Investigating gender bias in Oxford MChem chemistry tutorials

Thesis

There is a gender attainment gap in Oxford’s MChem degree outcomes, which the university aims to eliminate. One hypothesised explanation for the gap is unconscious gender bias in chemistry tutorials.

This study investigated what makes tutorial experiences positive or negative for students and how female students experience chemistry tutorials.

Qualitative data were collected through interviews with current MChem students which were subsequently transcribed and analysed. These data provided a rich insight into the experiences of students in chemistry tutorials.

Students’ autonomy, competence and relatedness are not always supported in tutorials. According to self-determination theory, this could cause students to develop less autonomous motivation, leading to poorer learning outcomes. When exploring the gendered elements of chemistry tutorials, it was found that female students do a substantial amount of extra work in tutorials compared to their male peers. Female students must: push themselves to speak up; battle imposter syndrome; and deal with negative emotions such as anxiety, frustration and loneliness. This adds to their extraneous cognitive load, restricting the mental space they can devote to understanding chemistry, which could potentially lead to poorer learning outcomes.

Authors: Bruce, H

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-mzwpqpoqy
• Type of award: MSc taught course
• Level of award: Masters
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: Self-determination theory; Unconscious gender bias; Tutorial; Chemistry education; Cognitive load theory
• Subjects: Chemistry; Education