A comparative analysis between female and male motivations to study engineering: a case study in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The main objective of this case study was to investigate and compare motivations between first-year female and male university students toward studying engineering subjects at Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University (PMU), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). A survey asking about motivational factors to study engineering was distributed to PMU freshmen who specifically registered at an introductory engineering course. The survey questions were designed by incorporating intrinsic and extrinsic factors, and by considering four motivational categories, including professional and personal ambitions, employment opportunities, scientific capabilities and social aspects. Statistical analyses were carried out from the data obtained. Descriptive analysis with mean, standard deviations and variations were also reported. The results obtained for the intrinsic motivation categories showed that the male students were slightly more motivated than the female, while for the extrinsic motivations they were in contrast to each other. The female students demonstrated that they were more independent from external influences and highly self-motivated.