Experiences of females in Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) fields in research networks in public universities in Uganda

Abstract

Participation in research networks is inevitable for females in STEM fields because research is carried out in teams in higher education. It was on this basis that this study explored the experiences of females in STEM fields in research networks in public universities in Uganda. This study was guided by three objectives: (1) To explore the experiences of females in STEM fields in research networks in public universities in Uganda. (2) To explore how females in STEM fields were uplifted by research networks in public universities in Uganda and (3) To explore how females in STEM fields accessed resources in research networks in public universities in Uganda. This study was anchored on the existential phenomenology by Martin Heidegger in the interpretive world view. Eight females in STEM fields in research networks in public universities in Uganda were selected and interviewed from the hard applied and hard pure disciplines as classified in Becher and Biglan’s typology of academic disciplines. Using thematic analysis, four themes namely: Research collaboration activities, capacity development and positive and negative experiences emerged in this study. The findings showed that females in STEM fields in research networks had experiences related to funding, networking, research skills, career growth, conferences, mentoring, hectic schedules and financial constraints. The findings showed that females in STEM fields were uplifted by research networks by being internationally exposed, networked, funded, research skills were strengthened, and progressed in career. The findings also showed that females in STEM fields accessed resources through their institutional account, networks, infrastructure, capacity building, mentorship, and research competencies from research networks. This study therefore concludes that females in STEM fields in research networks in public universities in Uganda had both positive and negative experiences, research networks uplifted those females in STEM fields because they were internationally exposed, networked, funded, research skills were strengthened, and progressed in career and that it was important for those females to access physical and human resource in their research networks as this increased their research performance and outputs in STEM fields. This study therefore recommends to management of public universities in Uganda to establish formal research networks and strengthen the existing informal research networks. To uplift females in STEM fields in research networks in public universities in Uganda, senior colleagues should act as ambassadors and mentors to those young females in STEM fields. Finally, this study recommends to Management of public universities in Uganda to establish a Research and Grants Office for STEM fields in Uganda and equip it with skilled human resource to drive the administrative research agenda of their fields in their different Colleges and Faculties.