Invisible Barriers in Academia: A Systematic Review on Glass Ceiling Syndrome

Abstract

This study aims to systematically review the articles that address the issue of the glass ceiling syndrome in higher education institutions. The research was conducted using a systematic review method, guided by the PRISMA 2020 and Weight of Evidence (WoE) frameworks. A total of 31 articles, published between 2000 and 2025 and accessed through Web of Science, Scopus, and TRDizin databases, were evaluated and included based on their content relevance. These studies were analyzed in terms of publication year, country of study, research and data collection methods, disciplinary fields, and theoretical frameworks. Additionally, the career barriers faced by women academics, as identified in the studies, were thematically analyzed, and categorized under three main themes: societal, organizational, and individual obstacles. The findings reveal that research on the glass ceiling syndrome has increased significantly in recent years. The studies reviewed were conducted using data from higher education institutions in diverse regions, indicating that the glass ceiling is a global issue. Quantitative studies were found to be more common; however, qualitative, and mixed-method studies contributed significantly to a deeper understanding of the phenomenon. One of the most prominent findings of this study is that the glass ceiling syndrome is a multidimensional issue arising not only from individual factors but also from social and organizational dynamics This systematic review study contributes to the literature by making a comprehensive evaluation in order to better understand the invisible barriers faced by and limiting women in higher education and to increase awareness in the field. Future studies are recommended to adopt stronger theoretical foundations, utilize longitudinal data, and conduct cross-cultural comparative analyses. In addition, institutional improvements by policymakers and university administrations are needed to reduce the barriers faced by women academics.

Keywords

• Glass ceiling syndrome
• Women academics
• Career barriers
• Gender inequality
• Higher Education
• Systematic review

AKADEMİDE GÖRÜNMEZ BARİYERLER: CAM TAVAN SENDROMU ÜZERİNE SİSTEMATİK BİR İNCELEME

Abstract

Bu çalışmada, yükseköğretim kurumlarında yaşanan cam tavan sendromunu ele alan makalelerin sistematik olarak incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Sistematik derleme yöntemiyle yürütülen araştırmada, PRISMA 2020 ve Weight of Evidence (WoE) çerçeveleri kullanılmıştır. Web of Science, Scopus ve TRDizin veri tabanlarında 2000–2025 yılları arasında yayımlanan çalışmalar taranmış ve içerik uygunluğu açısından değerlendirilerek belirlenen 31 makale incelemeye alınmıştır. Makaleler; yayın yılı, yürütüldüğü ülke, araştırma ve veri toplama yöntemleri, çalışma alanı ve araştırmaların kuramsal çerçeveleri açısından analiz edilmiştir. Ayrıca makalelerdeki kadın akademisyenlerin karşılaştığı kariyer engelleri tematik olarak analiz edilmiş ve bu engeller toplumsal, örgütsel ve bireysel olmak üzere üç ana tema altında sınıflandırılmıştır. Araştırmada elde edilen bulgular, cam tavan sendromunu konu alan çalışmaların özellikle son yıllarda artış gösterdiğini ortaya koymaktadır. Ayrıca incelenen makalelerin dünyanın farklı coğrafyalarındaki yükseköğretim kurumlarından elde edilen verilerle yürütüldüğü ve cam tavan sendromunun küresel ölçekte ortak bir sorun alanı olduğu belirlenmiştir. Yöntem açısından bakıldığında ise nicel araştırmaların sayıca daha fazla olduğu, ancak nitel ve karma yöntemle yürütülen çalışmaların da konunun derinlemesine anlaşılmasına önemli katkılar sunduğu görülmektedir. Öne çıkan bir bulgu olarak, cam tavan sendromunun sadece bireysel değil, aynı zamanda toplumsal ve örgütsel faktörlerden kaynaklanan çok boyutlu bir sorun alanı olduğu sonucuna varılmıştır. Yapılan sistematik derleme çalışması, yükseköğretimde kadınların karşılaştığı ve onları sınırlayan görünmez bariyerlerin daha iyi anlaşılması ve alandaki farkındalığın artırılması açısından bütüncül bir değerlendirme yaparak alanyazına katkı sunmaktadır. Gelecek çalışmalarda kuramsal temelli araştırmaların artırılması, boylamsal veri kullanımı ve farklı kültürlerde karşılaştırmalı analizlerin yapılması önerilmektedir. Kadın akademisyenlerin yaşadıkları engellerin azaltılabilmesi için politika yapıcılar ve üniversite yönetimlerinin yapacağı iyileştirmelere ihtiyaç duyulmaktadır.

Keywords

• Cam tavan sendromu
• Kadın akademisyenler
• Kariyer engelleri
• Cinsiyet eşitsizliği
• Yükseköğretim
• Sistematik derleme

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