GENDER AND THE LEARNING

ENVIRONMENTAn Investigation of Learning Spaces at IUPUI

John Fierst

Learning Environments Classroom or study space Taken in a variety of campus buildings:

IT BuildingSchool of ScienceEngineering and TechnologyUniversity LibraryKelley/SPEAEducation/Social WorkCavanaugh HallTaylor Hall

Photo Examples

Survey Participants 138 Total Responses 98 Females, 40 Males Basis of Data Analysis

Masculine, Slightly Masculine, Neutral, Slightly Feminine, Feminine○ Masculine = 1○ Slightly Masculine = 2○ Neutral = 3○ Slightly Feminine = 4○ Feminine = 5

Results Analysis done with respect to the entire

138 participantsOf the entire 4140 responses collected

(138x30)…○ 1188 – Masculine (28.7%)○ 730 – Slightly Masculine (17.6%)○ 1845 – Neutral (44.6%)○ 795 – Slightly Feminine (19.2%)○ 1130 – Feminine (27.3%)

Nearly half of the responses were neutral

Results Analysis done with respect to the entire

138 participantsMost feminine space = 4.333Most masculine space = 1.906

Results Analysis done with respect to the entire

138 participantsDistribution of learning environments

Less than 2 1

Between 2 and 2.5 6

Between 2.5 and 3.5 16

Between 3.5 and 4 5

Greater than 4 1

Results Most neutral classrooms: 2.975 and 3.075

respectivelyWomen saw the orange space as slightly more

masculine, and men saw it as more neutral

Results

Analysis done with respect to genderSmall differences between male and female

respondentsSame room appeared most masculine and

most feminine to both gendersTop row = female; bottom row = male

Results

Analysis done with respect to school/buildingHonors College – more

feminine○ Runner Up: The Tower

Lecture Hall – more masculine○ Runner Up: IT

Connections to R325/Kimmel Interplanetary Theory of Gender

DifferenceSurvey results show we’re more alike than

different Hidden Curriculum

Informal interactions with professors and students

Based on my survey, this could extend to the way we perceive and interact with our learning environments

Conclusion

Our university’s learning environments are mostly neutral (half of responses and over half of classrooms were neutral).

Men and women seemed to define gendered learning environments in the same way.

Newer spaces should consider gendered visual appearance.