Gender Gap In Higher Education Research Articles

Redefining academic trajectories: A comprehensive analysis of the factors and impacts of the gender gap in STEM higher education

Purpose The purpose of this study is to critically analyze the key factors contributing to gender disparities in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields and propose creative solutions to mitigate these differences. Despite the significance of this issue, it has not received sufficient attention owing to the absence of clarity regarding the factors that exacerbate the gender gap. Design/methodology/approach This study used a qualitative methodology that combined the viewpoints of social psychology and educational research to pinpoint and evaluate essential elements. Using a grounded theory approach, semistructured interviews were analyzed, and the obtained data were coded and categorized using ATLAS.ti software. Findings This qualitative research identified three key areas: internal and external factors influencing the gender gap, as well as strategic actions within higher education to address these disparities. The innovative contribution of this study lies in its development of a comprehensive theoretical framework that enables the diagnosis, quantification and understanding of these factors and proposes practical measures to mitigate these gender disparities. By promoting greater gender diversity, the proposed model can contribute to more inclusive and sustainable development, which is consistent with the 2030 agenda. Originality/value This study highlights the need for a multidimensional approach to address the gender gap in higher education, fills a crucial knowledge gap and provides a theoretical model to guide effective university policies.

Educational Inequality in the Context of China's Educational Expansion

Since the conclusion of World War II, the topic of educational growth has garnered global interest, including in China. While the education expansion program has given several benefits and advantages to China, there are still many faults in the strategy. This paper examines the issue of educational inequality within the framework of educational growth in China. The paper examines educational inequity in China within the framework of educational growth, focusing on four key areas: educational inequity stemming from socio-economic factors, urban-rural disparities, insufficient secondary education, and gender disparities. After examining the aforementioned factors, this study asserts that the issue of educational inequality persists and proves to be particularly challenging to eradicate in certain areas, such as socio-economic disparity. Based on this, this paper puts forward the following suggestions. First, the government needs to increase spending on education. Second, attention should be paid to improving the balance of educational distribution. Finally, there is a need to close the gender gap in higher education. These guidelines are the best alternative to achieving equality in education.

An Analysis on Women Enrolment in Higher Education in India

There is still a gender enrolment disparity in India’s higher education system, despite notable progress. Using a combination of methods for thorough analysis, this study explores the complex interactions between socio-economic, cultural, and institutional barriers preventing women from pursuing higher education chances. Further, this study relies on the issues of Girls are disproportionately affected by ongoing poverty, a lack of family support, and uneven access to high-quality secondary school, which undermines their ambitions for further education. Women students in higher education are marginalized and denied academic opportunities due to inadequate infrastructure, a dearth of gender-sensitive teaching techniques, and a dearth of female role models. Not only is closing the gender gap in higher education morally required, but it is also a calculated investment in the future of India. India can unleash the enormous potential of its female population and move the country toward a more egalitarian and prosperous future by removing the complex hurdles found in this study and putting in place efficient interventions at the individual, and institutional. The simple statistical tools adopted and it was observed from the results that the annual average percentage rate was positive in all the levels of education. Finally, it is particularly noted that the majority of the women were enrolled in Ph.D after integrated and PG Diploma programmes.

Gender norms and the gender gap in higher education

Cross-country differences in the gender gap of higher education attainment are large. In this paper, we study the role of gender norms for this particular gender gap. To isolate the effect of gender norms from institutional and economic factors, we investigate the decisions of second-generation immigrants in the United States to achieve at least a bachelor’s degree. We measure gender norms using economic outcomes as well as beliefs prevailing in the migrants’ parents’ country of origin. We find that gender norms explain part of the observed differences in the gender gap in attaining at least a bachelor’s degree. There is also a sizable effect of gender norms on gender gaps in higher educational attainment levels, such as a master’s degree or a Ph.D. We confirm the gender norms effect using a sample of siblings, which allows us to hold unobservable and observable household characteristics constant.

Turkey's gender gap in higher education: An analysis of IR doctoral students

This article assesses gender research patterns among Ph.D. students in International Relations (IR) discipline in Turkey with a particular focus on women. We examined 622 IR doctoral dissertations accepted by institutions of higher education in Turkey between 2009 and 2019. We found a statistically significant gender-based pairing among students and advisors, in addition to a higher number of male students and advisors, which suggests greater male visibility in graduate school and academia. Dissertation keyword analysis shows that similar topics are studied by both men and women, and reveals a noticeable absence of gender-sensitive issues, even among the work of female researchers. The striking omission of feminist IR reveals the importance of ‘minding the gap’ in contexts outside of the Western domain.

What Characterizes Education in Women’s Universities in Japan? An Analysis of Diploma Policies

Women’s universities were established in post-war Japan to fill the gender gap in higher education. Although they attract fewer students today than in the past, they account for nearly 10% of all universities nationwide. This study focuses on the diploma policies (DPs) that all universities in Japan are required to publish and explores the characteristics of education at women’s universities by comparing the DPs of 22 women’s and 59 co-educational universities. The DP content was analyzed using a cross-tabulation search engine employing text-mining. The results indicate that the DPs of women’s universities highlight their priority to foster economically sustained women, which reflects their founding purpose of empowering women. Although both women’s and co-educational universities emphasize their relationship with society, the latter seem to view society as something their graduates can create and develop, while the former regards it as given or changing. Moreover, women’s universities appear to emphasize that their graduates play an active but not a leading role in society. This could be an indication of gender inequality in the social, economic, and political realms of Japan. Considering Japanese society is becoming globalized and diverse, future research should focus on how global values and competencies manifest themselves in DPs.

A Room of One's Own: Covid-19 Pandemic and Academic Motherhood in India

The paper examines the disproportionately adverse impact that the Covid-19 pandemic had on academic mothers employed in higher education sector. By looking at global data as well as institutional and socio-cultural background of higher education in India, the paper argues for the need of a systematic and institutional Covid-impact stock-taking. Without such a measure, the author argues, the already existing gender-gap in higher education in India will be further widened, with the gap becoming starker at the higher professional levels within academia.

Understanding Gender Approach to Educational Achievement:

There is a known gender gap in higher education where female students have different learning outcomes at school and university levels. This study explores the perspective of a gender model approach to educational achievement in terms of the thoughts of outstanding students in several universities in Aceh Province. Through data analysis of the interview data of 400 exceptional participants to hear their perceptions about their learning progress. Gender differences in educational outcomes are related to gender differences in non-cognitive traits of education, such as behavior, interests, motivation, personalization, consistency, and external support; However, causal interpretation of the interview evidence and literature review has concluded our research by determining which factors are most decisive for female student achievement as a gender approach model. Thought in solving policy approaches can help close this gender gap, and this finding shows how gender-based policies can close it. The results of this study are expected to be a meaningful input for developing studies for researchers, academic discussion, and policy-making to support female students' academic achievement in higher education institutions. The achievements obtained will be a model for women to increase their capacity as social workers.

Predictors of the gender gap in household educational spending among school and college-going children in India

Though India has achieved near-universal primary school attendance and bridged the gender gap, secondary and technical education schooling remains low. Household ability to pay for education and gender norms at the household and societal levels are possible reasons for variations in school attendance and quality of schooling. Although various studies have examined the gender gap in enrolment and school discontinuation, there are limited studies on gender differentials in educational spending in Indian households. Using data from 174,810 school and college-going children aged 6–22 years from the 75th round of the National Sample Survey Organization, this paper explored the gender gap in household educational spending in India. Descriptive statistics, relative gap, and the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition method were used in the analysis. The results suggests that school attendance was 82.7% (95% CI 82.0–83.3) among boys and 78.9% (95% CI 78.1–79.7) among girls aged 16–17 years and 63.1% (95% CI 62.6–63.6) among boys and 51.3% (95% CI 50.7–51.9) among girls aged 18–22 years. The difference in the average per capita educational spending between boys and girls was ₹828 at the primary level (ages 6–10), ₹935 at the middle/secondary level (ages 11–15), ₹3189 at the higher secondary level (ages 16–17), and ₹3813 in higher education (age 18–22). The results obtained from the Blinder-Oaxaca Decomposition analysis show that type of educational institution (public or private) contributed more than half of the variation in household educational spending among 6–10- and 11–15-year-old children and was the strongest contributor at every age. The education of the household head considerably reduced the gender gap in higher education. Locational disadvantage and the uniformity in the gender gap across all levels of the economic hierarchy suggest a behavioural bias in the intra-household allocation of educational resources across the states of India.

I am done with this! Women dropping out of engineering majors.

Women are still underrepresented in STEM careers (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). One of the possible drivers behind this gender gap in the labour market is the female dropout from STEM education. The causes of the gender differences in the persistence of pursuing STEM studies have been explained by multiple factors related to interest and resolution in this type of career. The goal of the present research is to study the Engineering persistence gender gap in higher education by exploring the main factors underlying the leakage in the pipeline of Engineering fields. Our study reports the results of 34 qualitative in-depth interviews where internal barriers, stereotypes and external obstacles are assessed by women who have left their university degrees, compared with men who have withdrawn and women who have persisted. Results from the content analysis suggest that the undermining of persistence in Engineering fields is related to factors such as the chilly and hostile environment in classes or the workload from an excessively demanding curriculum. Other factors affecting women’s withdrawal are the lack of role models and the perceived incongruity between the female gender role and STEM roles in society, leading to a weakening of female students’ self-efficacy and eroding their sense of belongingness, even making them consider dropping out of their Engineering degree. These findings provide information for the design of future STEM interventions aimed to enhance women’s persistence in STEM university studies.

ТРЕТЬЯ МИССИЯ УНИВЕРСИТЕТОВ В РАЗРЕЗЕ УСТОЙЧИВОГО РАЗВИТИЯ ЦИФРОВОГО ОБЩЕСТВА: ГЕНДЕРНЫЕ АСПЕКТЫ

The article analyzes the gender aspects of sustainable development, notes the high relevance of inclusion and gender diversity in this process. It mentions that companies that have implemented these principles in their practice achieve better economic efficiency. Based on a review of modern research and statistical data (UNESCO, OECD, McKinsey, Crowe), on the one hand, a conclusion can be drawn that the gender gap in higher education in developed countries is gradually closing. On the other, there is a gender segregation of professions, especially in STEM sciences, the digital sector and IT. In Russia, the proportion of women in the field of higher education is quite high, but among the scientific personnel of the highest qualification (professors), it is only 35%. Under the third mission of universities, we mean the activities of universities, directly or indirectly aimed at solving social and economic issues, including those related to the implementation of sustainable development goals. To that end the author summarizes that it is necessary to promote programs that support inclusion and gender diversity in higher education through programs of the corporate social responsibility and support. Universities are “guides” of sustainable development at the local level.

Inclusion of women to ICT engineering – lessons learned

ABSTRACT This paper address how we may understand inclusion strategies designed to reduce the gender gap in higher education in engineering and ICT engineering in particular. Based on a case study of a long-term inclusion effort and statistics on recruitment and retainment, we argue that inclusion initiatives which address important inclusion needs and put down a substantial effort are likely to be successful. However, such changes seem to be not very sustainable, and need continuous effort. Based on our findings and a review of previous research we argue that inclusion efforts are instrumental in gaining a higher share of women in ICT, but that the win may be short-lived. We suggest that there is a need also to work for a higher share of women faculty to obtain more sustainable recruitment and retainment of women in ICT. Moreover, we found that the probability of dropout among men students was systematically reduced with increased gender balance, which indicates that more gender-balanced programs are more attractive to remain in for both men and women.

Gender Equity in Indonesian Higher Education: Exploring the Opportunities of Women's College Graduates as University Leaders

Gender equity is an important target in human development, both at the national and global levels. Gender equity in the higher education context is a crucial issue. This study was aimed at analyzing the gender-based differences in Indonesian higher education graduates. Further, this study also explored the opportunity for women to become university leaders. In this study, a quantitative method was employed by using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to analyze the gender gap in higher education. This study involved the secondary data taken from the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education (Kemenristekdikti) in the year 2019. This study revealed that there is no significant difference between men and women graduates from higher education. However, the descriptive data indicates that the number of women graduates is higher than men graduate. Further, the findings of this study also show that the opportunity for women’s college graduates to become university leaders is widely opened, but commonly they find various obstacles in the field.

“The Job Is Yours!” Deconstructing the Gender Gap in Higher Education

The underrepresentation of female Administrators in higher education is not decreasing even though education continues to be a field dominated by women. The overall percentage of women leading colleges and universities in the United States remains disproportionately low at 26%. This ambiguous case study examines whether or not the Higher Education Administration continues to perpetuate gender inequalities through simplistic and, often times, unconscious hiring and mentoring practices scaffolding upon good intentions.

Is the End of Educational Hypergamy the End of Status Hypergamy? Evidence from Sweden

AbstractThe reversal of the gender gap in higher education has been a major social transformation: women now outnumber men in higher education in nearly all OECD countries. Patterns of assortative mating have also changed as highly educated women increasingly form relationships with men who have less education (hypogamous unions). In this article, we draw on rich register data from Sweden to ask whether the emergence of hypogamous unions signals the emergence of a new female status dominance in unions. We also consider how the status distribution in these unions compares to homogamous (both highly educated) or hypergamous (he highly educated) unions. We use Swedish register data and study couples who have their first child together. We refer to a multi-dimensional view of status and use indicators of social class background, income, and occupational prestige. We find that in hypogamous unions, women tend to have a higher social class background and occupational prestige, but lower income than their partners. The income gap between partners is not simply a consequence of the gender wage gap, but driven by selection into different union types. Men and women who form hypogamous unions are negatively selected in terms of their income.

Young women and higher education in Peru: how does gender shape their educational trajectories?

ABSTRACT In the last 20 years, a reversal of the gender gap in higher education (HE) has been observed both in developed and developing countries. Nowadays, more women than men are studying HE. Nevertheless, averages tend to high disparities and gender gaps are still observed when indicators take poverty and ethnicity into account. This paper uses qualitative longitudinal data from the Young Lives study in Peru in order to analyse the role of gender in shaping young women’s educational trajectories beyond secondary school. We find HE is indeed highly valued by young women who persist in their efforts to continue studying beyond secondary school, even in the face of gender norms that hinder their educational advancement. Having more access to HE is giving young women the possibility to construct new female identities, but it is not necessarily empowering them to challenge gender norms deeply rooted in their social context.

Attainment and Gender Equality in Higher Education: Evidence from a Large Scale Expansion

We examine the dramatic expansion in the Turkish higher education system during 2006-2008, which resulted in the establishment of 41 new public universities and a 60% increase in the number of available slots. Using the variation in the exposure intensity of expansion across cohorts and regions, we estimate the causal effect of the expansion on overall attainment and the gender gap in higher education. Before the expansion, women had lower higher education rates. The expansion increased the attainment rates of both men and women but failed to reduce the gender gap. Comparing the scale of expansion across fields of study, we observe that the largest growth in available slots was in social sciences and engineering. The expansion of slots in social sciences benefited men and women evenly, but the expansion in engineering benefited men more than women, thereby raising the gender gap.

The Role of Feminist Standpoint and Intersectionality Epistemologies in Providing Insights into the Causes of Gender Disparity in Higher Education

Higher education plays a critical role in society’s development, particularly in the current era of globalization in which knowledge-based innovations are critical for development. However, women’s underrepresentation in higher education remains a persistent issue of concern, particularly, in sub-Saharan Africa. The gender gap in higher education is created by complex interconnected sets of deep-rooted factors. A clear understanding of the underlying causes of gender inequality in higher education is necessary to develop effective interventions to overcome this disparity. Feminist standpoint and feminist intersectionality epistemologies have been used to provide insights into gender disparities in higher education. Drawing on existing published literature, I will discuss the conceptual and theoretical frameworks of these two feminist epistemologies and explore the methodological implications of these epistemologies for critically examining gender disparities in higher education in the context of sub-Saharan Africa.
 Keywords: epistemology, feminism, gender, higher education, intersectionality

Ensuring the Success of Latino Males in Higher Education: A National Imperative ed. by Victor B. Sáenz, Luis Ponjuán, Julie López Figueroa

Reviewed by: Ensuring the Success of Latino Males in Higher Education: A National Imperative ed. by Victor B. Sáenz, Luis Ponjuán, Julie López Figueroa Vasti Torres and Raúl Gámez Ensuring the Success of Latino Males in Higher Education: A National Imperative Victor B. Sáenz, Luis Ponjuán, and Julie López Figueroa (Eds.) Sterling, VA: Stylus, 2016, 248pages, $35.00 (softcover) Much has been written about the gender gap in higher education; however, less attention has been given to the widening gender gap in education among historically underrepresented minorities. Ensuring the Success of Latino Males in Higher Education, edited by Victor B. Sáenz, Luis Ponjuán, and Julie López Figueroa, is a timely book that provides a historical perspective of the issues Latinos face in the educational pipeline and actionable steps to narrow the gap. This book highlights the experiences and research of a group of men who have been neglected in the education system and may struggle to be successful in higher education. Prior to this book, the only major publication that dealt with Latinos is Invisible No More: Understanding the Disenfranchisement of Latino Men and Boys (Noguera, Hurtado, & Fergus, 2012) that focused on the lifespan of Latinos rather than specifically on higher education. The editors of this book state that it is distinctive because it provides perspectives on emerging theories and research and serves as a primer for policy makers. The book is organized around four overarching themes: context, theories, research, and moving from research to practice. The reviewers acknowledge that the Spanish language is gendered; therefore, when we say Latino when we mean men of Latino descent – and when we mean the culture we will use the term Latinx. The book does not make such distinction and at times the reader may be confused about how the term is being used. This review will offer a brief summary of the chapters and conclude with overall thoughts on the book. The first chapter, written by the editors, is focused on demographic trends that influence the experience of Latinos. The authors show that overwhelmingly Latino men enter elementary education already behind and the achievement gap widens as they move through the education system. More research that focuses on Latinos is needed to better understand these trends. Victor Sáenz, Luis Ponjuán, and Julie López Figueroa make a convincing argument that Latinos are disappearing from the education pipeline at key transition points, making them largely absent from higher education. This is followed by chapter 2, which is focused on the pipeline of Latinos into higher education by using the High School and Beyond data set. In this chapter, Ponjuán focuses on high school and community contributions to college going decisions. The theories section of the book begins with López Figueroa introducing a promising framework for looking at the experiences of Latinos in chapter 3. The geography of academic support is “a hybrid framework that considers how and why students physically situate themselves in particular places within our respective campuses” (p. 44). Chapter 4, by López Figueroa, Patricia Pérez, and Irene I. Vega, considers gender expectations among Latinos in college. In the final chapter in this section, chapter 5, Nolan L. Cabrera, Fatemma D. Rashwan-Soto, and Bryant G. Valencia use intersectionality to complicate what it means to be male and Latino by referencing the [End Page 135] privilege paradox in which Latinos have some privilege due to their gender identity yet are marginalized by their ethnic/racial identity, immigrant status, and gendered expectations. The third section is focused on research and begins with a chapter on high school math achievement and its influence on college access. In chapter 6, Ismael Fajardo, José M. Hernandez, and José Muñoz examine the influential role of psychosociocultural factors on Latino male high school math achievement. Chapter 7 by Lizette Ojeda and Linda G. Castillo, focuses on the role of familismo on academic persistence and primarily uses the literature in counseling, which provides a different take on this often studied characteristic and highlights the need for parental involvement. In chapter 8 David Pérez II shifts the conversation from access...

Is the Gender Gap in College Enrollment Influenced by Nonmarital Birth Rates and Father Absence?

There is considerable academic and popular concern about the increasing gender gap in higher education enrollment in the United States. Males now constitute just 43% of the postsecondary enrollment. This research focused on nonmarital birth and father absence as predictors of lower levels of college enrollment for boys versus girls. The authors present two studies. In Study 1, using population data on college attendance and nonmarital birth rates, they found a strong positive association between nonmarital birth rates and the gender gap in college enrollment 18 years later. In Study 2, they examined individual-level data on father absence from birth and college enrollment among young adults. The results indicated that males were at greater risk than females of not attending college if they had experienced father absence from birth. Taken together, the 2 studies suggest that changes in family structure may have contributed to the widening gender gap in higher education.