|
An Educator's Guide to Gender Bias Issues By Pat Reed, Vice Principal/Curriculum, St. John Fisher School Introduction: Great strides have been made in addressing gender issues in education over the past several years; progress has been notable. As educational institutions have made attempts to address the unique learning styles of female students, there have been some interesting outcomes. Girls are outperforming boys in high school by achieving higher grades, holding more high school government positions, representing the greatest percentage of students on the honor roll, graduating from high school, and gaining admittance to college (Pay Closer Attention: Boys Are Struggling Academically). One-third of new businesses started in the United States each year are started by women, giving them a significant impact on the economic growth of this country. Women-owned firms generate $2.46 trillion in sales each year, and employ 19.1 million people in the United States. In the United States, the growth rate of privately-held, women-owned businesses grew by 28.1 percent over the last seven years, which is triple the growth rate of all privately held businesses (Lester). Despite this interesting phenomenon, boys still outperform girls in science, math and technology, and girls are no more likely to choose education or careers in these areas than they were ten years ago (Lester). Only 10% of engineers across the country are women (Fost). There is a significant gap in earnings between women and men, which may be partially due to the failure of women to enter high-paying occupations in science, engineering and mathematics (McKay). Researchers have uncovered much new information about how the two genders learn, and these findings might very well be the explanation for girls’ lack of interest and success in technology. Gender Bias Issues for Girls Representation of women in computer science careers has dropped by nearly one-third over the past twenty years. The computing field is male-dominated, and a cultural perception of women as non-technical persists. Boys have a greater innate interest in computers at a younger age than girls. The existence of “software for girls” is a clear indication that software per se was designed for boys, though great strides have been made over the last ten years in promoting more female characters in educational software (Sanders). Expectations for girls and girls’ self-perceptions figure prominently. Girls are rewarded for docile, non-competitive behavior in early elementary school, while boasting and competitive behavior for boys is considered typical (Bauza). Girls lack self-confidence and deprecate their own skills, while their grades are the same or better as those of their male counterparts (Sanders). Girls are more sensitive to social pressures, such as being perceived as a “bookworm” or “nerd” (Strauss). Girls perform better in an environment where there are no male observers (Sanders) because they tend to feel threatened by the competitive and physical tendencies of boys. Science and technology are often considered individual pursuits, and not cooperative or social pursuits, which have more appeal to girls (Strauss). The nation’s high schools see low enrollment of girls in Advanced Placement courses in computer science even though female students may be high achievers in math (Sanders). The lack of female role models in technology impacts girls entering educational programs in these fields (Lester). While males and females are surfing the web in equal proportions, many fewer females are involved in creating and designing computer technologies (Nyangon). Gender Bias Issues for Boys According to the U.S. Department of Education, boys’ performance in school has fallen behind that of girls. More boys drop out of high school, fewer boys enter college, and less young men pursue advanced degrees than young women. More boys are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder than girls (possibly inaccurately), and this may be due to the innate differences in learning styles of boys and girls. Boys are more inclined to activity, which may be construed as hyperactivity, while girls are better able to sit and listen and follow rules in a traditional classroom setting. Boys are also more likely to be diagnosed with other learning disabilities, such as mental retardation, hearing, visual and speech impairments. Diagnosing learning disabilities for boys at to young and age, and the resulting label they carry throughout their education is one possible explanation (Bauza). Some say large-scale efforts to help girls achieve in school has been a detriment to boys. Others say that classroom activities are not properly designed with active boys in mind, who benefit more from hands-on activities than girls. The inability of boys to sit still for extended periods of time and other temperament issues are often punished in schools (Bauza). Verbal skills are at a premium and most careers, so adjustments have been made in standardized testing, including an essay component. Boys’ performance in verbal and writing abilities is topped by girls’ performance (Pay Closer Attention: Boys Are Struggling Academically). Different Learning Styles Girls’ interests and priorities when it comes to learning are different from boys’. Boys like technology for its own sake (games) while girls want to know what technology can do for them. Boys focus on the task, and girls focus on the process (Nyangon). Boys are more spatially aware at a younger age, while girls learn language at a faster pace and are more social. Girls enjoy cooperative learning experiences, and are intimidated by competitiveness in a school situation. Boys are not adverse to conflict, and science by nature involves questioning conventional wisdom (Strauss). Girls have aptitude and interest in communication, and technology provides new avenues for that, with e-mail and the Internet. Girls are empowered by electronic discussions, where they are not dominated by their male peers (Nyangon). Online learning opportunities level the playing field for girls, and girls feel more equal to boys in online discussions (Sanders). Affect of Single-Sex Classrooms There is much controversy surrounding the issue of separating boys and girls in middle- and high-school classrooms. Proponents of single-sex classrooms say girls won’t be intimidated by having boys in class, and will become empowered. Both boys and girls are freed of certain social pressures while learning. Critics say single-sex classrooms are sexist, and don’t teach either boys or girls how to work cooperatively in mixed-sex groups, such as those they will find in the workplace (Heinlein). Girls’ performance in technology in single-sex classrooms is superior to that in mixed classrooms, but some consider this a form of gender stereotyping. Resistance to single-sex classes comes not only from teachers, but from students as well. The absence of a critical mass of women in a computer program is more detrimental to women than the presence of men, Women thrive on the social aspects of project work with their female counterparts in a technology setting. Although sparsely represented in college computer science programs, female students were more likely to complete a degree in computer science in single-sexed pairs or solo than in mixed-sex pairs (Sanders). Strategies for Teachers The goal of educators to involve female students in technology education and careers remains necessary. A greater retention rate for women occurs in math, science and technology when there are a greater percentage of female teachers of these classes (Sanders). Subtle and unintentional incidences of gender bias in the classroom can be powerful and discourage female participation in technology. Administrators need to move female educators into these positions, and discourage gender bias. Some strategies for improving female performance in technology include: Making curriculum relevant to real-world concerns (cross-curricular) within human and social contexts (Sanders). Girls are more interested in practical applications than theoretical learning (Lester). Using technology as a tool for solving problems (Sanders). Helping educators dispel the myth that technology is more useful to males than to females. There is evidence that teachers are more encouraging to male students than female students, and that foreign-born technology teachers have more bias against female students (Sanders). Educating teachers in gender equity (Sanders) Helping girls develop spatial relationships, problem-solving skills, and an interest in science and technology. At a young age, playing with legos, and later, involvement with robotics is helpful. Unfortunately, most legos are designed with boys in mind (trucks, soldiers) and robotics with monsters, which generate the interest of boys, not girls (Fost). However, IBM has developed a science camp for girls in which, among other exposures to science and technology, they build and design a shopping mall with legos. IBM’s goal is to generate an interest in math and science among girls, who are at a critical turning point in considering possible career options (Johnson). Making technology in labs and classrooms more accessible to females, and creating a welcoming, non-competitive, and non-threatening environment (Strauss). Annotated Bibliography
Bauza, Margaret. Boys Fall Behind Girls in Grades, The Detroit News, January 9, 2005, http://www.detnews.com/2005/schools/0501/09/A01-54261.htm
Fost, Dan. Getting More Girls to Study Math, Tech. San Francisco Chronicle, July 18, 2005.http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/07/18/BUG10DNJBO1.DTL&hw=education&sn=002&sc=572
Heinlein, Gary. Science, Math Class May Divide. Detroit News, February 3, 2003. http://www.detnews.com/2003/schools/0302/04/c01-76674.htm
Johnson, Kimberly S. IBM Science Camp to Target Girls, Chicago Tribune, July 6, 2005. http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/printedition/chi-0507050294jul06,1,5622374.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
Lester, Margot Carmichael. Educating the Next Generation of Women in Technology, LARTA Institute, May 9, 2005 http://www.larta.org/lavox/articlelinks/2005/050509_women.asp
McKay, Jim. Big Pay Gap Between Men, Women Persists. Pittsburgh Post Gazette, September 6, 2004. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04250/374143.stm
Nyangon, Joseph. Step Aside Men, Women IT Experts Coming Through. Women Gateway, June 23, 2005. http://www.womengateway.com/en/default.asp?action=article&id=2531
Pay Closer Attention: Boys Are Struggling Academically, USA Today, 12/2/04, http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/2004-12-02-boys-girls-academics_x.htm
Sanders, Jo. Gender Technology in Education: A Research Review. June, 2005. http://www.josanders.com/pdf/gendertech0705.pdf
Strauss, Valerie. Decoding Why Few Girls Choose Science, Math. Washington Post, February 1, 2005. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52344-2005Jan31.html
Helpful Websites: ASPIRE website http://aspire.cs.uah.edu Lilith Computer Group website http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/lilithclub/ Center for Women and Technology http://www.umbc.edu/cwit/ Women in Technology International http://www.witi.com/
|