Gendered Performance Inequities Rooted in Assessment Design and Educational Climate in Vocational and Technical Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12928/joves.v9i2.15477Keywords:
Structural Assessment Design, Educational Climate, Test Anxiety, Self-Efficacy Dynamics, Certification and Accreditation SystemsAbstract
Gender-neutral assessment and evaluation procedures contribute to gender discrepancies in vocational and technical education. Previous studies have primarily examined aspects in isolation, resulting in a disjointed understanding of their interconnections. This study aims to outline the expressions and sources of gender bias in assessment and evaluation within vocational and technical education. This study utilizes a systematic evaluation of vocational and technical education, conforming to PRISMA 2020 principles, and examines Scopus, Taylor & Francis Online, IEEE Xplore, and ScienceDirect from 2023 to 2025 via quality screening, bibliometric analysis (VOSviewer), and thematic synthesis. An examination of 68 studies revealed five interrelated types of bias in vocational education assessment and evaluation practices: structural assessment design bias, educational climate factors, vocational education certification-accreditation bias, vocational education competency assessment bias, and pedagogical framework bias. These biases emerge from the interaction of psychological factors (test anxiety, stereotype threat, self-efficacy), instructional design (high-stakes timed assessments, restrictive rubrics), and institutional conditions (assessment norms/policies), suggesting that bias is a product of multi-level interactions rather than a single variable.
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