Despite growing awareness of the need to address issues of gender- and cultural- inclusiveness in Science and Engineering subjects, only a limited number of corresponding studies have been carried out within the Asian context. This paper reports on a case study carried out to investigate the difference in the behaviour of female and male engineering students of Asian origin, within the typical classroom context of an Australian university offshore campus. The observations are compared to descriptions of classroom dynamics in the USA and Australia. Strategies for gender inclusive instruction were developed and implemented. Classroom observations, student satisfaction questionnaires and passing rates were used to analyse the impact of the applied strategies. The outcome of the study appears to underline the success of the instructional strategies introduced to increase participation at a higher cognitive level of reluctant learners, in particular female students.

Keywords: Gender-inclusiveness; Science and Engineering; Asian students.