Males Under-Estimate Academic Performance of Their Female Peers in Undergraduate Biology Classrooms

Abstract

Women who start college in one of the natural or physical sciences leave in greater proportions than their male peers. The reasons for this difference are complex, and one possible contributing factor is the social environment women experience in the classroom. Using social network analysis, we explore how gender influences the confidence that college-level biology students have in each other’s mastery of biology. Results reveal that males are more likely than females to be named by peers as being knowledgeable about the course content. This effect increases as the term progresses, and persists even after controlling for class performance and outspokenness. The bias in nominations is specifically due to males over-nominating their male peers relative to their performance. The over-nomination of male peers is commensurate with an overestimation of male grades by 0.57 points on a 4 point grade scale, indicating a strong male bias among males when assessing their classmates. Females, in contrast, nominated equitably based on student performance rather than gender, suggesting they lacked gender biases in filling out these surveys. These trends persist across eleven surveys taken in three different iterations of the same Biology course. In every class, the most renowned students are always male. This favoring of males by peers could influence student self-confidence, and thus persistence in this STEM discipline.

Norway’s gender gap: classroom participation in undergraduate introductory science

“…It also supports additional survey data in the United States from female students in biology, engineering, and chemistry courses who also self-report lower participation rates (31). Other studies across disciplines show conflicting results (31)(32)(33), and findings will likely vary across classroom environments based on instructor gender (7,33), pedagogy (34,35), discipline (13,14,36), and in-class group dynamics (15,37,38).…”

“…Another measure worthy of attention is in-class participation, because students who participate in lecture exert an influence on their peers, and communicate their understanding of class materials (15,16). Throughout the undergraduate experience, women in STEM are more likely to face subtle bias from their peers and faculty that may have lasting negative impacts on academic performance and measures of active inclass participation (15)(16)(17). The outcome is female attrition along the STEM pathway, such that at the faculty level, only one third across geoscience and life science disciplines are women (18).…”

Tertiary Academic Success: A Review of Factors in the Context of Ecological Model

“…This is perhaps due to the stereotype beliefs that women lack intelligence required for these fields (Leslie et al, 2015) and men are more knowledgeable (Grunspan et al, 2016). Also it may be because both male and female teachers and professors favour males in these disciplines by calling them more frequently in class and by responding to them more eagerly (Grunspan et al, 2016). In summary, evidence suggests that generally women tend to be more successful but specifically in science and related fields men are more successful.…”

“…Further, the attrition rates for women in science subjects are higher than men (Grunspan et al, 2016). This is perhaps due to the stereotype beliefs that women lack intelligence required for these fields (Leslie et al, 2015) and men are more knowledgeable (Grunspan et al, 2016). Also it may be because both male and female teachers and professors favour males in these disciplines by calling them more frequently in class and by responding to them more eagerly (Grunspan et al, 2016).…”

“…However, specifically in science, technology, engineering and mathematics women appear to be less successful than men (Leslie, Cimpian, Meyer, & Freeland, 2015). Further, the attrition rates for women in science subjects are higher than men (Grunspan et al, 2016). This is perhaps due to the stereotype beliefs that women lack intelligence required for these fields (Leslie et al, 2015) and men are more knowledgeable (Grunspan et al, 2016).…”