To Speak or Not to Speak: Unearthing Factors That Constrain or Facilitate Female Participation in Classrooms

This study examines the distinctions in participation styles of female students in classes where the majority of the students are male as compared to the participation styles of female students in female courses. I utilized metaphor analysis during qualitative interviews to unearth the motivations for female students’ reluctance to participate. Holding back from participating in class can negatively affect the understanding of students, resulting in lower grades and engendering anxiety in a classroom setting. By drawing upon the theories of communication accommodation theory, face threat, and muted group theory, this research was able to come to conclusions about what motivating factors lead female students to participate less than male students and distinguish which classroom behaviors enable them to share their thoughts.