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Abstract:
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Traditionally, a number of academic disciplines have been notoriously associated with a maledominated
environment, notably in Science, Engineering, Technology and Mathematics (STEM). This
male-dominated educational environment inevitably affects the learning experience of female students.
The present paper examined the learning experience of female students in an Aviation program in
Australia where significant increase of female students was achieved in a five-year period, jumping from
a 13% representation in 2013 to over 22% in 2018. Through a survey to 53 Aviation female students, the
perception of being a female, the learning experience, and the female-specific learning support in a maledominated
educational environment are elucidated. The findings revealed that the concerns associated
with being a female and female underrepresentation in the Aviation programs were sometimes
recognised among female students. Additionally, there were three categories of experience associated
with female students in a male-dominated educational program. Some of the negative experience was
around sexual harassment from male leaders, depreciation from lecturers and male fellow students and
perception of inferiority. The negative experience resulted in undesirable impact on female students’
wellbeing, the formation of defensive behaviour and actions, and a though of school leave. The positive
experiences included a certain “feminist righteousness”. Interestingly, a great proportion of surveyed
female students reported neutral experience, claiming that gender-based interventions in Aviation
educational environment indeed aggravate gender discriminations in the field. The respondents also
assessed general support, gender-based support and mentoring programs for female students in a maledominated
environment. Support sourced from staff and university was evaluated very positively among
female students, followed by assistance among cohorts. With regards to gender-based support, the
increase of social and professional associations, together with the improvement of female voices in
leadership positions were argued. Finally, in mentoring programs, a gender-equality perspective was
expected for mentors and experiential learning was recommended to guide the program design.
Contributions of this study lie in the areas of learning experience and feminist educational support. |