The impact of gender-role stereotypes and the sex-typing of the professor job on performance evaluations in higher education

• Main Author: Dorio, Jay M
• Format: Others
• Published: Scholar Commons 2005
• Subjects: Discrimination; Gender-role; Congruity; Glass-ceiling; Gender ideology; American Studies; Arts and Humanities
• Online Access: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/2858; http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3857&context=etd

The present study examined the influences of gender-role stereotypes, gender-role congruity, and the sex-typing of the professor job on performance evaluations of university educators in actual classroom settings. Participants used the Schein Descriptive Index (Schein, 1973) to define gender-role stereotypes, characteristics of their professor/instructor, and the characteristics of an "Effective Professor." Participants used a behavior summary scale (BSS) formatted student assessment of instruction to evaluate their professors/instructors performance after a full semester of class participation. It was hypothesized that a pro-male bias would exist in the sex-typing of the professor job, and that combined with the gender-role stereotypes of participants and the gender-role congruity of professors/instructors, would influence performance evaluations. In support of hypothesized relationships, results demonstrated that male and female participants hold different gender-role stereotypes of Men and Women, that the professor job is sex-typed in favor of men for male participants, and that gender-role stereotypes and the gender-role congruity of actual professors/instructors can influence performance evaluation ratings. Contrary to previous research and hypothesized relationships, the sex-typing of the professor job was not significantly related to performance evaluation scores. Additionally, results of regression analyses revealed no gender differences in performance evaluation ratings; however, age differences were found, in favor of older professors/instructors. Possible explanations for obtained results, as well as study limitations, are discussed.