The Academic Empowerment of Iraqi Female Undergraduate Students via Extracurricular Activities: Case Study

  • Reem Abou Assi Thoughts Formulation Lab., School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang 11800, Malaysia. EDEN Research Group, College of Pharmacy, Al-Kitab University, Altun kupri, Kirkuk 36001, Iraq.
  • Ibrahim M. Abdulbaqi Thoughts Formulation Lab., School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang 11800, Malaysia. PractSol Research Group, College of Pharmacy, Al-Kitab University, Altun kupri, Kirkuk 36001, Iraq.
  • Chan Siok Yee Thoughts Formulation Lab., School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang 11800, Malaysia.

Abstract

The United Nations' 2030 Sustainable Development Goals emphasizes education quality. For females’ education is about empowerment and instilling a sense of belonging. Empowering females via STEM education is an effective tool on various levels. The initiation of extracurricular activities (ECA) in STEM in the currently studied Iraqi university is an adopted policy that, since 2018, has started to be observed and evaluated among the pharmacy undergraduate students. This aimed to implant the participation of females in STEM sciences; identify best practices for incorporating extracurricular activities into the learning medium; document and recognize initial informal STEM learning contexts. Interestingly, Cohort rates were 100% in both technology scopes of scientific abstract video competition and green ambassador remote volunteering, respectively. Furthermore, scientific writing and digital management under conference ECA showed the highest retention and persistence rates respectively. Thus, these ECA empower females by providing information and inclusion to acquire new knowledge and skills.

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Published
2022-12-20
How to Cite
ABOU ASSI, Reem; M. ABDULBAQI, Ibrahim; SIOK YEE, Chan. The Academic Empowerment of Iraqi Female Undergraduate Students via Extracurricular Activities: Case Study. Menemui Matematik (Discovering Mathematics), [S.l.], v. 44, n. 2, p. 121-126, dec. 2022. ISSN 0126-9003. Available at: <https://myjms.mohe.gov.my/index.php/dismath/article/view/20808>. Date accessed: 22 sep. 2023.
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Vol 44 No 2 (2022): Menemui Matematik(Discovering Mathematics)
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