Does a teachers gender affect educational attainment?

Simon, Leanne, Annette, Kira & Alex

Did you know...• 80% of teachers in public schools are

women?• Pupils make more effort with male teachers

because they see them as fair?• Male students typically keep on talking until

they had finished. • Policymakers in countries such as Finland,

Scotland, England & Canada have voiced concerns about the under-representation of men in teaching?

Outline• Does gender influence attitudes?• Are boys and girls treated differently in the

classroom?• Are teachers unconsciously susceptible to

stereotyping?• Discussion – is having a same sex teacher

beneficial to pupils?• Conclusion

Does gender influence attitudes?

• Male and female teachers have different methods of bonding with their pupils.

• On the whole, high attainers expressed more positive attitudes towards school. (Biggart, 2010)

Are boys and girls treated differently in the classroom?

• Girls prefer to learn through co-operation.• With a female teacher boys are more likely to

be seen as disruptive.• Teachers use erotic capital.

Are teachers unconsciously susceptible to stereotyping?

Boys Girls

Take a last-minute approach Disciplined with deadlines

Like structured, short tasks Like open-ended work

Lack of care with presentation Take care with presentation

Overconfident with their abilities Lack of confidence in ability

Display aggressive behaviour Display passive behaviour

Prefer spatial, logical work Prefer verbal & imaginative work

Peer group approval is paramount Appearing feminine is paramount

Are teachers unconsciously susceptible to stereotyping? (2)

• Subrahmanian (2002) found that teachers and the curriculum in general reinforce social bias.

• According to Sadker & Sadker many teachers operate with preconceptions

Discussion- whether having same sex teachers is beneficial to pupils.

• Do you think having a teacher of the same sex helps children’s attainment and attitudes towards school?

Conclusion

• The educational system, not only reinforces gender roles but also the stereotyped attitudes towards gender stereotypes.

• There is conflicting evidence to whether having a same-sex teacher has a positive impact on children’s educational attainment.