Talking Point #7

Gender Equity in Education

After doing some research, it seemed pretty evident that there are current issues involving gender differences inside the classroom. The topic of gender difference in school settings has been studied in many forms and continues to be open to testing. There is an overwhelming amount of research which shows that teachers, in fact, treat their students differently due to their gender; most of which are unintentional instances. Many people claim that this has had an influence on the decisions these students make later in life. For example, some claim that the tactics that teachers often use persuade girls to further careers in english and art related subjects and bots into careers in mathematics, science, and technology related subjects.

One particular study called The Third-Grade Teachers' appeared in The Elementary School Journal in September of 2001 to show how three teachers that were studied over a fifteen-week period subconsciously contributed to the gender gap of their students. They made common mistakes such as calling on boys more often than girls, finding ways to excuse boys for breaking the rules, holding higher expectations of girls, altering lesson plans to suit the boys learning styles, etc. They proved to also expect more from the boys in subjects that they are stereotypically superior such as math and science and expect more from the girls when working in subjects such as grammar and history. All three teachers claimed to be gender equal and yet they all proved other wise. This study shows that even teachers who believe they are aware of these issues continue to teach in a way that is marginalizing students. This also shows that we are clearly having a hard time facing, claiming, and understanding this problem.



This video shows how powerful these seemingly unnoticeable tactics can be on the future of these students. This subconscious gender gap that has emerged in many teachers' lessons can often persuade students so greatly that they revolve their lives around these stereotypes. The man who is seen talking in this video is stating the problem that many people have yet to face; that there are gender related issues in the classroom and that teachers are teaching in a biased, stereotyping way. He is claiming that it is clear that there is an impact on these students (just look at the ratio between male teachers and women) and now it is important to determine why this is so. Is it because of how we are taught in school? Is it because teaching has always been a feminine profession?



This video is an awesome example of how schools can work to become conscious of gender differences and be open with their students about this issue. The Gender Project works to involve students in all aspects of the gender gap. They focus on things such as vocabulary, biology, media, etc. in order to be able to be conscious of stereotypes made about each gender. In the end, the students are asked to determine how we learn to act as men and as women; what makes us act the way that we do? This way of facing the problem and taking time to work through it in various approaches reminds me of Christensen and how she worked to help her students interpret the media.

This video (which I could not figure out how to post!!) is another good example of how teachers can work to break the gender gap and promote differences among students. This particular school tried to push boys in girls to career paths that have proven to be a-typical for their gender by placing them in workshops that give them a taste for the profession. During the workshops they show the students how each career can work well for each gender. For example, in a metal/shop class which was typically chosen by males they incorporated feminine activities such as jewelery making. Though these workshops may not have changed the decisions of the overwhelming majority of students in the school, it was able to open up the eyes of the students and teach them to be less judgmental.

Another website offered a number of links that prove that the issue of gender inequality exists in educational settings. Many of the links focus on tactics that teachers use which lead to these problems while others promote ways to be the change and help close the gap of gender inequality. I found this site to be very helpful because it provides a large variety of information on this particular issue. It shows that in education today, many people are unaware of the gender inequality among students as well as the effects that occur as a result of this gap. Like all other problems, we must first acknowledge the problem and understand how and why it is an issue before attempting to fix it. Solving any kind of equality among people takes years and conscious people who are willing to stop and be the change.