Gendered patterns of coping responses with academic sexism in a group of Spanish secondary students

Abstract

This study analyses predictors of students’ coping responses to academic sexism. 954 high school students (MAge = 17; SDAge = 0.90, 57% girls) participated. Boys were therefore more likely to use avoidance responses, whereas girls confronting and help-seeking responses. Likewise, hierarchical regressions suggest that girls and boys and girls whose parents had a high educational level and were without sexist attitudes about women’s higher level of competence in biology and languages were more likely to deploy confronting responses. Similarly, participants who did not embrace stereotypes about boys’ and girls’ higher abilities in some domains were more likely to seek help. Furthermore, boys and girls who believed that girls are better at biology and languages were more likely to develop avoidance responses. Interaction between gender and parental educational level shows that boys with highly educated parents were more likely to avoid the sexism. The present research contributes to the study of factors shaping gender differences in students’ coping with academic sexism. The role played by students’ adherence to stereotyped beliefs about boys’ and girls’ academic abilities is also discussed.