Pair work is widely recognised as one of the most effective and psychologically comfortable forms of organising the learning process in secondary education. It promotes active student engagement, cooperation, communication skills, and shared responsibility for learning outcomes. Through dialogue and joint problem-solving, students are encouraged to articulate their reasoning, negotiate meanings, and construct knowledge collaboratively. However, despite its pedagogical advantages, the organisation of pair work also presents challenges related to students’ individual characteristics, social interaction, and classroom dynamics. One factor that remains insufficiently explored in everyday teaching practice is the role of gender in shaping students’ experiences of pair work.
This study examines how gender dynamics influence classroom interaction, student comfort, participation, and perceived effectiveness of learning within pair work. While previous research has produced mixed findings regarding gender differences in academic achievement—particularly in science education—less attention has been paid to how gender affects interpersonal interaction, emotional comfort, and engagement during collaborative learning. The present research addresses this gap by focusing on students’ lived experiences of working in mixed-gender and same-gender pairs.
The central research questions guiding this study are:
1) How does the gender composition of pairs influence students’ interaction, comfort, and participation during pair work?
2) What challenges do students experience when working in mixed-gender pairs?
3) To what extent does gender-aware organisation of pair work contribute to more equitable classroom interaction?
The study is grounded in sociocultural theories of learning, which conceptualise learning as a socially mediated process shaped by interaction, dialogue, and shared activity. Gender is understood as a social and cultural construct rather than a purely biological category. This framework allows for examination of both differences and similarities between students while avoiding deficit-based interpretations. The relevance of this study extends beyond a single national context, as issues of gender, interaction, and equity in classroom collaboration are shared across European and international educational settings.

This study adopts a mixed-methods classroom-based research design to explore gender dynamics in pair work and their influence on students’ interaction, comfort, and perceived learning effectiveness. The research was conducted in a lower secondary school context and focused on physics lessons. Participants were Grade 9 students (aged approximately 14–15) from a Nazarbayev Intellectual School in Kazakhstan. Four student groups participated, with an average of 9–10 students in each group. Pair work was organised in mixed-gender and same-gender configurations. Data were collected through classroom observations, two structured questionnaires administered before and after the intervention, and analysis of formative assessment data. Observations focused on interaction patterns, participation levels, and collaboration strategies. The questionnaires captured students’ perceptions of comfort, motivation, responsibility, and preferences regarding pair work. Data analysis combined descriptive statistical analysis with qualitative analysis of observation notes and open-ended responses. Ethical principles were observed throughout the study, including voluntary participation, informed consent, and anonymity.

The findings of this study demonstrate that gender dynamics in pair work influence students’ classroom interaction and emotional comfort more than academic performance. Analysis of questionnaire data and classroom observations indicates that students’ perceptions of pair work vary depending on the gender composition of pairs, although learning outcomes remain largely comparable. According to the questionnaire results, 62.5% of respondents reported that working in a gender-mixed pair did not improve the effectiveness of their learning, describing the experience as ‘the same as usual,’ ‘unchanged,’ or stating that gender does not play a role and that outcomes depend primarily on individual characteristics. At the same time, 25% of students evaluated their work in mixed-gender pairs positively, noting increased responsibility, improved focus, or greater engagement. The remaining 12.5% of respondents expressed uncertainty when answering questions related to effectiveness. Students also identified specific challenges associated with working in mixed-gender pairs. The most frequently reported difficulties included stereotypes related to social gender roles (37.5%), personal characteristics of a partner of another gender (25%), shyness (12.5%), and fear of appearing incompetent in front of a partner of another gender (12.5%). Notably, 12.5% of students reported no disadvantages in mixed-gender pair work. Despite these challenges, the study found no significant differences in academic achievement attributable to the gender composition of pairs. The findings support a flexible, gender-aware approach to organising pair work that promotes equitable and inclusive classroom interaction.

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