Female and Male Student’s Performance in Indonesian Biomedical Engineering Education: Biomedical Measurement and Instrumentation

Abstract

This study aims to explore and analyze the female and male students’ performance in Indonesian biomedical engineering education using Biomedical Measurement and Instrumentation course as a case study. The interesting point in this study is that the Undergraduate Program in Biomedical Engineering ITB is dominated by females, around 54%. Overall, the female students’ attendance and the final grade are higher than the males which indicate that they are more diligent and passionate in the study. Moreover, this study shows that female students have better performance in theoretical understanding. While the male students show better performance in the practical skill that is assessed in the course project. In addition, this study reveals that even though they are a majority in the Biomedical Engineering Program, female students have relatively low confidence and tend to assess their contribution in the course project more leniently. The results of this study need further investigation to get a deeper understanding of the influence factor that affects it, such as the students’ prior theoretical knowledge and practical skill using course pretest.