Beyond the Drafting Table; Women’s Journey in Architecture as a STEM Career
Architecture as a STEM career presents a promising yet challenging path for women pursuing professional growth in the field, as they remain under-represented, particularly in leadership roles and professional practice, despite their increasing presence in architectural education. This study investig...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Architecture |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8945/5/2/33 |
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| author | Francis O. Okeke Chinelo A. Ozigbo Emeka J. Mba Ikechukwu W. Ozigbo Peter I. Oforji Rosemary C. Nnaemeka-Okeke Chioma A. Okeke Shuang Guo Benignus U. Ugwu |
| author_facet | Francis O. Okeke Chinelo A. Ozigbo Emeka J. Mba Ikechukwu W. Ozigbo Peter I. Oforji Rosemary C. Nnaemeka-Okeke Chioma A. Okeke Shuang Guo Benignus U. Ugwu |
| author_sort | Francis O. Okeke |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Architecture as a STEM career presents a promising yet challenging path for women pursuing professional growth in the field, as they remain under-represented, particularly in leadership roles and professional practice, despite their increasing presence in architectural education. This study investigates the experiences, motivations, and challenges faced by women in architecture in the educational setting of Nigeria. Using a quantitative research approach, data were collected from 137 respondents through structured questionnaires, representing a 97.93% response rate. The findings reveal that passion for design and creativity (73.7%) was the predominant motivation for women choosing architecture. While 80.5% of respondents reported experiencing or observing gender-related challenges, these were not ranked as primary barriers when specific obstacles were identified; instead, financial constraints, limited resource access, and work–life balance emerged as the most significant challenges. Remarkably, 89.5% of participants expressed satisfaction with architecture as a career choice, with no reported dissatisfaction. Creativity (28%), continuous learning (24.2%), and societal impact (20%) were found to be the most rewarding aspects of their architectural careers. Statistical analyses revealed no significant association between academic level and career satisfaction or between institution attended and experiences of gender-related challenges. The correlation analysis demonstrated that intrinsic motivators like passion for design have stronger relationships with career satisfaction than extrinsic factors like financial stability or family influence. These findings contribute to understanding women’s experiences in architectural education in Nigeria and have implications for educational institutions, professional organizations, and policymakers seeking to enhance women’s participation and advancement in architecture. The research highlights the importance of addressing structural barriers while nurturing the creative and professional aspects that draw women to the field. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ce1690656fb2473dbd8cbe3a9f16c88b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2673-8945 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Architecture |
| spelling | doaj-art-ce1690656fb2473dbd8cbe3a9f16c88b2025-08-20T03:32:27ZengMDPI AGArchitecture2673-89452025-05-01523310.3390/architecture5020033Beyond the Drafting Table; Women’s Journey in Architecture as a STEM CareerFrancis O. Okeke0Chinelo A. Ozigbo1Emeka J. Mba2Ikechukwu W. Ozigbo3Peter I. Oforji4Rosemary C. Nnaemeka-Okeke5Chioma A. Okeke6Shuang Guo7Benignus U. Ugwu8School of Engineering, Technology and Design, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury CT1 1QU, UKDepartment of Estate Management, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu 401105, NigeriaDepartment of Architecture, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu 401105, NigeriaDepartment of Estate Management, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu 401105, NigeriaDepartment of Architecture, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu 401105, NigeriaDepartment of Architecture, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu 401105, NigeriaGSL Education, Canterbury CT2 7FG, UKChrist Church Business School, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury CT1 1QU, UKDepartment of Architecture, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu 401105, NigeriaArchitecture as a STEM career presents a promising yet challenging path for women pursuing professional growth in the field, as they remain under-represented, particularly in leadership roles and professional practice, despite their increasing presence in architectural education. This study investigates the experiences, motivations, and challenges faced by women in architecture in the educational setting of Nigeria. Using a quantitative research approach, data were collected from 137 respondents through structured questionnaires, representing a 97.93% response rate. The findings reveal that passion for design and creativity (73.7%) was the predominant motivation for women choosing architecture. While 80.5% of respondents reported experiencing or observing gender-related challenges, these were not ranked as primary barriers when specific obstacles were identified; instead, financial constraints, limited resource access, and work–life balance emerged as the most significant challenges. Remarkably, 89.5% of participants expressed satisfaction with architecture as a career choice, with no reported dissatisfaction. Creativity (28%), continuous learning (24.2%), and societal impact (20%) were found to be the most rewarding aspects of their architectural careers. Statistical analyses revealed no significant association between academic level and career satisfaction or between institution attended and experiences of gender-related challenges. The correlation analysis demonstrated that intrinsic motivators like passion for design have stronger relationships with career satisfaction than extrinsic factors like financial stability or family influence. These findings contribute to understanding women’s experiences in architectural education in Nigeria and have implications for educational institutions, professional organizations, and policymakers seeking to enhance women’s participation and advancement in architecture. The research highlights the importance of addressing structural barriers while nurturing the creative and professional aspects that draw women to the field.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8945/5/2/33architectureSTEMarchitectural educationcareer satisfactionfemale architects |
| spellingShingle | Francis O. Okeke Chinelo A. Ozigbo Emeka J. Mba Ikechukwu W. Ozigbo Peter I. Oforji Rosemary C. Nnaemeka-Okeke Chioma A. Okeke Shuang Guo Benignus U. Ugwu Beyond the Drafting Table; Women’s Journey in Architecture as a STEM Career Architecture architecture STEM architectural education career satisfaction female architects |
| title | Beyond the Drafting Table; Women’s Journey in Architecture as a STEM Career |
| title_full | Beyond the Drafting Table; Women’s Journey in Architecture as a STEM Career |
| title_fullStr | Beyond the Drafting Table; Women’s Journey in Architecture as a STEM Career |
| title_full_unstemmed | Beyond the Drafting Table; Women’s Journey in Architecture as a STEM Career |
| title_short | Beyond the Drafting Table; Women’s Journey in Architecture as a STEM Career |
| title_sort | beyond the drafting table women s journey in architecture as a stem career |
| topic | architecture STEM architectural education career satisfaction female architects |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8945/5/2/33 |
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