Gender

Leath, C. and Read, B. (2009) Gender and the Changing Face of Education, Maidenhead: Open university Press

This book is considered by many in the field to be ground-breaking. It examines gender issues in relation to higher education in the UK and globally. It provides a thorough analysis of debates about ‘feminisation’. It asks:

  • to what extent do patterns of participation continue to reflect and (re)construct wider social inequalities of gender, social class and ethnicity?
  • how far has a numerical increase in women students challenged the cultures, curriculum and practices of the university?
  • what are the implications for women, men and the future of higher education?

It draws on international and national data, theory and research. It is easy to read and provides the reader with a good understanding of Gender and the Changing Face of Higher Education.


Solomon, L.E.J. (2011) How do Age and Gender Affect University Students’ Experience and Outcomes? PhD Thesis, Brighton: University of Sussex

Increasing access to higher education has led to a diversified student body, suggesting that conceptualising the ‘student experience’ as homogeneous is no longer viable. Previous research reported that age and gender exert significant influences on the student experience, but this has generally taken a ‘snapshot’ of those experiences rather than tracing differences over time. This study makes a contribution to this area by assessing changes in the student experience over the lifespan of the degree to explore the relative impact of age and gender (and the potential interaction between them). The study employed a longitudinal qualitative design to explore in-depth the experiences of sixty-one students over three years, using an innovative email research method. Available here