The International Journa l Of Humanities & Social Studies (ISSN 2321 - 9203) www.theijhss.com 240 Vol 2 Issue 10 October, 2014 THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL STUDIES Impact of Lecturers’ Gender on Learning: Assessing University of Ghana Students’ Views 1. Introduction In the last decade, there has been an increase in studying students' opinions about various aspects of their university or college experience. One of the most fashionable topics for this purpose is that of college or university’s students' ratings of their teachers. Research interest in student-faculty evaluation has increased markedly in recent years. This seems to be a result of the increased use of these evaluations either for administrative decisions (promotion, tenure, and salaries) or for feedback and self-improvement (Neumann and Neumann, 1981). Although a majority of studies have found that male and female college teachers do not differ in the global ratings they receive from their students, more of them favor women than men when statistically significant differences are found. According to Feldman (1992), across studies, the average association between gender and overall evaluation, while favoring women (average r = + .02), is so small as to be insignificant in practical terms. Considering specific instructional dimensions of evaluations, female teachers receive slightly higher ratings on their sensitivity to and concern with class level and progress than do men (average r = +.12). Furthermore Feldman (1992) indicated that students tend to rate same-gendered teachers a little higher than opposite-gendered teachers. Across rating areas, more studies found indications of students' perceptions of female teachers being influenced by these other factors (the teacher's expressiveness, physical attractiveness, mode of teaching, and academic field, and the like) than the perceptions of male teachers being so influenced. Preconceptions of male and female college or university teachers or lecturers shows that, in the majority of studies, students' global evaluations of male and female college teachers as professionals were not different. In a minority of the studies, however, male teachers received higher overall evaluations than did female teachers. For the most part, the perceptions and ratings of the two genders in most other areas either showed no differences or in-consistent differences across studies. Moreover, most studies found that male teachers and female teachers were not perceived differently by their male and female students. Interaction effects found in a particular study between the teacher's gender and other factors (teacher's expressiveness, physical attractiveness, mode of teaching, academic field and the like) usually were not confirmed by findings in other studies. Classroom participation is considered by both female and male students to be one of the factors related to effective learning and results in more positive views of the learning experience (Sadker & Sadker, 1994). Differences in the form of student participation are important, because certain types of participation are expected to be more responsible for students' impressions of the university classroom (e.g., more intrusive styles such as interrupting), to contribute more to effective learning and positive experience, and to be more likely to demonstrate gender differences of lecturers (Crombie, Pyke et al 2003).Therefore class participation based on gender of lecturers is also very important for this article. Cornelius, Gray, and Constantinople (1990) and Fassinger, (1995a, 1995b) have emphasized that student participation in class which in turn influences learning of students are determined by Samson Obed Appiah Assistant Lecturer, Department of Sociology, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana Emelia Afi Agbelevor M.A. Student, Department of Sociology, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana Abstract: Studies conducted since the late 1970s have sought to describe students' conceptions of learning especially how gender of lecturers affected the learning of students. However, not many studies have been done in Ghana concerning how gender of lecturers affected learning among students. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of gender of lecturers on students learning. The study was conducted at the University of Ghana, Legon among undergraduates in levels 200, 300 and 400. Respondents were selected using the multi stage sampling procedure including quota and purposive sampling. Data were collected by the means of a self administered questionnaire and analyzed using the SPSS with interpretation in the form of tables, bar charts and followed by discussions. The findings revealed that male lecturers were rated higher as having positive impacts on learning whilst female lecturers were rated higher on class participation. Generally, however, most students agreed with existing literature that gender of lecturer really did not matter and that lecturers’ lecturing skills and personality were more important.