Investigating students' gender expression and its relation to sense of belonging in introductory physics courses

This qualitative study investigates how introductory physics students' sense of belonging is influenced by gender expression, revealing that many students feel pressured to adopt more masculine presentations to fit in, while feminine expressions often lead to feeling singled out.

The Gist

The Big Picture: The "Physics Party" Problem

Imagine walking into a huge party (a physics class) where almost everyone is wearing the same specific outfit: a leather jacket, dark jeans, and a very serious expression. You might be wearing a bright floral dress, a colorful hoodie, or a suit that doesn't quite fit the "leather jacket" vibe.

This paper investigates what happens when you show up to that party as yourself, but you worry that everyone else sees you differently. The researchers wanted to know: Does the gap between how you see yourself and how you think others see you make you feel like you belong at the party?

The Cast of Characters

• The Researchers: Two physicists who noticed that women and gender minorities often leave physics, not because they aren't smart, but because they feel like they don't fit in.
• The Participants: 26 students from a large university. They came from all walks of life: men, women, non-binary folks, trans folks, and people of various races.
• The Tool: A "Gender Expression Meter." Instead of asking "Are you a boy or a girl?", they asked students to rate themselves on a sliding scale for three things:
  1. Masculinity (e.g., logical, tough, short hair).
  2. Femininity (e.g., gentle, emotional, long hair).
  3. Androgyny (a mix of both or neither).

They asked two questions for each:

1. Self-View: "How do you see yourself?"
2. Reflected View: "How do you think others see you?"

The Discovery: The "Mirror Mismatch"

The researchers found something fascinating. For many students, the mirror in their head didn't match the mirror they thought the other students were holding.

• The Mismatch: A student might think, "I am actually quite gentle and emotional (high femininity)," but they believe their physics classmates think, "That person looks tough and logical (high masculinity)."
• The Result: When this "mismatch" happened, the student felt less like they belonged. It was like walking into a room where you think everyone is looking at a different version of you than who you actually are.

Why Does This Mismatch Happen? (The Two Main Reasons)

The researchers interviewed the students to ask, "Why do you think they see you differently?" Two main stories came up:

1. The "Stranger Danger" Effect (Not Being Known)

Imagine you are at a massive concert with 200 people. You are wearing a unique hat. The person next to you only sees the hat; they don't know your name, your jokes, or your kindness.

• What the students said: "My classmates only see my clothes and my face. They don't know my personality."
• The Physics Factor: In these big physics classes, students often sit in rows, solve problems silently, and rarely talk about their personal lives. Because they don't get to know each other deeply, they rely on stereotypes (quick guesses based on looks) to figure out who someone is.
• The Analogy: It's like judging a book solely by its cover because you never got to read the first chapter.

2. The "Different Dictionary" Effect (Different Definitions)

Imagine you and a friend are trying to describe a "good day." You think a good day involves napping and reading. Your friend thinks a good day involves running a marathon. You are both using the same words, but you mean different things.

• What the students said: "I think being 'masculine' means being confident, but I think my classmates think it means being aggressive."
• The Physics Factor: Students felt that in physics, people hold onto old-school, stereotypical ideas of what a "physicist" looks like (usually a serious, logical man). They worried their classmates wouldn't understand their more complex, fluid, or gentle side.

The Cost: The "Lemon with Sugar" Feeling

This is the most emotional part of the study. Many students described feeling a pressure to change their outfit to fit the party.

• The Strategy: Some women and gender-nonconforming students said they felt they had to act "tougher," dress more "masculinely," or stop showing emotion to be taken seriously.
• The Feeling: One student described this perfectly: "It's like eating a lemon with sugar on it."
  • The sugar is the sugar-coating: You act the part, people listen to you, and you feel safe for a moment.
  • The lemon is the sour truth: It tastes bad because you aren't being your real self. It's exhausting and uncomfortable.
• The Consequence: When you have to wear a "costume" just to get through the class, you stop feeling like you truly belong. You feel like an imposter.

The Solution: How to Fix the Party

The paper suggests that to make physics a place where everyone belongs, we need to stop the "Stranger Danger" and the "Different Dictionary" issues.

1. Get to Know the Person, Not Just the Cover: Instructors need to create spaces where students talk about who they are, not just the answers to physics problems. If students know each other's stories, they stop relying on stereotypes.
2. Validate the "Real You": Students need to feel that they can bring their whole selves (their gentleness, their humor, their unique style) into the classroom without fear of being judged.
3. Break the Ice: Simple things like having students work in small groups where they share personal interests, rather than just solving equations, can help bridge the gap between "how I see myself" and "how they see me."

The Bottom Line

Physics isn't just about gravity and atoms; it's about people. If students feel like they have to hide their true selves to fit into the "physics culture," they will eventually leave. But if we build a classroom where students are known for who they really are, the gap between their self-view and how others see them disappears, and they feel like they truly belong.

Technical Summary

1. Problem Statement

Despite national efforts to promote diversity, women and gender minorities remain significantly underrepresented in physics. While prior research has extensively documented gender inequities using categorical identity variables (e.g., man/woman), these approaches often fail to capture the nuanced, context-dependent ways gender is socially enacted and interpreted within specific classroom environments.

The authors identify a gap in understanding gender expression (how individuals present and enact gendered selves) and its relationship to sense of belonging. Previous quantitative work by the authors revealed that students often hold gender appraisal discrepancies—misalignments between their self-appraisals (how they view themselves) and reflected appraisals (how they believe others view them) regarding masculinity, femininity, and androgyny. Crucially, these discrepancies were correlated with lower sense of belonging. However, quantitative data alone could not explain the mechanisms driving these patterns or how students interpret these discrepancies. This study seeks to qualitatively investigate the sources of these discrepancies and their connection to belonging in introductory physics.

2. Methodology

• Theoretical Framework: The study is grounded in Judith Butler's theory of gender performativity, which posits that gender is not an innate essence but a socially constructed product of repeated acts and interpretations within specific cultural contexts.
• Participants: 26 undergraduate students enrolled in introductory algebra-based and calculus-based physics courses at a large public R1 university in the U.S. (Spring/Fall 2024). The sample included diverse gender identities (cisgender, transgender, non-binary, gender-fluid) and racial/ethnic backgrounds.
• Sampling Strategy: Participants were recruited via convenience and criterion sampling. Priority was given to students who reported discrepancies between self- and reflected appraisals in a pre-course survey using a Gradational Gender Metric (GGM).
• Data Collection:
  • Instrument: Semi-structured interviews (~60 minutes) based on a protocol developed iteratively.
  • Focus Areas: (1) Student definitions of masculinity, femininity, and androgyny; (2) Rationale for GGM ratings; (3) Sources of appraisal discrepancies; (4) Experiences of gender expression and belonging.
  • Pre-interview: Participants completed a paper version of the GGM to serve as a reference during the interview.
• Data Analysis: Audio recordings were transcribed and analyzed using NVivo. The authors employed an iterative coding process involving both inductive and deductive coding, developing a codebook to identify themes and "pattern codes" linking gender expression to belonging.

3. Key Contributions

• Operationalization of Gender Expression: The study validates the use of gradational metrics in physics education research, moving beyond binary identity categories to capture the fluidity of gender performance.
• Mechanism Identification: It provides the first qualitative explanation for why gender appraisal discrepancies occur in physics, identifying specific social and structural drivers.
• Intersection of Discrepancy and Belonging: It elucidates the causal link between feeling "misrecognized" by peers and the resulting decline in sense of belonging, offering a new lens for understanding retention issues in STEM.

4. Key Results

The study identified three primary themes corresponding to the research questions:

A. Student Understandings of Gender (RQ1)

• Students largely relied on social stereotypes (e.g., femininity = gentle/emotional; masculinity = logical/strong) to define gender terms.
• However, many students also articulated nuanced, fluid understandings, rejecting the binary opposition of masculinity and femininity. They viewed gender as a "vibe" or internal feeling that could coexist or change over time.
• Androgyny was interpreted variously as a blend of traits or a lack of both.

B. Sources of Appraisal Discrepancies (RQ2)
Students attributed discrepancies between how they saw themselves and how they thought others saw them to two main factors:

1. Not Feeling Personally Known: Students felt that in large physics classes, peers relied on superficial, external cues (appearance, clothing) rather than deep knowledge of personality or behavior. They believed that if peers knew them better, appraisals would align with their self-perception.
2. Differing Definitions of Gender: Students perceived that their peers (especially in male-dominated physics environments) held rigid, stereotypical views of gender, whereas the students themselves held more fluid or complex views. They assumed peers would misinterpret their traits based on these stereotypes.

C. Connection to Sense of Belonging (RQ3)
Two primary mechanisms linked appraisal discrepancies to lower sense of belonging:

1. Pressure to Alter Expression: 14 of 26 students reported pressure to modify their gender expression to fit the physics culture.
   • Masculinization: Many women and gender minorities felt compelled to suppress feminine traits and adopt "masculine" behaviors (e.g., being more assertive, dressing less femininely) to be taken seriously or gain recognition.
   • Feminization: A smaller subset felt pressure to accentuate femininity to "stand out" and prove their presence in a male-dominated space.
   • Internal Conflict: This performance created a paradoxical tension (described as "eating a lemon with sugar on it"): students felt uncomfortable being inauthentic but felt it was necessary for survival/recognition in the class.
2. The "Not Known" Factor: Both appraisal discrepancies and low belonging were rooted in the perception that peers did not know them personally. Students reported that the structural nature of physics classes (large lectures, focus on abstract problems, lack of personal discussion) inhibited the formation of interpersonal connections necessary for feeling "known" and valued.

5. Significance and Implications

• Theoretical: The study confirms that gender appraisal discrepancies are not merely statistical noise but reflect real experiences of misrecognition and disconnection. It suggests that the "culture of no culture" (the myth of objectivity in physics) actively discourages the interpersonal interactions needed for students to be seen authentically.
• Instructional Implications:
  • Foster Interpersonal Connections: Instructors should design activities that prioritize getting to know students as individuals, not just as problem-solvers. This includes collaborative learning that encourages personal sharing.
  • Validate Diverse Expressions: Creating environments where students feel safe to express their authentic gender identities without fear of misrecognition is crucial for belonging.
  • Curriculum Design: Integrating social-emotional learning and ethical discussions into physics curricula can help humanize the discipline and reduce the pressure to conform to rigid gender norms.
• Future Research: The authors suggest further investigation into how class size and specific pedagogical structures impact peer recognition, and how to systematically measure the "competence" associated with different gender expressions in STEM.

In conclusion, the paper argues that supporting students' authentic self-expression and fostering genuine peer connections are critical, yet often overlooked, steps toward improving equity and retention in introductory physics.