The role of educational technology as an enabler for women's inclusion in the STEM fields: case study: Eduardo Mondlane University

Omar, Leila

The role of educational technology as an enabler for women's inclusion in the STEM fields: case study: Eduardo Mondlane University

Thesis / Dissertation

2025

Publisher

University of Cape Town

Department

School of Education

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Abstract

Current research shows that women are underrepresented in STEM fields, despite a global increase in enrolment over the past two decades. At Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), women make up only 15% of engineering students. This underrepresentation is linked to deep-rooted social injustices, making it a systemic issue. Scholars argue that technology can promote more inclusive education by providing greater opportunities for women in STEM. However, in the Mozambican context, research about educational technology (EdTech) as a tool for fostering women's inclusion, particularly in the STEM education field, is scarce. Therefore, this study seeks to contribute to the discussion on the underrepresentation and the inclusion of women in the STEM field of education with a particular focus on UEM's engineering undergraduate courses. In this research, a qualitative approach was used to understand whether technology in the engineering graduate course's classroom at UEM can have an enabling and inclusive effect by providing a potential mechanism for women to participate in the learning process as equal peers. The study engaged with six UEM female students through eighteen in-depth interviews (three interviews per participant). The interviews were conducted using Seidman's (2013) three-interview protocol. The results were analysed and framed using the work of Nancy Fraser, who presents a three-dimensional social justice framework (economic, cultural, political) (2005, 2009). Fraser's framework was used to analyse the results and understand to what extent EdTech can be an enabling factor to achieve social justice in the university context of engineering graduate courses. This research found that women prefer in-person classes, but they also benefit from educational technologies, appreciating the flexibility of asynchronous online activities due to their limited time, often stretched between academic pursuits and domestic responsibilities, which are culturally expected to be managed primarily by women. Moreover, for these women, in a digital environment, there is a reduced presence of conventional gender biases and expectations to fit in related to physical appearance and adoption of male behaviours, enabling women to genuinely express their character and make authentic contributions.