Female lecturers subjected to gender bias in their evaluations

Gender bias from male students towards female lecturers is evident in student evaluations of teaching during remote learning and could be affecting female academics’ career opportunities, new research from Victoria University has found.

The research, published in a special issue of the Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice on International Women’s Day, analysed more than 22,000 student evaluation scores and more than 8,000 student comments.

Researchers found no differences in score rating between male and female lecturers. Students were generally appreciative of the effort academics had made in the rapid shift to remote learning during the pandemic, with negative comments accounting for only 7% of total comments made. However, male students were far more likely to provide negative comments about teaching styles of female lecturers, compared to male lecturers. 

In addition, students made critical comments about female lecturers’ home environment and technological capabilities, but did not extend similar criticism to male lecturers.

Teaching performance based on student evaluation is one of several elements universities use when considering the performance and promotion of lecturers.

Lead researcher Associate Professor Kathy Tangalakis from Victoria University said negative teaching evaluation comments were likely impacting on female academics’ career opportunities and progression.

“Together with previous research, there is overwhelming evidence that teacher evaluations are tainted by gender, sexuality and racial bias,” Associate Professor Tangalakis said.

“Given that these evaluations form part of the consideration for academics being promoted, it is possible that female academics are missing out on opportunities either directly due to these evaluations or feeling discouraged to apply for a promotion due to the negative evaluation comments,” she said.

Previous research from the University of New South Wales found both gender and cultural bias in student evaluations. Studies from France and the Netherlands found female teachers scored 20-37% below male colleagues, with both male and female students showing gender bias.

According to research from the Australian Institute of Family Studies, the burden of caring for children during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown fell disproportionately to women and this was the same for female academics.

Among the research recommendations were:

• an amnesty placed on negative evaluation comments during remote learning in promotion consideration
• greater awareness to managers and promotion panels about gendered evaluation data 
• gender bias training be developed for students and delivered prior to evaluations, and cautionary information be added in the instructions.

The researchers analysed more than 22,000 student evaluation scores and more than 8,000 student comments in a first-year college at Victoria University in 2019 (face-to-face learning) and 2020 (during COVID-19 lockdown).