Gender differences in education is something of a common topic among educational studies since intensification in the 1970’s (Breakwell, 2003, p. 437). Gender differences among the subjects taught in school has been found to be somewhat more of a social construct rather than a concept that has any kind of scientific explanation because of the idea of gender differences being taken and changed into the idea of a gender stereotype in most parts of education (Crilly, 2013, p. 1).
The most common stereotypes that play a role in the gender differences that can be found in education are the ideas that girls are pre-determined for the English Language Arts subject and boys are have more of a proclivity for the mathematical areas in education. These ideas are attributed to the images that are often gendered in our culture (Breakwell, 2003, p. 437).
“It is argued that the social construction of science as ‘masculine’ discourage girls from participating in science by posing the risk of pressure to themselves—as more masculine and less feminine than their peers (Breakwell, 2003, p. 437).”
It is because of these beliefs being so widely known and instructors enforcing those beliefs in the classroom that they can become self-perpetuating (Crilly, 2013, p. 1). These gender stereotypes and pre-conceived notions that certain subject areas are more acceptable for each gender, can in turn cause students to believe that they will never do well in a subject area simply because of their gender (Crilly, 2013, p. 2). There is a common understanding that this type of stereotyping should be eliminated from education (Bursal, 2013, p. 1151).
Since the 1970’s, many studies have been performed and they have concluded that boys have significantly higher tes...
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Bursal, M. Longitudinal Investigation of Elementary Students' Science Academic Achievement in 4th-8th Grades: Grade Level and Gender Differences. Educational Sciences, 13, 1151-1156. Retrieved April 27, 2014, from the EBSCO Host database.
Crilly, K. How Educational Design Can Respond to the Impact of Gender in Australia.Redress, 22, 1-3. Retrieved April 27, 2014, from the EBSCO Host database.
YAVUZ GÖÇER, F., SUNGUR, S., & TEKKAYA, C. (2011). Investigating Elementary School Students' Motivational Traits in Science Classrooms. Education & Science / Egitim Ve Bilim, 36, 76-84. Retrieved April 27, 2014, from the EBSCO Host database.
Gömleksiz, Mehmet Nuri. Elementary School Students' Perceptions of the New Science and Technology Curriculum by Gender. Journal of Educational Technology & Science, 15, 116-126. Retrieved April 28, 2014, from the EBSCO Host database.
“Gender disparity” refers to the differences between the percentages of men and women obtaining college degrees. Hulbert coveys the different ways in which young boys and girls process information. Women tend to be better at reading, writing, and verbal skills, while men tend to better at math and sciences. By sixth grade, young boys tend to lose interest in literature and are often struggling in subjects such as English and reading, while young girls are often losing interest in math and science by sixth grade. Boys perform consistently below girls on tests of reading and verbal skills. By high school, girls tend to score in the middle or average; however, boys tend to score either really well or rather poorly.
Sadker, Myra, David Sadker, and Susan Klein. "The Issue of Gender in Elementary and Secondary Education." Review of Research in Education 17 (1991): 269. JSTOR. Web. 14 Mar. 2012.
Do humans let their gender define their capability to learn? In the “The Gender Gap at School,” David Brooks talks about how “Male reading rates are falling three times as fast as among young women’s” (Brooks 391), because teachers are not providing equal reading interest in both genders. However, gender does not play a role in males capability to succeed in their education for reading. “The problem with gender is that it prescribes how we should be, rather than recognizing how we are” (Adichie).
Throughout the years, males have dominated the academic disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) with very few females finding their way in the mix (Steinberg, Okun, & Aiken, 2012). Those females enrolling in the STEM majors soon find themselves questioning why they have, and many quickly change their majors to more female-accepting professions (Steele, James, & Barnett, 2002). The view that women lack the intellect to succeeded in STEM disciplines has been a prevailing one for much of history (Cadinu, Maass, Rosabianca, & Kiesner, 2005). Many researchers have questioned whether it is social stigma impeding female success or indeed basic biological differences that make males are more successful in these fields than women (Smith, Sansone, & White, 2007).
What happens when your education is different from mine? When does that invisible line get erased; When youth’s, adolescent’s or adults, male or female encounter the same unique education being taught with nothing being held back just because of gender. In today’s society, teachers and students are connected by using information technology to help expand their knowledge on the issue of gender diversity in the classroom. Gender diversity is not an issue in the United States that just gets swept under the carpet, it’s greater than that, it’s something that has become a worldwide concern affecting the ways in which students are educated in most schools. Issues of diversity are not new.
Preferences for a specific science career start a young person on their journey. Prospects can encourage or deter them. Biases can make or break them. Gender plays a significant role in each step along the way. Only by uncovering the differences that gender causes among males and females can change be made toward achieving gender equality in the scientific fields.
From what has been discussed in class and from what society has taught me, there are more men in science. According to my results, I heavily associate men with science and women with liberal arts. I find this conclusion to be true because I’ve had my own experiences with these results. As a young student, my math and science classes were much more competitive and, as a female, I had to be better than not only the
The United Kingdom did a survey in 2003 where the objective was to identify gender issues in the academic performances of boys and girls during classroom laboratories. This study was done on adolescent children that explored the idea of what would be said about girls and boys who stated that they did or did not like science. The conclusion was predicted with the group of imaginary girls and boys. That is participants were to mark traits of girls and boys in their class that they did not know. Girls who liked science were found less feminine than girls who disliked science (Breakwell, Glynis; Robertson, Toby. 449). Oddly enough girls and boys who scored themselves did not give ratings that girls that liked science were considered less feminine. However, boys rated boys who disliked science more feminine. It appears that boys are pres...
It seems that single-sex education perpetuates gender stereotypes and promotes gender bias among students (Taylor). Gender-separate education requires schools and teachers to create gender-oriented courses, facilities, and learning environment. As a result, sing-sex schools exacerbate sexist attitudes and “feelings of superiority toward women” (Guarisco). It is fair to argue that the best way to achieve gender equality is to promote rather than eliminate interaction among girls and boys. However, girls in the sex-mixed class receive less attention from teachers than boys, which may lead to gender bias. More precisely, boys always have disciplinary issues, such as interruption; teachers have to pay more attention to boys’ behaviors in order to proceed the lecture more smoothly. Girls may feel less important and supportive in male-dominated classes; boys may think that males are smarter and far superior than females. Single-sex schools can address both girls’ and boys’ issues of gender stereotypes directly and accordingly. Male students may be freer to engage in some activities they have not considered before in mixed schools. For example, boys feel pressure to follow some non-macho interests when girls stay around them; however, the all-boys schools eliminate their pressure toward gender stereotyping to pursue music, dance, and drawing. Single-sex schools would help boys explore and develop themselves. Also, girls in sex-separate schools show more confidence and power (Guarisco). They could receive full attention from teachers and express their opinions in science classes without worrying about the boys’ banter. They may realize that they are as important as boys. Hence, both girls and boys can be free from gender stereotypes and benefit from a same-sex learning
Kwong, Matt. "The Gender Factor." SIRS Researcher. OCLC, 21 Sept. 2013. Web. 4 Feb. 2014.
Thompson, A. (2003). Caring in context: Four feminist theories on gender and education. Curriculum Inquiry, 33,
Parents and educators both display actions that could be and continue to affect the gender gap in STEM. By parents not giving both their sons and daughters an equal to the questions they ask, it supports the idea of why there is a lack of women in these areas of study. Female teachers also may be openly expressing their struggles with math and other similar areas have negatively affected the gap in STEM today. Direct biases and unconscious biases are both reasons that lead to a gap in these areas. But as female teenagers mature and grow older, they have different wants than men do when they grow
Bonomo, V. (2010). Gender matters in elementary education: Research-based strategies to meet the distinctive learning needs of boys and girls. Educational Horizons, 88(4), 257-264
Girls are seen as caring, nurturing, quiet, and helpful. They place other’s needs above their own. Girls get ahead by hard work, not by being naturally gifted. Boys are seen as lazy, but girls are seen as not capable. In class, teacher will call on boys more than they call on girls. Boys are seen as better at math and science; while girls are better at reading and art. This bias is still at work even out of the classroom. There are more males employed at computer firms than women. The ratio of male to female workers in STEM fields is 3-1. In college, more women major in the humanities than in the sciences. In education, women are often seen as lesser than; even though 65% of all college degrees are earned by women. Women are still often seen as needing to be more decorative than intellectual, as represented by the Barbie who included the phrase, “Math is hard!” and the shirt that JC Penneys sold that said, “I’m too pretty to do homework, so my brother has to do it for me.” While there was a backlash on both items, it points out that there is a great deal of work to do on the educational gender bias to be
Seligson, Susan. "Debunking Myth That Girls and Boys Learn Differently: COM prof’s book challenges “toxic” stereotypes." BU Today. 10 Jun 2011: n. page. Print. (JUXTAPOSITION)