Teamwork and Gender in

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Teamwork and Gender in Project-Based
Learning Tony Burden et alii Teaching Learning
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We want to end up at a place where women and men
are the same except for whatever is inherently
different. And so a lot of people sort of assume
that were already there. They ignore whatever
factors have happened in the first 20 years of
your life and say, Well, we all ought to be
equal, so well just assume that we are. But it
doesnt work like that. Talking about Leaving
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Gender

• A social and cultural construct
• based on biological sex (gender)
• A gender perspective on learning
• highlights social dimensions

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Design-build-test projects? PBL in a team

• Learning in a group
• Real-world tasks
• Tutoring

• Genderised roles in groups
• Presumed knowledge and ability
• Genderised styles of tutoring

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1 woman, 2nd year at KTH (KTH.F1) 2 men, 2nd year
at KTH (KTH.M2) 3 women, 4th year at
KTH (KTH.F3) 4 women, 3rd year at
Linköping (LiU.F4) 10 men, 3rd year at
Linköping (LiU.M10) 9 women, 4th year at
Linköping (LiU.F9) 5 women, 4th year at
Queen's (QUB.F5)
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The projects have demanded a lot of practical and
technical knowledge that wasnt in the previous
courses. (LiU.F9) Sometimes the students were
expected to use tools/instruments but
particularly soft-ware they had never used
before. (QUB.F5) Men often have the practical
knowledge that is required to solve technical
problems, such as programming. (LiU.F4)
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Mixed teams can be more efficient at getting the
project done while a woman can learn more in a
women-only team. (KTH.F1) Its very easy for
women to get help from men so some women thought
that it was better to work with other women so
that the men didnt take over. (LiU.F4) Men
often have the practical knowledge that is
required to solve technical problems, such as
programming. (LiU.F4)
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Choice of task

• Women choose a meaningful project that they feel
  they can cope with.
• Men choose an exciting challenge

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4 women and 10 men a sub-skimmer. 2 women and 4
men a sports car body. 4 women and 1 man chose
a leg prothesis. (KTH.F3) These were typical
choices of project. The men chose a task that
seemed difficult and enjoyable, a challenge. Men
and women choose different tasks. Women are more
cautious. (LiU.M10)
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significant aspects of task design

• wider context in Engineering
• wider context in society
• required disciplinary knowledge
• required practical ability
• element of challenge

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everyone learns everythingcontrado what you
can in the team

• Composition of team
• Required knowledge
• Required practical ability
• Learning objectives

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task contra group

• different individual roles and different styles
  of leadership
• different styles of communication and discussion
• different styles of working in a project team

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Woman tended to do the non-engineering
tasks. (QUB.F5) Women are good at looking after
the running of things. Men have been responsible
for software and hardware. (LiU.F9) Men have
had formal roles connected to engineering while
women have had organising roles. (LiU.M10)
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Men tend to take leading roles but women are
more organised. (QUB.F5) When women have been
team leaders they have looked after the running
of the group more than the men in the teams have
expected. (LiU.M10) Men have tended to have
leading roles while women have tended to have
organising roles. (LiU.F9)
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Women ask more questions, i.e. women tend to
discuss other peoples contributions more than
men who tend to just make contributions. (KTH.F3)
the believing game' inc. active
listening the doubting game' University
culture Men communicate simply and
straight-forwardly. (LiU.M10) Men think more
about what they say when there are women in the
team. (LiU.M10)
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• men rush in and try things out
• women discuss and plan ahead
• men overwork at the final deadline

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Tried things out a lot in the beginning but
learnt later on to ... (LiU.M10) It was
difficult at first when the men wanted to get
going straightaway while the women wanted to
... (LiU.F9) Men go ahead regardless and seem to
prefer to make a mistake rather than ask someone
for help. (KTH.F3) I would never do that!
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The men wanted to get going straightaway while
the women wanted to think a while
first. (LiU.F9) Women care more about the
relation-ships in the group working well. Women
are more concerned with the team working
efficiently. (QUB.F5) Women look
ahead. (KTH.F3)
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Women look ahead and take more responsibility
for completing the project in time. The men get
stressed, and work even harder, more towards the
end of the project. (KTH.F3) The males didnt
seem to worry about deadline as much as the
women. (QUB.F5)
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Tutors should

• both support and push or prod
• be active, take the initiative, give feedback
• be accessible
• study group dynamics and gender

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The female students said they would prefer a
woman as tutor. A female tutor would be more
likely to provide extra help if required. Less
stress if the role model was female (very
rare). (QUB.F5)
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The female students said they would like to have
more team based courses through-out their degree
programme. There are differences between men and
women and they felt working in teams helped
prepare them for real life. (QUB.F5)