Determination of University Students’ Attitudes about Gender Equality

Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the attitudes of university students about gender equality.

Method: Population of this descriptive research includes students that have stayed in Erzurum general directorate of higher education credit and hostels institution in 2010-2011 academic years. Research sample is made of 507 volunteer students that were chosen with nonprobability sampling method. “Descriptive Information Form” and “Gender Equality Scale” were used in order to gather data. In data evaluation process; average, standard deviation, percentage distributions, t-test in independent group and One Way Analysis of Variance were used.

Results: Average age of the students that have attended the study was 21.64±1.93; %60.9 of students was female while %39.1 was male. %46.7 of students was graduated from high schools while %39.4 were studying in health sciences, %19.1 social sciences,, %29.4 educational sciences and %12 in physical sciences departments. Differences between Gender Equality Scale’s total point averages according to genders, high school programs from which students were graduated and departments at which they were studying were found to be statistically meaningful (p<0.005). Students’ Gender Equality Scale “Traditional Gender Norms” sub-scale average was 36.91±6.46, “Equalitarian Gender Norms” sub-scale point average was 8.61±2.24, and total point average was 45.53±6.71.

Conclusion: It was determined that students that have attended the study had “medium-level” positive gender equality attitude. It was determined that female students who were graduated from Super High School/Anatolian High School and who have been studying in health departments have more positive perceptions about gender equality.