Gender Differences in Learned Helplessness and Students’ Perceptions of Lecturer’s Gender Among University Students in Stem Disciplines in South West, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined gender differences in learned helplessness and students’ perceptions of lecturer’s gender among university students in STEM disciplines in South West, Nigeria. The study was conducted using quantitative method, that is, the use of questionnaires to collect data. The Learned Helplessness Scale was administered to participants. The participants were selected using purposive sampling and consisted of 400 undergraduates from two private universities and two public universities in South West Nigeria. Independent sample t test and Linear Regression were used to analyze the data. The result of this study indicated that there was a significant difference between male and female students on learned helplessness. There was also a significant difference between male and female on preference for male and female lectures in STEM disciplines. However, no significant prediction was found between learned helplessness and students’ perceptions about gender in STEM disciplines. Implications for researchers and further research are discussed.

Keywords: Gender, learned helplessness, student, perceptions, STEM disciplines.