By Matthew Lynch
If you think back to your own days as a student in the classroom, you may be able to recall particular times when you noticed a difference in the way boys and girls were treated by the teacher. Whatever your own gender, you may have felt like you were punished more harshly, expected to do more, or even completely ignored as a result. Different treatment of the genders in K-12 classrooms is certainly not something that teachers do purposely but the subtle ways that girls and boys are treated differently has an academic impact later on.
Research backs up the theory that there are many differences in the way boys and girls are treated in the classroom, Teachers tend to pay more attention to boys than girls by having more interactions with them. They tolerate behavior in boys that is not tolerated in girls, and tend to provide boys with more criticism and praise. Differences in the extra attention given to boys are due in part to the fact that boys simply tend to demand more attention, while girls tend to be quieter and more reticent. Boys not only tend to dominate classroom discussion, but also access and use computers and technology more often than girls.
Gender representation in textbooks and other educational material is also problematic. This has improved greatly over the past 30 years, but is still a problem. Educational materials still portray women as being more helpless than men, and stereotyping, tokenism and omission are still prevalent.
The types and levels of courses predominated by males and females continue to differ as well. Boys are still more likely to enroll in mathematics, science and engineering than girls and are more likely to take advanced courses in these subject areas. This enrollment pattern is not true for biology, English and foreign languages, where girls tend enroll in more advanced courses. Overall, women are underrepresented in professions that center on mathematics, science, engineering, medicine, and business leadership.
Hasn’t there been some progress though?
There are those who believe gender bias no longer exists. Proponents of this perspective contend that boys are not more accommodated than girls in the classroom. They suggest that in actuality, boys’ needs are often overlooked, as they learn best when they have more frequent opportunities to get up and move around, and engage in classroom debates– classroom activities that are often discouraged.
There is also a strong focus on the fact that the gaps in education levels between boys and girls have virtually closed since 1970 and now, even though they still lag behind boys in mathematics and science, girls in high school do better than the male students in reading, writing and other academic subjects, earn more credits, are more likely to get honors, and are more likely to further their education at colleges or universities.
While it might be argued that it is difficult to see gender bias in schools, there can be no question that in terms of money earned there is a gender bias in the work force. The average earnings of women with a high school diploma is 85 percent of that of men with the same level of educational attainment, and that figure drops to 80 percent for college graduates. This means there is a level of gender bias, even if it is somewhat hidden in the school system. Gender bias is evident as students move into the workforce. Men are more likely to be given jobs with higher status and higher salaries than women.
So the problem of gender bias as it relates to success is one that extends well beyond K-12 classrooms, but it certainly originates there. As teachers become more aware of the ways that their actions impact the long-term success of their students, gender interactions will likely improve and equalize. It is just a matter of being willing to change traditional classroom models and interactions for the betterment of all students – regardless of gender.
FAQs
For example, comments that girls are not as good at math as boys. Being called derogatory names related to your sexual orientation. Being misgendered by classmates or teachers. Being told by a teacher that they expect more (or less) of you because you are a girl, boy, or nonbinary person.
How are boys and girls treated differently in the classroom? ›
Classroom Interactions
Teachers fail to see girls' raised hands, and limit their interactions with girls to social, non-academic topics. Girls are rarely chosen to give a demonstration or help with an experiment. Boys are usually target students and overall they receive more teacher attention than girls.
What is an example of bias in the classroom? ›
Instructors may assume that students from certain backgrounds or social groups have differing intellectual abilities and/or ambitions. For example, an instructor might assume that a student from a certain background will be satisfied with lower achievement levels.
Why is gender bias in education a problem? ›
Students who are socialized into a stereotypical gender role tend to behave in ways that limit their holistic development and often develop learning, behavior, and emotional problems. Schools and families promote gender bias, sometimes consciously, but also through lack of awareness.
How do teachers show a bias against girls in the classroom? ›
Educational research also reveals that teachers are more likely to interrupt girls, less likely to call girls to the front of the class to demonstrate, and less likely to direct their gaze toward girls while answering open-ended questions.
How can we prevent gender bias in the classroom? ›
Avoid segregating boys and girls into separate lines, separate sports activities and mix seating up in the classroom. Ensure any educational materials used show genders in equal measure. Mix boys and girls to work on projects together. Explore gender concepts and roles from different communities.
Why should boys and girls be taught in separate classrooms? ›
Same-sex classes tend to require more effort and time from the schooling system. It could also lead to students with stunted skills who never learned how to work with the other gender. This can leave them at a disadvantage in the future when they join the workforce.
How does gender bias affect children? ›
Aside from career choice, gender stereotypes can affect every part of life, contributing towards poor mental health in young people, higher male suicide rates, low self-esteem in girls and issues with body image (1 in 5 14 year olds self-harm), furthermore allowing a culture of toxic masculinity and violence against ...
Do students learn better in same gender classrooms? ›
In mathematics classes, single-sex classes had positive benefits for female students: Female students in single-sex classes obtained better math grades than female students in coeducational classes, with an average performance increase of approximately 7–10% within the range where most students score.
How does bias affect the classroom? ›
- Bias exists in the classroom in multiple forms. Most typically, instructors may harbor unconscious biases about their students, and students may hold preconceived ideas about their own abilities. - These biases can significantly affect test scores and long-term academic development.
Three types of bias can be distinguished: information bias, selection bias, and confounding. These three types of bias and their potential solutions are discussed using various examples.
What is an example of bias answer? ›
An example of this bias during hiring is if the hiring panel favors male candidates over female candidates even though they have similar skills and job experience. Another well-known example is the gender pay gap. As of 2021, the average median salary for men is about 18% higher than women's.
Why are boys and girls treated differently in school? ›
Earlier research has showed that teachers treat girls and boys differently, based on stereo-typical assumptions about troublesome boys and compliant girls, and they also interpret reasons for girls' and boys' behaviors differently.
Do teachers have gender bias? ›
This column examines gender bias among high-school teachers by following them over time with different student cohorts. Using administrative data from Greece, the authors find significant gender bias among teachers and a substantial impact on student performance, particularly for girls and especially in maths.
What is a simple example of gender bias? ›
Gender bias is often a form of unconscious or implicit bias. It happens when someone unintentionally attributes certain attitudes and stereotypes to someone else. For example, men may be considered more analytical and less emotional. As a result, they have a better chance of being hired when these skills are required.
What is an example of gender bias? ›
Some examples of gender bias in the workplace include: Biased recruiting strategies (i.e. preferring to respond to job candidates with traditionally masculine names). Unequal compensation based on gender. Stigma associated with working parents and taking parental leave.
What is an example situation of gender bias? ›
Gender bias
An example of this bias during hiring is if the hiring panel favors male candidates over female candidates even though they have similar skills and job experience. Another well-known example is the gender pay gap. As of 2021, the average median salary for men is about 18% higher than women's.
What are the indicators of gender bias in school? ›
There is a range of nationally reported indicators used for the monitoring of gender equity in education. Some of these include school enrollment, course enrollment, achievement scores, college entrance examination scores, dropout rates, and graduation rates.
