@article{(Open Science Index):https://publications.waset.org/pdf/9997633,
	  title     = {A South African Perspective on Self-Leadership  Development for Women Engineering Students  – A Pilot Study},
	  author    = {A. S. Lourens and  B. Du Plooy},
	  country	= {},
	  institution	= {},
	  abstract     = {Across the world, initiatives have been introduced to encourage women to enter into and remain in engineering fields. However, research has shown that many women leave engineering or suffer a loss of self-esteem and self-confidence compared to their male counterparts. To address this problem, a South African comprehensive university developed a self-leadership intervention pilot study in 2013, aimed at improving the self-efficacy of its female engineering students and increasing retention rates. This paper is a qualitative, descriptive, and interpretive study of the rationale and operational aspects of the Women in Engineering Leadership Association’s (WELA) self-leadership workshop. The objectives of this paper are to provide a framework for the design of a self-leadership workshop and to provide insight into the process of developing such a workshop specifically for women engineering students at a South African university. Finally, the paper proposes an evaluation process for the pilot workshop, which also provides a framework to improve future workshops. It is anticipated that the self-leadership development framework will be applicable to other higher education institutions wishing to improve women engineering student’s feelings of self-efficacy and therefore retention rates of women in engineering.
},
	    journal   = {International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences},
	  volume    = {8},
	  number    = {3},
	  year      = {2014},
	  pages     = {645 - 648},
	  ee        = {https://publications.waset.org/pdf/9997633},
	  url   	= {https://publications.waset.org/vol/87},
	  bibsource = {https://publications.waset.org/},
	  issn  	= {eISSN: 1307-6892},
	  publisher = {World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology},
	  index 	= {Open Science Index 87, 2014},
	}