fungerar som en effektiv metod vid förbättrings- och utvecklingsarbete. Metoden påstås ha positiv inverkan på företags prestanda genom bland annat förbättrad arbetsmiljö, förhöjd kreativ och innovativ förmåga hos medarbetare samt ökad förmåga att attrahera välutbildad personal. Förutom detta anses jämställdhetsintegrering även bidra till social hållbarhet och uppfylla FN:s globala mål snabbare, vilket i sin tur leder till hållbar utveckling. Syfte: Syftet med den här studien har varit att undersöka hur jämställdhetsintegrering och kvalitetsledning samverkar, samt hur jämställdhetsintegrering kan bidra till förbättring av byggprojekt. Metod: Studien har genomförts enligt fördjupad fallstudie på Skanska Fastigheter Göteborg. För att förstå fallföretagets problem och nuvarande situation utfördes kvalitativ metod med kvantitativ inslag. Studiens kvalitativ data syftade till att skapa grundlig förståelse av ämnesområdet och fallföretagets, medan inslag av kvalitativ data motsvarade statistik från fallföretaget och byggbranschen. Som analysmetod av studiens primära datainsamling utfördes en Tematisk analys och Voice Of The Customer Table (VOCT). Resultat: I studiens teoretiska referensram identifierades flera likheter mellan kvalitetsledning och jämställdhetsintegrering, där jämställdhetsintegrering ansågs betraktas som en metod för ständiga förbättringar. Efter undersökning av Skanskas nuvarande arbetssätt framgick det att det inte finns någon koppling mellan företagets kvalitetsarbete och jämställdhetsarbete. Det medför att jämställdhetsintegrering i projektet Götakvarteren kan innebära större förändring då nya tankegångar och arbetssätt måste upprättas. Däremot indikerade analysen av medarbetarnas behov att jämställda byggprojekt är fördelaktigt för företagets hållbara utveckling. Efter analysen kunde även åtgärder och rekommendationer tas fram på hur projektet Götakvarteren kan bli mer framgångsrikt och jämställt. Slutsats: Det finns en tydlig koppling mellan jämställdhetsintegrering och kvalitetsledning, där jämställdhetsintegrering kan argumenteras för att vara en kvalitetsmetod. Just som Skanskas nuvarande kvalitetsarbete bör jämställdhetsarbetet vara integrerat i den dagliga verksamheten och accepteras som en metod för ständiga förbättringar. Utifrån Skanskas nuvarande situation togs åtgärder fram på hur jämställdhetsintegrering kan bidra till kvalitetsarbete och skapa framgångsrika och jämställda byggprojekt.
Background: Over decades, companies have been integrating quality management to constantly improve and develop their businesses. Techniques and tools have been used as support to meet the company’s values, and to increase external and internal customer satisfaction with a reduce amount of resources. Recent projects have demonstrated that gender mainstreaming works as an effective approach for business improvement and development. The method is claimed to have a positive impact on the company’s business performance, for instance by improved working environment, increased creative and innovative capacity of employees and an increased ability to attract well-trained staff. In addition, it is considered that gender mainstreaming contributes to social sustainability and the achievement of the UN’s global goals faster, which in turn leads to sustainable development. Purpose: The purpose of this study has been to investigate how gender mainstreaming and quality management interact, and how gender mainstreaming can contribute to the improvement of construction projects. Methodology: The study has been carried out as an in-depth case study at Skanska Commercial Development Nordic in Gothenburg. In order to understand the business case, its problem and current situation, a qualitative methodology with quantitative data was made. The qualitative data was used to obtain a deeper understanding of the case, and the quantitative data consisted of statistics from the company and the construction industry. As method of analysis, a Thematic analysis and Voice Of The Customer Table (VOCT) was done to understand the needs of the employees at Skanska. Result: In the study’s theoretical framework, several similarities between gender mainstreaming and quality management were identified, in which gender mainstreaming could be seen as a technique within quality management. From the study of Skanska’s way of working, it emerged that there is no link between their work with quality and gender equality. That entails gender mainstreaming in the project Götakvarteren will involve major changes as new ideas and methods must be established. On the other hand, the analysis indicated that the employees need of an equal construction project would be beneficial for the company’s sustainable development. Based on the needs of the employees, recommendations have been given for how Götakvarteren could become profitable by becoming Skanska’s most equal project. Conclusion: There is a distinct link between gender mainstreaming and quality management, in which gender mainstreaming can be argued to be a technique within quality management. Just as Skanska’s current quality management system, the work with gender equality should be integrated in the daily activities and accepted as a method for continuous improvement. After identifying the company’s challenges, opportunities and needs, actions have been developed for how gender mainstreaming can contribute to successful and equal construction projects.

Rapporten baseras på en empirisk studie och en litteraturstudie. Syftet är att belysa några av de anledningar till att flickor och kvinnor utesluter tekniken och i synnerhet väljer bort den vid gymnasievalet. Vad påverkar de kvinnliga eleverna i deras val respektive bortval av teknikprogrammet? Denna studie söker elevperspektivet hos gymnasieungdomar som utfrågas om deras genomgångna gymnasieval och vilka faktorer som påverkade dem. Därigenom erhålls ett resultat i en avvikande synvinel till skillnad från studier där ungdomar utfrågas innan eller i samband med gymnasievalet i årskurs 9, i och med att gymnasieungdomarna är något mer mogna till reflektion över sina anledningar samt att de har mer insikt samtidigt som de har gymnasievalet i närbelägen dåtid. Den empiriska studien har utförts på en stor gymnasieskola i en av Sveriges storstadsregioner. Metoden för den empiriska studien var intervju och enkätfrågor till kvinnliga elever på teknikprogrammet och naturvetenskapsprogrammet samt lärare som undervisar dessa. Studien påvisar att de kvinnliga eleverna anser att existerandet av de mjukare inriktningarna på teknikprogrammet (exempelvis Design- och produktutveckling), öppet hus samt föräldrarnas åsikt utgör en stark påverkan på deras val av Teknikprogrammet. I nära samverkan med litteraturen gick dessa områden att sammanfoga till några koncilianta sammanhörande gebit. Hierarkiska strukturer i kulturella koder för de olika programmen var framstående. Återgivningen av tekniskt intresse tolkades också ha en avgörande betydelse liksom innehållsmässiga faktorer i teknikundervisningen på högstadiet. Även föräldrarnas direkta eller indirekta åsikt tros spela in. Studien påvisade ett troligt samband mellan föräldrars utbildning samt yrkesval och de kvinnliga elevernas gymnasieval. Av studien framkommer att eventuellt möjliga vägar till att undvika segregerade gymnasieval till teknikprogrammet exempelvis är att utöka antalet mjuka inriktningar på teknikprogrammet, fortsätta att medvetet arbeta för fler kvinnliga elever på teknikprogrammet på det öppna huset samt att försöka att medvetet skynda på förändringen av den kulturella koden för teknikprogrammet genom att bland annat föra fram och trycka på kvinnliga förebilder inom teknik, både moderna och historiska.
The report is based on both a survey and a literature study. The purpose is to highlight the reasons why girls and women exclude technology as such and, in particular, why they opt it out in the upper secondary school selection process. What do the female students consider to be the main reasons affecting them in their selection and discontinuation of the technology programs? This study searches for the pupil perspective of upper secondary school students. This gives a deviating result as opposed to studies that are conducted with pupiles in lower grades. The survey was conducted at a major secondary school in one of Sweden's metropolitan regions. The method of the survey was interviews and a web questionnaire addressing female students on the technology program and the science program as well as teachers who teach them both. The study shows that the existence of the softer specializations of the technology program (such as design and production development), open-houses and the parents' opinion weighed heavily in their decision process. In close collaboration with the literature, these areas joined up to some conciliatory related fields. Hierarchical structures in cultural codes for the various programs were prominent. The interpretation of the term technical interest was also crucial as well as substantial factors in upper level lower secondary school technical education. Even the parents' direct –as well as indirect opinions are important. The survey shows that parents' education and their existing career choices have strong connection with female students' choices for their future education. Conclusion could be made that possible ways to avoid segregated upper secondary school program choices could include setting up an increased number of "soft" specializations in the technology program, active work to attract female students during technology programs’ open-houses and speeding up change of the technology program cultural codes by, among other things, emphasizing the importance of both established and new female role-models in the technology world.

Based on the fact that the number of second/foreign language learners diminishes as their study advances to a higher level, this study investigates how learnersâ?? motivation affects their persistence/termination of the learning of Japanese. The subjects are university students studying Japanese at two levels, elementary and intermediate, either as their major or as an elective in south-east Queensland, Australia. It was assumed that there are many motivational variables, such as the purpose of study, the strength of commitment, their attitudes towards the target language and languages in general, their cultural/linguistic backgrounds, their interest in Japanese language and culture, gender, and the learning environment, which may affect learnersâ?? persistence differently, depending on their level of study. Questionnaires were used as a tool to collect data and were conducted twice, at the beginning and at the end of their course of study. Learnersâ?? motivational traits were examined from the data in accordance with their intention of continuing or discontinuing the study to the next semester. The results show that motivation is not something fixed in the learnersâ?? minds, but may change during the process of learning, and that motivational factors vary according to levels of language proficiency. Based on the findings, this study claims five major points: 1) learnersâ?? sustaining motivation which is based on studentsâ?? continuous appraisal of their learning events may be important for their persistence/termination decision making, 2) one of the most important factors which affect sustaining motivation is the studentsâ?? sense of investment in their Japanese language study, 3) development of the culture-based intrinsic interest in Japanese may work strongly for the investment, and learning environment, especially foreign language learning environment, may play a significant role for studentsâ?? investment, 4) a large gap between learnersâ?? self-efficacy and the demands of real study weakens their motivation, which often leads to the termination of their study, especially at the elementary level, and 5) studentsâ?? cultural/linguistic distance from Japanese, educational background, and gender may affect their sustaining motivation, thus, they perform differently with regard to their persistence in Japanese as a foreign language study in Australian context.

Several empirical studies have concluded that gender equality is a crucial ingredient for development. Gendered higher education institutions play an important role in this respect. The research problem that this dissertation sought to address was whether Addis Ababa and Unity Universities have mainstreamed gender throughout their systems in order to contribute towards gender equality and women empowerment in Ethiopia. The research employed various data collection methodologies and processed primary and secondary data sources using qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques. The key finding is that gender has not been integrated into the policies and practices of both Universities in any significant way. The study concludes that the Universities have an inadequate institutional framework and commitment to mainstream gender. Moreover, they lack gender analytical capacity, enforcement mechanisms for accountability, and have not forged strategic partnerships with development partners.
Educational Studies
M.A. (Development Studies)

abstract: This dissertation examines gender differences in career advancement outcomes among academic science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) scientists. In particular, this research examines effects of gender, PhD advisors and postdoctoral supervisors mentoring resources and gender homophily in the mentoring dyads on the career advancement outcomes at early career stages. Female academic scientists have disadvantages in the career progress in the academic STEM. They tend to fall behind throughout their career paths and to leave the field compared to their male colleagues. Researchers have found that gender differences in the career advancement are shaped by gender-biased evaluations derived from gender stereotypes. Other studies demonstrate the positive impacts of mentoring and gender homophily in the mentoring dyads. To add greater insights to the current findings of female academic scientists’ career disadvantages, this dissertation investigates comprehensive effects of gender, mentoring, and gender homophily in the mentoring dyads on female scientists’ career advancement outcomes in academic science. Based on the Status Characteristics Theory, the concept of mentoring, Social Capital Theory, and Ingroup Bias Theory, causal path models are developed to test direct and indirect effects of gender, mentoring resources, and gender homophily on STEM faculty’s career advancement. The research models were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) with data collected from a national survey, funded by the National Science Foundation, completed in 2011 by tenured and tenure-track academic STEM faculty from higher education institutions in the United States. Findings suggest that there is no gender difference in career advancement controlling for mentoring resources and gender homophily in the mentoring dyads and other factors including research productivity and domestic caregiving responsibilities. Findings also show that the positive relationship between gender homophily in mentoring dyads and the reception of the mentoring resources, especially regarding providing help on career development and research collaboration, lead to enhanced early stage career advancement. Insights from the findings contribute both to theoretical understandings of the overall effects of gender, mentoring, and gender homophily in the mentoring dyads on female academic scientists’ career advancement at early career stages and to provide evidence of positive effects of same-gender mentoring dyads to universities.
Dissertation/Thesis
Doctoral Dissertation Public Administration and Policy 2017

Women and girls of color are severely under-represented in the fields of Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology (SMET). Research indicates that SMET will continue to be dominated by men unless we address the needs of women of color to gain entry and sustain a career in these fields. Women of color issues and concerns are often combined with those of white middle class women, thereby making it difficult to tease out what is important to them in relationship to SMET. This qualitative research project was conducted at a large public university over a three month period with a group of women of color undergraduates, graduates and professionals in the field of engineering. Methods utilized included phenomenological in-depth interviews and observation. The study gave voice to what they encountered regarding access, recruitment, and retention to SMET careers, the gender and racial biased attitudes and practices that either supported or obstructed their determination to move forward along the engineering pipeline and the encouraging and discouraging relationships which supported or obstructed the women's determination to succeed in the field. The findings point out the important role engineering departments must take in lowering first year attrition rates by providing an inclusive, “women” friendly environment that provides same sex/race mentors, tutors and programs to encourage and support students through difficult times. Diversity workshops and programs should be created to inform faculty and administrators to develop more effective and respectful ways of communicating with different ethnicities. Creating inclusive pedagogy integrated with feminist frames and constructivist teaching methods whereby students lived reality is integrated into practical applications of knowledge would provide a more comprehensive, interesting and fun way to learn science, math and technology thereby alleviating the boredom often found in engineering courses. The study also identified the important role families played in the success of the women, especially the role of mother and daughter, which prepared these women academically and emotionally for the rigors of engineering. Moreover, K–12 teachers need to learn about, promote and facilitate skills development for girls of color to gain entry to SMET careers. One teacher can make a difference.

This research examined eight women’s stories about their PhD experiences to explore their lived experience of this journey and if gender was a consideration in their PhD journey. The aims of this thesis were firstly, to provide a more in-depth understanding of women’s decisions to participate in doctoral education; and secondly, to provide a more in-depth understanding of women’s experiences in undertaking doctoral degrees and the factors that increase their chances of successful completion. Using thematic narrative analysis, the study found that motivation to do a PhD is multi-faceted. In some instances the motivations were complementary, such as a personal interest in the topic and/or the discipline and wanting to begin or build an academic career. In some cases they were incongruent – being awarded a prestigious scholarship was motivation for one woman to start her degree, but the departmental pressure and expectations that went along with it were de-motivating.

E-learning is increasingly becoming a vital component of education worldwide, and educators acknowledge the importance and potential of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in facilitating the educational processes. Developing countries, including Libya, are lagging behind the expansion of e-learning, mainly because they lack the necessary infrastructure and resources to support it. While the adoption of e-learning in higher education has been well researched internationally, research relating to the Libyan higher education is very limited, and studies exploring the experiences and perceptions of students and instructors involved in e-learning are particularly scarce. This study investigated how ICTs and e-learning were experienced and perceived at two higher education institutions in Libya: University of Tripoli in Libya's capital, and a regional University of Al-Jabal Al-Gharbi.

The study explored women’s underrepresentation in engineering at a Technical Vocational and Education and Training (TVET) College in Gauteng, South Africa. Research on the lack of women in engineering exists, however, the underrepresentation of women students in engineering at TVET Colleges is under-researched. Using a theoretical starting point Bandura’s concept of self-efficacy, a qualitative study explored views of selected female students on female underrepresentation in engineering at TVET Colleges, with reference to South West Gauteng College. Interviews with women in Engineering, Business Studies and Hospitality courses were undertaken. Findings indicated: engineering students' desire for equal career opportunities in engineering; recognition of the impact of gender stereotypes and differing ways of developing self-efficacy and capabilities as women to follow an engineering career; the barrier of gender stereotypes on secondary school girls’ choice of and achievement in Mathematics and Science and the information gap concerning career options in engineering; as well as benefits provided by TVET Colleges offering these courses. Some recommendations which are suggested are: TVET Colleges should ensure that more information about the engineering courses offered at these institutions be relayed to the public in a manner that is inclusive to everyone irrespective of gender.
Educational Studies
M. Ed. (Adult Education)

This quasi-experimental study sought to investigate the effects of instructor verbal and nonverbal immediacy behaviours on students‘ communication (i.e., class participation) and learning outcomes (i.e., state motivation, communication satisfaction, affective learning, and cognitive learning). The study sampled 115 undergraduate students at King Khalid University in Saudi Arabia. The participants were distributed into three groups: two control groups and one treatment group. The current study combined a quantitative method using a survey with a qualitative method using a semi-structured interview design. In this study, students participants completed the same survey at two different times: pre-test and post-test. Instrument measurements were composed of seven elements: verbal immediacy, nonverbal immediacy, class participation, state motivation, communication satisfaction, affective learning, and cognitive learning. The findings of this study strengthen that generally, instructor verbal and nonverbal immediacy behaviours cause positive student communication and learning outcomes. However, nonverbal immediacy was not shown to affect cognitive learning. These findings illustrate the predominance of verbal immediacy over nonverbal immediacy. The results are discussed and implications are given for instructors and administrators at various universities in Saudi Arabia. Instructor immediacy appears to be a significant factor in developing interpersonal relationships with students and promoting student communication and learning outcomes.

Basic mathematical competency seems to be lacking for engineering students starting their studies in this field. Students generally find the cognitive transition from secondary to tertiary mathematics challenging which in turn negatively influences their academic achievement in mathematics. The cognitive challenge is the transition from the application of mathematics to familiar questions to applying mathematical principles to varying practical application and problem solving. Mathematics provides the foundation for the cognitive toolset required for the development of skills required for analysing engineering systems and processes. It is therefore important to assess mathematical and cognitive competency and ability at the time of admission to a tertiary institution in order to identify and address gaps. This research demonstrates that first-year engineering students need to have a specific level of mathematical competency and cognitive ability to use mathematics within the context of engineering studies. This research attempts to connect the mathematic competency of first year engineering students to their academic results for subjects in the first year curriculum that rely heavily on mathematical competency. To satisfy the research question, the study firstly looks at relevant literature to identify the mathematical competency levels as well as the operational specification. Secondly, development theories and taxonomies were analysed to gain insight into the development processes associated with learning, cognitive development and the gap between cognitive competencies in transition from secondary to tertiary education. Further, cognitive competencies were identified that are essential for successful completion of first year engineering modules. Through synthesis of the different theories and taxonomies a framework was identified. This framework was used to analyse secondary data in order to measure mathematical and cognitive levels. Thirdly, the theoretical investigation was followed by a three-phase empirical study. A mixed quantative-qualitative (QUAN-qual) approached was followed. Phase 1 uses the assessment framework to measure first year students‟ mathematical competency at the inception of their studies as well as at the completion of their first semester. The mathematical competency at inception was measured with their Grade 12 mathematics marks and with relevant analysis of their initial bridging assessments, on a question by question basis. In addition, their first semester exams questions were analysed using the same approach as above. Phase 2 comprises the measurement of the relationship between the mathematical competency of first year enigineering students at admission and their achievement levels in selected first year subjects that required mathematical competency. Phase 3 includes the guidelines derived from the gaps and shortcomings identified. These gaps were identified in order to inform appropriate study support to first year students and to assists academic personnel with setting appropriate and dependable admission standards. The analysis of mathematical competency creates quality data that gives a clearer picture than a simple comparison of admission scores and first semester marks. The empirical study contributes to a better understanding of the problems associated with the transition from secondary to tertiary learning environments. From the study it was derived that study inception information of the students correlated only with their academic results on questions that tested mathematical and programming application. The inception information was not a predictor of mathematical achievement and results for both the lowest and highest mathematical competency levels. Futher study in this field is required to create frameworks for the measurements of both low and high levels of mathematical competency.
MEd (Mathematics Education), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

This study explores the conditions in which women teaching and conducting research in the fields of computer science, computer engineering and information technology in six Romanian universities live and work. The research begins from women’s concerns and practices of everyday life, rather than those of institutions and disciplines. This exploratory work asked two fundamental questions of the women interviewed: what does it mean to be a woman academic in these high-tech disciplines, and what does it mean to be a second world academic. Employing a critical feminist ethnographic framework, the study explored the professional lives of seven women academics whose ranks varied from Lecturer to Professor through in-depth, face-to-face interviews. A number of documents were also reviewed in order to create a context for the major social and political changes in Eastern Europe – including its new connections to Europe – that had an impact on the professional journeys of women academics in Romania. Findings convey a multiplicity of conscious and unconscious inclusion and exclusionary practices, and ways in which gender, technology, higher education, neo-liberalism and globalisation are bound together. The findings reveal nuanced systemic gender exclusionary practices suggesting that the theoretical underpinnings and practice of gender equality employed in Romania and by Romanian higher education institutions needs much further study. Women academics in computing face a complex interplay of discouraging factors such as severe financial austerity and the masculine domination of the disciplines being most salient. The implication for educational change is the need to establish structures and mechanisms to foster honest debate around the dilemma: equality of opportunity, equality of outcome versus gender mainstreaming which has been the normative action in Eastern Europe for decades.

The steady decline of students’ competency in mathematics has become known as the “Mathematics Problem”. Researchers identified that the level of student engagement is one of the most important factors affecting the academic performance of mathematics students. Strong link between students’ attitudes towards the use of technology for learning mathematics and their achievements also has been identified by recent studies. The mathematical problems have a multidimensional source and are initiated from the students’ personal characteristics and attitudes. Thus attitude is important educational concept about learning mathematics with technology. The association between student engagement and the use of ICT suggests that a positive attitude toward the use of ICT in learning mathematics is an important outcome in itself, especially when ICT is used. Student engagement can be influenced by a plethora of factors. These factors include student personal characteristics, learning experiences, perceptions, three aspects of engagement (cognitive, affective and behavioural) and attitudes towards the use of technology in learning of mathematics. This study is aimed at further investigating the factors that might be affected by the use of ICT with two major purposes: (1) to investigate the complex interrelationships between students’ demographic factors, mathematics confidence, access to technology outside university, confidence with technology, perception towards the use of technology for learning and attitude towards learning mathematics with technology, cognitive, affective and behavioural engagement; and student achievement and (2) to determine if the use of ICT impacts on the level of student engagement and achievements in mathematics.