ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of female students enrolled in STEM majors in highly internationalised university to understand how the various sets of cultural gender-related expectations shape their experiences. We were interested in how different cultures existing within the university and outside the university influence the girls pursuing education in STEM majors and how they deal with the conflicting discourses in this unique context. It was identified in the study that three conflicting discourses and, subsequently, various actors -faculty, potential employers, peers, and parents shape young women's experiences in STEM education and career in contradicting ways. Such a clash between different values and influences results in girls’ ambiguous understandings of their future careers as they progress in their studies. The results of the study offer some important insights into women's experiences in STEM education, which have significant implications for higher educational administrators, faculty, and policymakers in non-western and larger international contexts.

摘要

本研究的目的是探索在高度国际化的大学就读 STEM 专业的女学生的经历，以了解各种与性别相关的文化期望如何塑造她们的经历。我们感兴趣的是大学内外存在的不同文化如何影响追求 STEM 专业教育的女孩，以及她们如何在这种独特的背景下处理相互冲突的话语。研究发现，三种相互冲突的话语以及随后的各种行为者——教师、潜在雇主、同龄人和父母，以相互矛盾的方式塑造了年轻女性在 STEM 教育和职业中的经历。不同价值观和影响之间的这种冲突导致女孩在学习过程中对自己未来的职业有模糊的理解。研究结果为女性在 STEM 教育中的经历提供了一些重要见解，这对非西方和更大的国际背景下的高等教育管理人员、教师和政策制定者具有重要意义。