|
|
Education Dive
Survey: Women not as comfortable voicing some opinions in class
Hallie Busta, James Paterson, Natalie Schwartz
June 5, 2019
Dive Brief:
Despite their greater numbers on campus, women are less likely than men
to say they feel comfortable speaking up to share a less popular
opinion, according to new data shared by Gallup.
Part of the broader Gallup Alumni Survey, the data shows 30% of female
students graduating with bachelor's degrees between 2013 and 2018 felt
comfortable sharing those ideas in class, compared to 35% of male
graduates. Across the 1-5 scale, women reported lower willingness to
share than men.
The survey also found that graduates who felt more open to sharing less
popular ideas also reported stronger emotional attachment to their alma
maters.
Dive Insight:
The survey adds more insight to a debate that has been churning for
decades in environments ranging from K-12 classrooms to the boardroom
and Congress. In higher ed, studies and other observations have found
that men tend to speak up more often in venues such as academic
conferences and classes.
"Prior research has shown women are less likely than their male peers
to voice their views, opinions or ask questions in the classroom and
many believe it's a result of our culture and gender roles that have
emerged as a result," Stephanie Marken, executive director of education
research at Gallup, told Education Dive in an email. She said Gallup
has not asked the question previously and therefore couldn't tell
whether such attitudes are changing.
Marken said the results didn't differ noticeably between public and
private four-year colleges. "How well they inspire inclusivity has far
more to do with their values and far less to do with their structure,"
she said. "A good reminder that all institutions can be inclusive and
embrace students' unique points of views regardless of their size,
structure, control or type."
A 2014 study analyzing introductory biology courses is one of several
studies that have found disparities in classroom participation by
gender. To close those gaps, the authors suggest randomly calling on
students, which can prevent them from opting out of discussions and can
limit potential bias from the instructor. Additionally, instructors can
help reduce students' anxiety by having them form small groups to
discuss their answers beforehand.
Other ways to encourage students' participation include mentioning
their previous contributions when calling on them and providing
discussion questions in advance, according to a guide from The
Chronicle of Higher Education.
New forms of learning technology could also help boost participation
across different student groups. Some programs allow students to ask
questions anonymously, potentially taking off some of the pressure when
participating in class.
|
|
|
|
