An investigation of gener bias in EET laboratories

Traditionally, there have been fewer women than men enrolled in electrical engineering technology. One possible reason for this is that a large percentage of women lack confidence in dealing with the laboratory setting or equipment. The author, has noticed that many times female lab groups work slower than their male counterparts, and in mixed-gender lab groups the men often dominate the group activity. In the present investigation, she tries to determine if there is a gender bias in the laboratory and what forms it takes, and to suggest a method to overcome it. A case study using a first-semester freshman laboratory is presented. The women students are compared to men students in the areas of previous experience, confidence with lab equipment, and course grade. This research demonstrates that women do perceive a negative difference in their laboratory proficiency compared to men, and this erodes self-confidence in their ability. These differences are limited to the lab, and do not appear in the overall understanding of the material