Gender-Inclusive Classrooms: Promising Pedagogical Practices and Curricular Reforms

By Esther Kim, Pallavi Khurana & Dina Refki

Despite growing diversity in higher education, many classrooms remain exclusionary and continue to privilege whiteness and masculine norms. Using Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 2012) and the Framework for Equitable Education (Kim, 2019), the study examines how inclusive teaching practices can foster autonomy, competence, and relatedness—core psychological needs essential for student motivation and success. The paper explores how gender-inclusive pedagogical practices and curricular reforms are needed to transform classroom environments, especially in gender-nontraditional fields such as STEM.

The research investigates both barriers to gender inclusion and promising strategies for creating equitable, supportive learning environments. Drawing from focus groups and interviews with 19 faculty and students from community colleges and public universities, the study identifies behavioral, psychological, and structural challenges that impede inclusion and offers actionable interventions through pedagogy and curriculum.

 

Key Findings

  1. Challenges in Gendered Classrooms
    • Behavioral Barriers: Students reported relational disconnects with faculty and peers, often feeling ignored or undervalued. Gendered communication patterns—such as interruptions, dismissive language, and differential treatment—reinforced exclusion. Faculty acknowledged limited awareness and reflection on their own biases.
    • Psychological Barriers: Female and gender-minority students described imposter syndrome, hypervisibility, and isolation, particularly in male-dominated classes. The lack of role models and peer support exacerbated disengagement and emotional strain. Faculty noted that grading and participation structures often reinforced these inequities.
    • Structural Barriers: Institutional norms and competitive academic cultures perpetuate inequities by privileging performance over learning and marginalizing collaboration. Both students and faculty pointed to the absence of diverse representation in curricula and systemic disincentives for inclusive teaching.
  2. Intervention Strategies: Inclusive Pedagogical Practices
    • Communication as Co-Creation: Faculty who viewed communication as collaborative—encouraging dialogue, peer learning, and shared meaning-making—fostered belonging and connection. This aligns with Self-Determination Theory’s emphasis on relatedness.
    • Intentional and Inclusive Communication: Use of gender-neutral language, pronoun respect, and mindful phrasing signals inclusion and reduces alienation.
    • Growth Mindset Framing: Reframing mistakes as part of learning nurtures competence and resilience, countering stereotypes that equate ability with perfection.
    • Students as Co-Constructors: Inviting students to co-create classroom norms and learning agreements enhances autonomy and shared ownership of learning.
  3. Intervention Strategies: Inclusive Curriculum
    • Centering Student Experience: Including students in course planning builds transparency and trust, allowing curriculum to reflect diverse experiences.
    • Representation and Relevance: Highlighting work by women and underrepresented scholars combats invisibility and challenges dominant narratives.
    • Syllabi as Communicative Texts: Shifting from rigid, rule-based documents to warm, welcoming syllabi communicates care and inclusivity.

 

Discussion and Implications

The study reveals that gendered inequities in classrooms persist through subtle communicative acts and institutional norms that maintain exclusion. While inclusive pedagogical and curricular practices exist, their implementation is fragmented and dependent on individual faculty commitment, rather than institutional mandate or support.

Key Implications:

  • Instructional Practice: Faculty should adopt inclusive communication, collaborative learning, and growth mindset framing to foster belonging.
  • Faculty Development: Institutions must provide discipline-specific training on bias awareness, inclusive communication, and reflective pedagogy.
  • Institutional Reform: Sustainable inclusion requires systemic change—embedding inclusive teaching in promotion criteria, curriculum review, and faculty incentives.
     

Conclusion

Creating gender-inclusive classrooms demands more than increasing diversity; it requires transforming pedagogy, curriculum, and institutional culture. This study contributes to theoretical and practical understandings of inclusive education by linking Self-Determination Theory with actionable classroom strategies that address students’ psychological needs and dismantle structural inequities.

Equity in education is inseparable from effectiveness—an educational system that fails any group of students fails as a whole. Institutions that align their practices with principles of autonomy, competence, relatedness, and cultural humility can cultivate environments where every learner can thrive, achieve, and belong.