Abstract:

The study of gender and intersectionality issues is gaining relevance in higher education (HE). These topics can impact students’ well-being and influence their experiences of discrimination. Understanding how students perceive these issues and the sociodemographic factors shaping those perceptions is essential. This knowledge helps design inclusive HE curricula and support systems.

This study was conducted as part of the Erasmus+ Project “Through an Intersectional and Gendered Lens to Equality in Academia” (TInGLE-Academia). The project is funded by the European Union (EU) and supported by three European HE institutions. We distributed a survey to psychology undergraduates from a private university in Spain.The survey included three sections: knowledge about gender and intersectionality, the WHO Quality of Life Brief Scale (covering physical, psychological, social and environmental well-being) and the Daily Discrimination Subscale of the Intersectional Discrimination Index. We assessed how sociodemographic factors like gender, sexual orientation, relationship status, and employment status affected students’ answers. Data from 194 responses were analyzed using generalized lineal models in SPSS v.29. Our students were 83.59% female, 79.49% heterosexual, 50.55% single and 32.31% worked while studying. Sexual orientation had the strongest impact. Heterosexual students reported lower understanding (p<0.001) and relevance (p=0.021) of gender topics, and lower relevance (p=0.029) of intersectionality topics than other sexual orientations. Heterosexual students also showed higher psychological (p=0.036) and environmental (p=0.023) well-being, and reported lower intellectual discrimination (p=0.045). Intersectionality relevance was higher for females than males (p=0.016), but no other factors affected our variables. Relationship and employment status interacted to shape opinions about improving gender and intersectionality information on campus (p<0.001, both cases). Single students scored higher than partnered students, but only if they worked while studying. We also found that relationship status and gender interacted to affect experiences of educational discrimination (p=0.007). Males in relationships reported higher scores than females in relationships.

These findings suggest that sexual orientation plays a relevant role in shaping students’ engagement with gender and intersectionality topics, with sexual minorities showing greater understanding while also reporting worse well-being and experiences of discrimination. The presence of interaction effects involving gender, relationship and employment statuses highlights the need for HE institutions to adopt more nuanced and intersectional approaches when designing educational content and support strategies, ensuring that diverse student realities are equally acknowledged and addressed.

Keywords:

Higher education, Gender, Sexual Orientation, Intersectionality, Quality of life, Discrimination.