Gender Equality Training for Students in Higher Education: Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Higher Education Research
• Gender Studies
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Gender inequality persists in higher education, with men holding more leadership roles.
• Gender equality education can empower students to address biases and drive institutional change.
• Higher education institutes (HEIs) can benefit from targeted training interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review existing literature on gender equality training for higher education students.
• To analyze the content, methodology, and outcome evaluation of these training interventions.
• To identify gaps and inform future training design.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search using the Arskey & O'Malley framework.
• Screening of 3140 titles, 33 abstracts, and 52 full-text articles.
• Inclusion of 14 articles analyzed through a theory of change lens.

Main Results:

• Diverse pedagogical approaches were identified, including lectures and workshops.
• Training durations varied from single sessions to a year.
• Most studies lacked clear aims, theoretical grounding, and robust long-term impact evaluation.

Conclusions:

• The current literature on gender equality training for students is fragmented.
• Further research is needed to rigorously evaluate the impact of these interventions.
• This review provides a basis for developing evidence-based training recommendations.