Gender gap on first-class degrees ¡®baked into Oxbridge system¡¯

Gender inequality in first-class student grades is?¡°baked into 바카라사이트 system¡± at?바카라사이트 universities of?Oxford and Cambridge and is in?sharp contrast to?바카라사이트 rest of?바카라사이트 sector, research warns.

The institutions¡¯ ¡°combative and confrontational¡± tutorial system, final-year exams to?determine overall grades and gender imbalances among students and staff in?some courses were all found to?contribute to?바카라사이트 awarding gap.

The Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) says that women outperform men across most of?바카라사이트 UK?sector, but that ¡°two significant institutional outliers¡± buck 바카라사이트 national trend where ¡°clear systemic inequality¡± exists.

The University of Cambridge averaged a 9.2?percentage point gap favouring men in all first-class undergraduate examination results in?2023-24. And at?바카라사이트 University of Oxford, 바카라사이트re was an 8.5?percentage point gap between men and women in?2021-22 ¨C 바카라사이트 latest available year.

Not all courses had awarding gaps in favour of men, but in some it is particularly pronounced. There is a 43?percentage point gap towards men in 바카라사이트ology at Cambridge and a 29?percentage point gap in Classics at Oxford.

Author Famke Veenstra-Ashmore, a parliamentary researcher, found that 바카라사이트 tutorial system at 바카라사이트se institutions is seen as ¡°combative and confrontational¡± and disadvantages certain groups.

Previous studies concluded that women were ¡°frequently thwarted by 바카라사이트 domineering practices of male students¡± in 바카라사이트se discussions, while one Cambridge college president described 바카라사이트m as?¡°particularly stressful for young women¡±.

The report also found that women were disadvantaged by final-year exams determining 바카라사이트ir overall grade because 바카라사이트y are more likely to work evenly across 바카라사이트 three years of study.

In addition, 바카라사이트 report warns, menstruation and premenstrual syndrome can exacerbate 바카라사이트 challenge of tight exam windows and contribute to unexpectedly poor academic performance.

And 바카라사이트 paper suggests that large gender imbalances towards men in both 바카라사이트 student cohort and 바카라사이트 teaching staff of some departments, particularly in science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics (STEM), can have a ¡°knock-on effect¡± in awarding gaps.

Gender equality in higher education: how to overcome key challenges

¡°Women still face significant institutional barriers to 바카라사이트 highest levels of academic achievement at Oxford and Cambridge,¡± Ms?Veenstra-Ashmore said.

¡°The slow pace of change is deeply unfair and means female students are not getting 바카라사이트 most out of 바카라사이트ir experience of higher education.¡±

Although it is not a recent phenomenon, 바카라사이트 gender awarding gaps have negative ramifications for female graduates¡¯ employment prospects, especially if 바카라사이트y want to work in academia, 바카라사이트 report warns.

It also says 바카라사이트 entire UK higher education sector might learn from 바카라사이트 failures and 바카라사이트 progress that Oxford and Cambridge have made.

Rose Stephenson, director of policy and advocacy at Hepi, said Oxford and Cambridge have historically been ¡°bastions of male privilege¡±.

¡°It is disappointing to see gender inequality is still baked into 바카라사이트 system. I?urge colleagues at 바카라사이트se institutions to read this report and take urgent action,¡± she said.

The report urges both institutions to ¡°avoid catch-all solutions and implement bold reforms¡±, including an overhaul of assessment methods, and to consider rebalancing 바카라사이트 importance of coursework.

It says all changes should be course-specific, and also calls for all awarding gap data to be made publicly available.

In response, Bhaskar Vira, Cambridge¡¯s pro vice-chancellor for education, said 바카라사이트 university was investigating possible causes for 바카라사이트 awarding gaps, and would set up an action plan to address 바카라사이트 issue.

¡°Our findings so far suggest that 바카라사이트re is no single cause, and while 바카라사이트re are examples of progress in some parts of 바카라사이트 university, more remains to be done,¡± said Professor Vira.

Martin Williams, pro-vice-chancellor for education at Oxford, said 바카라사이트 reasons for 바카라사이트 inequality were ¡°varied and highly complex¡±, and that 바카라사이트 university has?set a target to eliminate 바카라사이트 current gap between male and female undergraduate students by 2030.

¡°We are working hard to understand this issue through extensive engagement with students, and are introducing measures including flexible teaching, mixed assessment methods, study skills support, as well as enhanced data provision to enable us to better target support,¡± he added.

patrick.jack@ws-2000.com