Barriers to academic help-seeking: the relationship with gender-typed attitudes. Issue 3 (16th March 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Brown, Denise; Barry, John A.; Todd, Brenda K.
• Is Part Of: Journal of further and higher education. Volume 45:Issue 3(2021)
• Page Start: 401
• Page End: 416
• Publication Date: 2021-03-16
• Subjects: Academic help-seeking -- learning goals -- gender scripts -- gender role strain; Education, Higher -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; Education -- Periodicals; 374.941
• DOI: 10.1080/0309877X.2020.1774049
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0309-877X

Abstract

ABSTRACT: In recent years, male students at UK schools and universities have been falling behind their female peers in academic achievement. Previous studies have shown that male students are less likely than female students to seek academic help, but have not investigated the relationship between gender-typical attitudes and reluctance to seek academic help. In the present study, 162 students at six UK universities completed the Help-Seeking Scales and the Traditional Gender Script Questionnaire. Data from this survey were analysed using MANOVA and multilple linear regression. The main findings were that reluctance to seek help was predicted by higher scores on the masculine gender script subscale Mastery and Control of feelings for both male ( β =.448, p <.01) and female students ( β = .497, p < .001). For male participants, being a Fighter and a Winner also predicted reluctance to seek help ( β = −.322, p < .05) whereas, for female students, greater help-seeking was associated with more interest in creating Family Harmony ( β = −.272, p < .05). These findings suggest that the help-seeking behaviour of both male and female students is related to specific gender-typical attitudes. We suggest that awareness of these attitudes can serve to inform educational practice by facilitating access to academic assistance and encouraging all students to seek academic help.