<b>HONDURAN ENGINEERING STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES ABOUT THE FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE UNDERREPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN THE STEM DISCIPLINES IN HIGHER EDUCATION</b>

<p dir="ltr">The underrepresentation of women in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines presents a significant challenge globally, and Central America is no exception. This study aimed to investigate the perceptions of a group of Honduran engineering students regarding the factors that contribute to this gender gap in the higher education STEM programs. Employing qualitative research methods, specifically the Photovoice technique, the researcher collected and analyzed data from participants at a private university in Honduras. A thematic analysis was conducted to organize the participants’ responses into three main categories: Perceptions of Representation Levels, Factors Contributing to the Gender Gap, and Factors Contributing to an Increased Female Representation in the STEM fields. The study’s findings reveal a low enrollment of women in the engineering programs at the Honduran university where the study took place. Furthermore, the participants’ accounts suggest that most of the factors that lead to an underrepresentation of women in these programs are of an extrinsic nature (e.g. gender stereotypes, a chilly climate, or the lack of feminine role models), although some intrinsic elements such as women’s preferences or interests were also discussed by the students. This research study seeks to enrich the existing body of literature by focusing on the unique perspectives of Central American engineering students, since the literature has historically been dominated by research efforts conducted in North American and European nations. Ultimately, this research project aimed to unearth new insights for understanding the issue of gender unbalance in STEM higher education programs, with the vision of contributing to the development of a more equitable society.</p>