Things to Remember About Gender Equity in Schools

Girls often approach learning differently from boys and therefore analyze and solve problems differently. Girls, more than boys, learning by listening. They also tend to benefit from a quieter learning environment. Boys, more than girls, tend to learn through movement and touch, and often benefit from an informal learning design that allows for movement. Boys are often more visual than auditory learners. Approaches: Remember that treating girls and boys the same is not always fair. Learning environments should address the different learning styles of both. The key is equity and fairness, not sameness.
Girls are more likely to be subject to sexual harassment in schools than boys. Eighty-five percent of girls in grades 8 through 11 report experiencing sexual harassment in schools. Girls who have been harassed are more afraid in school and feel less confident about themselves. Approaches: Remember that girls and women will be more aware of sexual harassment than their male counterparts. Claims of sexual harassment should not only be taken seriously, but educators - - especially male educators - - should take affirmative steps to watch for sexual harassment and innuendoes that often go unaddressed. Boys need to be taught about sexism at an early age, and their responsibility to combat the problem.
Although most teachers believe that they treat girls and boys the same, research indicates that frequently they do not. Regardless of a teacher's gender, boys receive more teacher attention in the form of acceptance, praise, criticism, and remediation. Boys are given more time to talk in class from preschool through college. Teachers ask boys more higher order questions than they ask girls. Approaches: Remember that everyone is affected by cultural conditioning about women and girls. Avoid the tendency to assume that good intentions around fairness to women and girls translates into unbiased treatment. Educators must acknowledge and then work on their personal biases to assure gender equity.
Over time, the societal messages about women and girls negatively impact girls' self esteem and ability to perform to their fullest potential in school. A recent AAUW survey found that at ages 8 and 9 girls are generally confident and assertive, but by age 16 only 29% of girls still feel good about themselves. This decline in positive self-image is attributed to girls discovering that others - - including teachers - - believe females are limited in what they can do. Approaches: Remember that negative societal messages about women and girls are pervasive and undermine the learning potential of all students. Educators must both understand the societal messages and take steps to actively address those messages through the curriculum, classroom interaction and school environment.

*Source: Beyond Diversity Resource Center

7102 Normandy Drive, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054

856-235-2664; fax 856-235-0827