The Skilled Man and the Lovely Woman : A qualitative analysis of gendered expectations in Swedish course evaluations

Research has shown that course evaluations often reflect gender bias, with women being rated differently than men based on stereotypes rather than teaching ability. While this pattern has been shown in various contexts, less is known about how such biases manifest in written comments and in settings that actively promote gender equality, such as Sweden. This study focuses on course evaluations from the Sociology Department at Stockholm University, with an emphasis on written comments. By analyzing qualitative course evaluation feedback, the research aim is to identify potential gendered language patterns when evaluating teachers and see whether women and men are described differently by students, what is expected from them, as well as what specific qualities are associated with each gender. The study was guided by Expectation states theory, and used thematic analysis with an abductive approach to explore whether and how gender might play a role in shaping students’ perception of their teachers. By doing so, this research contributes to a broader understanding of gender and evaluation processes in higher education, and provides insights that can be useful to ensure fairness and accuracy in course evaluation systems. The findings indicate that gendered expectations shape how teachers are evaluated, with differences emerging in tone, focus, and frequency of both praise and critique. These patterns suggest that course evaluations may contribute to the reproduction of gendered assumptions about ability and authority within academia.