1

Understanding Inclusion

Gender and Education.

2

Objectives

Develop your understanding of inclusion

Develop your understanding of gender and stereotype

Analyse ongoing work in schools Develop your ability to address

gender equality through teaching

3

Pre-session task

How does your school approach inclusion?

What experience have you had of equality issues in your school?

What stereotypes (attitudes, behaviour, expectations, etc) have you experienced in school? How does your school acknowledge and challenge stereotypes?

What potential do you see in your own subject(s) for challenging stereotypes / promoting gender equality?

4

Key question: What is gender?

Where does gender come from?

How is gender created?

What is a stereotype?

How do schools contribute?

5

SEX – is biological GENDER - is a social construct GENDER describes the

characteristics that a culture or society delineates as ‘normal’ masculine or feminine behaviour

DISCUSSION – how does our society allocate behaviours and attitudes to girls / boys and men/ women? What behaviours are promoted for girls? What behaviours are not considered appropriate for girls? And for boys?

6

Creating gender roles

7

8

9

Which gender would you associate these behaviours with?

rational, stretching, aggressive, competitive,

scientific, active, independent, emotional,

fragile, caring, co-operative, passive,

dependent, challenging, well-behaved,

enquiring, demanding, helpful, strong,

motivated, hardworking, patient, expressive,

kind, gentle, reliable, eager to please,

emotional, funny, beautiful, nice, active,

sporty, sensitive, clean,

10

Gender in schools - which gender are these school subjects associated with?

English, MFL, physics, chemistry, biology, maths, ICT, football, netball, basketball, rounders, hockey, drama, history, geography, music, RE, A&D, sociology, psychology, PSHE,

11

The problem with stereotypes

Place restrictions on people’s lives Underpin prejudice and discrimination Lock boys and girls into

predetermined behaviour and oblige them to make choices based on pressure to conform

Involve policing of behaviour outside the ‘norm’

12

The effect of stereotypes Gender inequality is very real in

society Men earn more than women, and the

gender pay gap is growing Men occupy more positions of

decision-making and power They are less tied to households and

childrearing There are few women in science and

engineering, fewer men in nursing and teaching

13

And in schools… Young girls in primary school are

concerned about body weight and physical appearance

Girls as young as 12 feel under pressure to be sexually available

Boys feel under pressure to make sexual demands

Girls and boys are pressured into making gendered choices, rather than free choices

14

Discussion: how do we contribute to the creation of gender roles?

Teacher expectations of behaviour Teacher interactions Materials, resources and activities in

the classroom Teachers as role models

15

Physics teacher

16

TASK: You are helping a Y11 project on

gender and your subject area. You are providing advice for a group of pupils.

Draw up a study plan for areas which will be relevant. Consider ways of actively challenging gender stereotypes and promoting gender equality.

FEEDBACK.

17

But aren’t boys underachieving?

Yes – but the picture is complex Not all girls do better than all boys –

social class and ‘race’ indicators also play a role

The media reports the gender achievement gap as bigger than it is

The biggest achievement gap is social class

18

Boys have scored lower marks than girls for many years

But now girls are getting higher marks in ‘boys’ subjects

This is an advance we should be celebrating – but is it represented as being at the expense of boys’ achievements?

Career-choices and A Level choices are still heavily gendered

19

The problem with strategies aimed only at boys’ attainment

Tend to stress stereotypes – for both boys and girls

Obscure the needs of girls

Give boys mixed messages

20

Education for the future

Preparing pupils for a future in which their behaviour is not dominated by gendered stereotypes

Where each individual is free to pursue the life they want, without fear of not ‘living up to ‘ expectations or pressure to conform

where women can choose not to get married and have children

where men can choose not to have highly competitive jobs and stay at home with the children

where girls feel comfortable being assertive and where boys are allowed to cry

21