Hyperspace Forum: Gender Bias and Stereotypes in Education

Welcome to the Hyperspace Forum!

Here you can talk to people who are in any timeline, past or future!
(The blueprint for the forum format is from ResearchGate)

E
Evelyn Arizpe Asked 11th Mar. 2000
University of Glasgow

Recently I read the book Breaking the Cycle: Gender, Literacy and learning, which
exposes the failure of schools and curricula to help adolescents, especially for girls, cope with
the pressure of finding space for themselves in a world of conflicting faiths and ideologies. It
also emphasizes the importance of literacy and critical and creative thinking of girls.
As a professor, I am very concerned about children's literature. After years of research and
reading, I realized that even as we move into the new century, liberal education in the UK is
still not fully accessible. Gender issues are still prevalent in education, and women are often
disadvantaged.
For this reason, I would like to conduct further research on gender issues in education. So,
I would like to ask the scholars in the Hyperspace Forum if you have any insights and research
experiences that you can share with me. I hope we can have a great discussion!

N
Nedaro Bellamy 18th Nov. 1994
Houston Independent School

Hi, Evelyn! I am happy to participate in the discussion of this topic. I am a math teacher
at a high school. In the spring of 1993, I participated in a survey in my classroom to determine
if my unconscious classroom behaviors and teaching strategies showed gender or radical bias.
The results shows that I was more likely to pay attention to and respond to the questions of
males in my class even though I don't think I'm gender biased. The survey was so enlightening
to me and inspired my passion for gender research in the classroom.
Therefore, in April 1993, I visited the classrooms of eleven math and science teachers who
taught grades six through eight at five schools in Houston, and did the similar surveys that I
participated. Just like a legacy, huh? And the results showed that a prevalence of white male-
dominated classroom conversations and a lack of responsiveness and encouragement to female
students. All of the teachers surveyed identified themselves as free of gender and racial bias,
so the results surprised everyone. So, it seems to me that unconscious gender bias is prevalent
in the teacher community, which may be an invisible stereotype. This will be the biggest
obstacle in addressing gender issues in education.

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K
Kathryn Davis 9th Dec. 2011
Kinard Elementary School Teacher

I actually did the similar surveys as Nedaro did. The field I investigated in is high school
physical education, not math and science, but they give me results that are similar to Nedaro’s
research. I conducted a four-group survey in two high schools (one in the city, one in the
country) where teachers were equally divided by gender. In the survey, I observed and recorded
each teacher's physical education classroom, especially the frequency of teacher-student
interactions, including praise, criticism, questioning, and other behaviors. The results showed
that although all teachers believed that they treated boys and girls equally, these beliefs and
their actions did not coincide. Almost all teachers unconsciously demonstrated preferential
treatment for certain students in their classes, especially boys.
If we look at my findings in conjunction with Nedaro's findings, I believe this is proof
enough that the scope of gender bias in education is large, and it reaffirms the prevalence of
gender bias and stereotypes.

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Re: Nedaro Bellamy 20th Nov. 1994

Hi Kathryn! I'm glad you're doing research in the direction of physical education,
which is rare because scholars are always more inclined to math and science. We all
know the difference between boys and girls in terms of physiological structure. Due
to puberty development problems, high school girls do show a disadvantage for boys
in sports. This may be a reason why teachers inadvertently treat students differently.
But it is because of this physiological difference that I think teachers should give more
encouragement to girls.
Re: Kathryn Davis
Yes, but teachers are usually not aware of this. Just as teachers in math
classrooms favor students with better grades, teachers in physical education
classrooms unconsciously favor boys because they are generally more physically
fit than girls.

G
Gila Hanna 11th May. 1989
Canadian Mathematics Educator and Philosopher

Hi, Evelyn! Based on your interests, I have done an analysis of the differences in student
performance in mathematics between countries and genders. I collected and analyzed the
mathematics scores of eighth graders from 20 countries through the IEA. And the results show
that there is no male advantage in most countries, and that girls absorb knowledge about
arithmetic, algebra, and statistics just as well as boys do. So, I believe that if gender differences
exist, they do not stem from biological differences, but rather from psychosocial processes.
◇ 3 Likes

J
James K Taole 16th Oct. 1995
Botswana Department of Vocational Education and Training

I have read the article Gila published. Insighted by the perspective of the gender difference
is not stem from biological, but from psychosocial processes, I also did a related survey about
the math performance of high school students in Botswana, but got the inconsistence result. In
1991, I conducted a statistical study of the math scores of more than 16,000 students in more
than 100 schools nationwide, and the results showed that the percentage of boys earning A's
and the pass rate were much higher than those of girls.
In addition, we conducted another interesting survey on the teachers’ expectations. We
invited 10 teachers and divided them into two groups, each given the same report card and
asked to predict what the student would do at age 30. One group of teachers was told that this
was a girl's report card, and the other group was told that this was a boy's report card. The
results showed that teachers expected much more from boys than from girls.

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Re: Gila Hanna 13th May. 1989

I am very honored that my work can inspire you. In response to the question about the
difference in math performance between boys and girls in different countries, I think it is
more a result of different social perceptions. Since I do not know the customs of Botswana
very well, I can only suggest that you can explain this issue from the perspective of
traditional concepts of gender. Also, I really like your survey on teachers' expectations.
This factor seems to me to be essentially a form of discrimination against women.

S
Shannon Andrus 27th Feb. 2018
Writing Trainer and Coach

I'm glad I can participate in this discussion. Through decades of work by countless
educators, gender bias and stereotypes in schools have now been somewhat successfully
improved, with girls' and boys' GPAs and college enrollment rates largely equalized in 2018.
However, female's participation in STEM fields is still much lower than that of male, and
female continue to be prejudiced in the workplace. To examine how gender relates to girls in
the classroom, my team conducted a survey of interest in the curriculum in 14 girls' schools
across the country. When the data was compared to another similar study of boys, it was found
that there was no difference in the courses that interested girls and boys. This study disproves
that there are significant differences in the brains (biologically) and learning styles of boys and
girls, which is absolutely consistent with Gila’s survey result.
◇ 6 Likes

Re: Evelyn Arizpe 15th Mar. 2000

We have a friend from 20 years later! I can't believe that in your day boys and girls
were allowed equal access to college! Even though there are areas where these prejudices
still lurk, I'm very encouraged!

D
Daniel Z Grunspan 18th May. 2016
Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle

I agree with Shannon, even though the performance gap between male and female students
in some disciplines has been narrowed with the development of the times, there are still
significant differences in STEM field. Our research indicated women who start college in one
of the natural or physical sciences leave in greater proportions than their male peers. The
reasons for this difference are complex, and one possible contributing factor is the social
environment women experience in the classroom. Yes, ultimately the issue comes back to
gender bias in the classroom. We still have a long way to go on this issue.

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D
David Sadker 17th June. 1989
Professor Emeritus at American University

I was really impressed to be able to see the progress of education in later generations. My
late wife was also an early pioneer in the study of gender bias in American schools and an
advocate of equal educational opportunity. She would have had no regrets if she could have
seen these accomplishments. When my wife was still alive, we worked together to compile
many articles and write a review on gender bias in education. We found that bias in education
is not only featured in the interaction between teachers and students which is mentioned by
Nedaro, and in the expectations of students which is mentioned by Taole, but also in the
illustrations in textbooks, in the distribution of educational management positions, etc. Males
often assume a more positive image in textbook illustrations; And males with equal
qualifications are more likely to obtain jobs in educational administration than females.

◇ 8 Likes

Re: Shannon Andrus 28th Feb. 2018

In this aspect of the workplace, I have also conducted research on gender differences
in employment in STEM fields. The findings are very much in line with yours that women
are very vulnerable to bias in the workplace, and that men are always more likely to get
 positions despite men and women have the same level of education and research ability.
While this discussion may be a bit off topic, it is easy to see from it that gender does not
just have a negative impact in education, it is a challenge of the whole society.
By the way, I'm sure your wife will know about these hard-earned victories, don't
worry! I am in awe of the contribution you have made!

C
Carol Sue Marshall 21th Jan. 1997
Professor Emeritus at The University of Texas at Arlington

Wonderful discussion! I just want to propose a term called “hidden curriculum”, which is
the teacher's personal communication with and informal instruction of students. It is equivalent
with the “interaction between teacher and students” we’ve discussed.
As an educator, I really want to apply every teacher to improve their teaching and build a
truly gender-equitable classroom by changing their teaching strategies, evaluating their
teaching behaviors and so on. Education has always been a difficult road to travel, and even
after seeing the current state of education 20 years later, I still think educators have a long way
to go.

◇ 3 Likes

Re: Shannon Andrus 28th Feb. 2018

Yes, I completely agree with you, and as educators, my team and I are actively looking
for ways to break down gender biases and stereotypes. One way we have found is adopting
a position of active gender consciousness. To achieve this goal, we advocate to establish a
gender audit, which can help teachers and other school leaders evaluate the state of affairs
for all students. For teachers, we encourage them to set up classroom activities in a more
flexible way, pause to allow many students to raise their hands, rearranging desks, or using
interactive technology that allows students to ask and answer questions anonymously.

E
Evelyn Arizpe 18th Mar. 2000
University of Glasgow

I really learned a lot from such a hilarious cross-generational conversation! Gender bias in
education often shows up in teacher-student interactions and teachers’ expectations; and gender
issues don't just play a negative role in the classroom, students also remain in the shadow of
gender bias when they graduate and enter the workforce. However, some studies have
demonstrated that differences in achievement between male and female students are not
biological, but rather an effect of the social environment. Therefore, addressing gender bias
and stereotypes is a matter of urgency! Increasing teachers' active gender consciousness and
changing teaching strategies may help positively.
 If possible, I'd like to encourage more people to join this conversation to share their own
experiences and perspectives. Hopefully in the future we'll see this issue usher in an even bigger
victory!

◇ 9 Likes
Reference:

1. Arizpe, Evelyn. “Breaking the Cycle: Gender, Literacy and learning” Journal of Adolescent
& Adult Literacy, vol. 43, no. 8, 2000, pp. 774–76. JSTOR,
http://www.jstor.org/stable/40014705. Accessed 2 Nov. 2022.

2. Marshall, Carol Sue, and Judy Reinhartz. “Gender Issues in the Classroom.” The Clearing
House, vol. 70, no. 6, 1997, pp. 333–37. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30185879.
Accessed 2 Nov. 2022.

3. BELLAMY, NEDARO. “Bias in the Classroom: Are We Guilty?” Science Scope, vol. 17,
no. 6, 1994, pp. 60–63. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/43176920. Accessed 2 Nov.
2022.

4. Davis, Kathryn, and Virginia Nicaise. “Teacher-Student Interactions: Four Case Studies of
Gender in Physical Education.” The Journal of Classroom Interaction, vol. 46, no. 2, 2011,
pp. 11–23. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/23870383. Accessed 2 Nov. 2022.

5. Taole, James K., et al. “Gender Interaction in Mathematics Classrooms: Reflection and
Transformation.” Educational Studies in Mathematics, vol. 28, no. 3, 1995, pp. 263–74.
JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3482751. Accessed 2 Nov. 2022.

6. Hanna, Gila. “Mathematics Achievement of Girls and Boys in Grade Eight: Results from
Twenty Countries.” Educational Studies in Mathematics, vol. 20, no. 2, 1989, pp. 225–32.
JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3482499. Accessed 2 Nov. 2022.

7. Sadker, Myra, David Sadker, and Mary Donald. "Subtle Sexism at School." Contemporary
Education, vol. 60, no. 4, 1989, pp. 204. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-
journals/subtle-sexism-at-school/docview/1291646158/se-2. Accessed 2 Nov. 2022.

8. Andrus, Shannon, et al. “Miles to Go: The Continuing Quest for Gender Equity in the
Classroom.” The Phi Delta Kappan, vol. 100, no. 2, 2018, pp. 46–50. JSTOR,
https://www.jstor.org/stable/26552443. Accessed 2 Nov. 2022.

9. Grunspan, Daniel Z et al. “Males Under-Estimate Academic Performance of Their Female

Peers in Undergraduate Biology Classrooms.” PloS one 11.2 (2016): e0148405–e0148405.
Accessed 2 Nov. 2022.