Understanding Learning through Gendered Lenses: A Qualitative Sociological Study of Educational Experiences and Achievement

Abstract

This study scrutinizes learning achievement through gendered lenses, emphasizing how educational experiences are socially constructed and shaped by gender norms, roles, and power relations. Adopting a qualitative research design, the study conducted an interpretive analysis of peer-reviewed literature that explicitly addressed gender and learning achievement. Thematic analysis revealed recurring patterns in how gendered dispositions, access to cultural and social resources, and institutional practices influence students’ engagement, participation, and recognition in educational settings. Intersectional perspectives highlighted that gender interacts with other social categories, such as class and race, producing differentiated learning experiences and outcomes. Drawing on feminist theory and Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus, capital, and field, the study demonstrates that learning achievement is not an individual attribute but a socially mediated process shaped by structural, cultural, and relational factors. The findings underscore the importance of inclusive educational practices that recognize and address the nuanced ways gender structures learning opportunities and achievements.