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Women often get talked over , interrupted , and disregarded when trying to make a point or answer a question .
‘ You don ’ t look like a science person ’
Study reveals why more women are walking away from physics .
By Wade Zaglas
Monash and Melbourne University researchers have released a study highlighting how gender-bias has affected women in the classroom and led to them withdrawing from science subjects such as physics at the undergraduate level .
The study was conducted by Monash University ’ s Camilla Fisher and Associate Professor Christopher Thompson , as well as Melbourne University ’ s Dr Rowan Brookes .
Close to 400 undergraduate students spanning eight Australian universities were surveyed for the study , which sought to understand “ their gendered experience of studying physics ”. This involved investigating how the female students ’ experiences of science identity , belonging and discrimination at university affected rates of attrition and their desire to complete their studies .
“ Research has shown female students are at higher risk of attrition from a science career pathway and our study sought to understand if the university experience was a contributing factor ,” Fisher said .
The study , which focused on a subject that hasn ’ t been covered widely within the Australian context , was published in the international journal Research in Science Education .
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Both male and female students reported some instances of gender discrimination that the researchers found “ alarming ”. One of the study ’ s key findings was that females frequently cited “ negative experiences ” when engaging in small group work .
“ I think that in class and group discussions , I find that women often get talked over , interrupted , and disregarded when trying to make a point or answer a question ,” female student # 8 said .
This experience was also articulated by another female student , adding the male students make comments along the lines of “ you don ’ t look like a science person ”.
At the same time , the study also revealed animosity among the male students , with some believing that initiatives to attract more women into STEM disciplines was “ discriminatory against men ”.
Other comments from male students not only reveal a disturbing level of misogyny , but also a perception that they are not being judged fairly against their female counterparts .
“ I think that women have no rights and men are the alphas . And u should get back to the kitchen ... B ***’,” male student # 5 said .
“ I ’ ve been brushed off . Possibly because people don ’ t want white males , they prefer diversity over merit ,” another male student said .
As the above comment highlights , the study uncovered perceptions by some male participants that STEM “ is being unfairly tailored towards women ”.
However , although this might be the perception , it is not the truth , with the Office of the Chief Scientist saying : “ The gender gap in the STEM workforce continues to persist .”
At the heart of the study was the key question : “ What factors are impacting the persistence of Australian undergraduate science students in the ‘ gender-balanced ’ and ‘ gender-unbalanced ’ science fields ?”
“ Gender-unbalanced ” science fields are those that are more male-dominated , such as physics , which includes 25 per cent female students , Fisher explained . She added that “ gender-balanced ” science fields do not mean equal gender representation ; it simply means the proportion of female students within these science fields are higher than the more male-dominated ones .
“ When giving examples of discrimination , female students often referred to issues pertaining to group work and interactions with their male peers . Previous research supports this , with recent findings highlighting that male students tend to dominate active learning classroom environments ,” the researchers said .
Fisher contends that the male responses show that group work with male peers is not having an advantageous effect , “ with female students reporting feeling unheard by their male peers ”.
“ In my first-year studies I was assumed to be not as smart as my male peers , by my male peers ,” female student # 44 reported .
“ This culminated in a number of ‘ mansplaining ’ incidents , that in hindsight definitely made me avoid attending class and even compulsory class , due to not wanting to feel as stupid as they thought I was .”
“ These results highlight potential ‘ at-risk ’ groups for attrition in the STEM fields and provide an insight into the male student perspective on gender equity in STEM ,” Fisher said .
“ We wanted a baseline understanding of the undergraduate science student experience . The research highlights the need to look at small group work being more equitable and the need for more education on lingering inequality .
“ Government bodies and other organisations invest heavily into attracting women to STEM subjects . We also need to be working out how we keep them engaged . No-one wants to exist in a space where they feel unwelcomed or demeaned .” ■
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