The impact of Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) training programme on the perception of gender roles among male university students in South Africa

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the impact of the SOGIE (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression) training programme on male university students’ perceptions of gender roles in South Africa. Using a quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test control group design, 140 Humanities students from a South African university were non-randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 70), which received the training, or a control group (n = 70), which received a placebo. Data were collected using the Gender Perception Scale (GPS) via Qualtrics and analysed in SPSS using both descriptive and inferential statistics, including the Mann-Whitney U test. The reliability of the GPS was confirmed through Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s Omega, with high internal consistency in the experimental group (α = 0.93 pre-test; α = 0.92 post-test) and acceptable consistency in the control group. Results indicated a statistically significant improvement in gender-equitable attitudes in the experimental group (p < 0.05), while the control group showed minimal change. The intervention's effectiveness was further supported by a moderate-to-strong effect size and positive shifts in post-test mean ranks for most items. Significant changes were observed in 23 out of 25 items, suggesting the training effectively influenced participants' gender perceptions. However, no significant change was noted for two items, namely Item 9 ("Women should always be protected by men") and Item 12 ("Working woman should give her earnings to her spouse"), indicating certain attitudes may be more resistant to change. Notably, participants from urban and middle-income backgrounds showed the most improvement, indicating the influence of socio-economic and environmental factors on the programme’s impact. The training also led to increased levels of empathy among participants, reinforcing the value of structured gender education in promoting inclusive attitudes. Overall, the findings underscore the effectiveness of the SOGIE training programme in challenging traditional gender norms. Subsequently, it is recommended that gender sensitivity training programmes be integrated into university curricula to foster a more inclusive and equitable society.