Unveiling gender dynamics in introductory physics labs

Abstract The persistent underrepresentation of women and gender minorities within the physical sciences remains a significant issue. This study investigates gender dynamics in introductory algebra-based physics laboratories, focusing on participation, task preferences, and comfort levels. Statistical analysis revealed no significant gender difference in overall participation rates during lab activities. However, significant gender-based disparities emerged in both task preference [ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:msup> <mml:mo stretchy="false">(</mml:mo> <mml:mrow> <mml:mtext mathvariant="italic">df</mml:mtext> </mml:mrow> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>3</mml:mn> <mml:mo stretchy="false">)</mml:mo> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>9.548</mml:mn> <mml:mo>,</mml:mo> <mml:mtext> </mml:mtext> <mml:mi>p</mml:mi> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.023</mml:mn> <mml:mo>,</mml:mo> <mml:mtext> </mml:mtext> <mml:mi>α</mml:mi> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.05</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> ] and comfort levels [ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:msup> <mml:mo stretchy="false">(</mml:mo> <mml:mrow> <mml:mtext mathvariant="italic">df</mml:mtext> </mml:mrow> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>3</mml:mn> <mml:mo stretchy="false">)</mml:mo> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>7.906</mml:mn> <mml:mo>,</mml:mo> <mml:mtext> </mml:mtext> <mml:mi>p</mml:mi> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.048</mml:mn> <mml:mo>,</mml:mo> <mml:mtext> </mml:mtext> <mml:mi>α</mml:mi> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.05</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> ]. Male students significantly preferred and felt more comfortable with hands-on equipment handling and data collection, whereas female students more frequently preferred and reported higher comfort with analytical and documentation tasks like note-taking, calculations, and report writing. Qualitative responses highlighted additional challenges reported by some women, including exclusion from group discussions and reluctance to contribute ideas in male-dominated groups. These findings suggest that while overall participation may appear gender-neutral, gendered patterns in task allocation and comfort persist. The results underscore the need for instructional strategies that promote equitable engagement and foster inclusive laboratory environments in physics education.