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Sex differences in instructional dissent
1Department of Communication Studies, West Virginia University, 108 Armstrong Hall, PO Box 6293, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA. agoodboy@mail.wvu.edu
Psychological Reports
|October 11, 2012
Summary
This study found that female students express instructional dissent differently than male students. Student and instructor sex had small effects on dissent expression, with vengeful dissent more often directed at male instructors.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Understanding student-instructor dynamics is crucial for effective pedagogy.
- Research on instructional dissent often overlooks the influence of sex and gender.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex differences in how undergraduate students express instructional dissent.
- To examine the impact of instructor sex on students' dissent communication.
Main Methods:
- Surveyed 446 undergraduate students using the Instructional Dissent Scale (IDS).
- Collected demographic data including student sex and instructor sex.
- Analyzed IDS scores to identify patterns in dissent expression based on sex.
Main Results:
- Small but significant effects of student sex and instructor sex on IDS scores were observed.
- Female students reported higher levels of expressive dissent.
- Male students reported higher levels of rhetorical and vengeful dissent, and directed more vengeful dissent toward male instructors.
Conclusions:
- Student sex influences the type of instructional dissent communicated.
- Instructor sex can play a role in the direction of student dissent, particularly vengeful dissent.
- Findings highlight the nuanced interplay of gender in classroom communication and dissent.
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