Effects of Gender and Group Composition on Higher Education Students’ Application of Collaborative Problem-Solving Skills

Supporting the development of collaborative problem-solving (CPS) skills without reinforcing social inequalities is a crucial task in 21st-century education. Therefore, inclusive learning environments are needed that enable CPS skill application for group members across diverse sociodemographic backgrounds. Prior research has demonstrated a gender gap in CPS skills, with female students consistently outperforming male students. Moreover, studies indicate that the gender group composition is associated with students’ collaborative behaviors. However, the complex effects of gender and gender group composition on students’ application of CPS skills remain inconclusive. This study aims to investigate how male and female higher education students apply CPS skills in small groups. Specifically, we want to explore the effects of gender, gender group composition, and the interaction between gender and gender group composition on students’ application of CPS skills. The planned study will have an experimental mixed-factor design with a between-subjects factor Gender (male and female) and an experimental factor Group Composition with random assignment to one of four conditions (single-gender, majority-gender, balanced-gender, or minority-gender). Students who do not identify as male or female will be allocated to diverse-gender groups and examined exploratively. Based on an a-priori power analysis, we plan to recruit a sample of N=200-280 higher education students enrolled in teacher training study programs. The study will be completed in an interactive online environment where the students will collaboratively analyze videoclips of a classroom situation in groups of four. We will collect log data of students’ actions and interactions in the online environment for the analysis of CPS skill application, and we will assess students’ gender as well as additional motivational and cognitive variables with questionnaires.