CONFERENCES
E&PDE 2026 - 28th International Conference on Engineering & Product Design Education
The Conference will bring together representatives from education and industry interested in sharing new perspectives on design education.
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A STUDY ON ENHANCING FEMALE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ STEM CAREER AWARENESS THROUGH CAREER EDUCATION IN JAPAN
TSAO, Yung Chiau; LIU, Yuli; LOH, Leon
Type:
Year:
2026
Editor:
Buck, Lyndon; Brisco. Ross; Bohemia, Erik
Author:
Series:
E&PDE
Institution:
Kyushu University, Japan
Page(s):
49 - 54
DOI number:
ISBN:
978-1-912254-24-8
ISSN:
3005-4753
Abstract:
With the rapid development of science and technology, global demand for professionals in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields has continued to grow. Despite this increasing demand, the proportion of women in these fields remains significantly low. This indicates that efforts toward diversity and inclusion remain insufficient in practice. UNESCO reports that women make up only 35% of STEM graduates globally, and the gap is even wider in Japan, where only 16.5% of students enter engineering and related programs—the lowest among developed economies. In response, the Japanese government has introduced university-level programs and scholarships to promote women’s participation in STEM, while companies have implemented empowerment initiatives to address gender imbalance and challenge stereotypes. A few pilot collaborations with girls’ high schools in Tokyo have also been launched, but such efforts remain largely confined to metropolitan areas, with limited implementation in regional cities. This study therefore examined female students’ perspectives in a regional context. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 244 female students from three public girls’ high schools in Kyushu region to investigate their awareness, attitudes, and understanding of STEM careers. The results revealed that female students showed low motivation toward STEM-related professions. Although most respondents expressed gender-neutral views, subtle stereotypes and a lack of authentic learning experiences persist, limiting their confidence and engagement. The findings provide empirical evidence on how these factors shape female students’ career awareness in a regional city of Japan and offer practical implications for promoting diversity and inclusion in engineering and design education.
Keywords:
