Article

Role models, school improvement and the 'gender gap' - Do men bring out the best in boys and women the best in girls?

Wiley
British Educational Research Journal
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Abstract

A number of countries are running role model recruitment drives under the assumption that like is good for like: ethnic minority teachers should teach ethnic minority children, women should teach girls, and so on. The empirical basis for this would appear to be case study and personal reflection. This article will examine quantitative data to test the hypothesis that male teachers produce more positive attitudes amongst boys and female teachers amongst girls. Using data from the Performance Indicators in Primary Schools (PIPS) Project, information from 413 separate classes for 11 year‐olds (in England) was examined. One hundred and thirteen were taught by males and 300 by females. All the pupils completed questionnaires that were designed to measure attitude to school, reading, mathematics and science. In addition, background data on those pupils were collected, including cognitive measures, attainment scores, ability measures and home background measures. The data were examined to look at attitudes using multilevel models controlling for background factors. The analysis concentrated on interaction effects between the gender of the teacher and the gender of the pupil and the results gave little support for those who advocate recruitment drives with role models in mind.

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... In contrast, research has also identified that it is not gender but rather human characteristics such as good humour and kindness that matter most to children (Lahelma, 2000;Lingard, Martino, Mills, & Barr, 2002;Smithrim, 2000). Carrington, Tymms, and Merrell (2008) call this relationship the role model hypothesis, which posits that children identify more readily and learn better with teachers of the same gender (see also Carrington et al., 2007). This hypothesis echoes a wealth of research in the 1980s and 1990s, which examined the positive impact that teachers of colour have on their students who share the same social, cultural, and racial characteristics (e.g., Allen, 1990;Evans, 1992;Graham, 1987;Irvine, 1989;Stewart, Meier, & England, 1989). ...
... In a subsequent study, Carrington, Tymms, and Merrell (2008) explored the role model hypothesis by investigating the impact that same gender teachers have on the attitudes to learning amongst boys and girls. This quantitative study analyzed data collected from a cohort of 8978 children in English primary schools, comprised of 413 separate classes for 11 year-olds. ...
... Commensurate with the above findings, this study "found no empirical evidence to support the claim that there is a tendency for male teachers to enhance the educational performance of boys and, conversely, for female teachers to enhance the educational performance of girls" (Carrington, Tymms, & Merrell, 2008, p. 321). Supporting the strength of these findings, Carrington et al. (2008) reviewed four large-scale studies investigating the impact that teacher gender has on the students' motivation, engagement, achievement, and perceptions of quality of teaching (i.e., Ehrenberg, Goldhaber, & Brewer, 1995;Lahelma, 2000;Lingard, Martino, Mills, & Barr, 2002;Martin & Marsh, 2005). These four studies reported that students most consistently valued teachers who exhibited traits and behaviours-such as fairness, consistency, and humour-"which [are] not considered to be the domain of either gender" (Carrington et al., 2008, p. 317). ...
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This conceptual paper examines the education of boys through the filter of pedagogy and goodness. In this paper, I posit a distinction between instructional strategies (the toolkit of practical activities and strategies used to support children’s learning) and pedagogy (the relational and practical response to the needs of children in the lived moments of teaching). Through a discussion of the role model hypothesis, which posits that like-gender teachers are good for like-gender students, I argue that it is not only a teacher’s gender but also a teacher's non-gendered human qualities such as fairness and kindness that are most relevant to students’ learning. This paper concludes with discussion on strength and masculinity as being multi-dimensional constructs, and considers the notion of good pedagogy, which endeavours to place a multiplicity of all boys’ and all girls’ ways of being at the centre of practical and pedagogical thinking in order that they may flourish fully at school and in learning.Keywords: gender; education of boys; pedagogy; goodness; role model
... Consistent with the findings from Krieg (2005), studies in non-U.S. contexts (e.g., the United Kingdom, Germany, and Canada) reveal that having a teacher of the same gender does not have any significant effect on student learning (Carrington et al., 2008;de Zeeuw et al., 2015;Neugebauer et al., 2011;Puhani, 2018;Sokal et al., 2007). ...
... Our results also show that having male teachers does not improve either elementary or secondary male students' math and ELA achievement, which resonates with findings from existing studies in U.S. (Krieg, 2005) and non-U.S. contexts (Carrington et al., 2008;de Zeeuw et al., 2015;Driessen, 2007;Neugebauer et al., 2011;Puhani, 2018;Sokal et al., 2007). Adding more male teachers to classrooms may be desirable, in part, because the presence of male teachers can send a message that men can be caring and nurturing, thereby reducing gendered stereotypes (McGrath et al., 2020;McGrath & Sinclair, 2013). ...
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Scholars have examined the effects of same-gender teachers on student achievement, but the findings are mixed. In this study, we use 7 years of administrative data from students in elementary and middle schools (i.e., Grades 3 through 8) in Indiana to test links between gender matching and student achievement. We find that female teachers are better at increasing both male and female students’ achievement than their male counterparts in elementary and middle schools. The positive effects of having female math teachers are particularly large for female students’ math achievement, but we do not find evidence for a positive gender matching effect in English language arts. In addition, contrary to popular speculation, boys do not exhibit higher academic achievement when they are assigned to male teachers. Our findings suggest that the effects of teacher gender on student learning vary by subject and gender, but the effect sizes are small.
... Depuis quelques années, certains chercheurs au Québec et en Europe soulèvent l'hypothèse d'un lien possible entre la faible représentativité des hommes en enseignement et certaines difficultés sociales ou scolaires des garçons (Carrington, Tymms et Merrell, 2008;Royer, 2011). ...
... : les sports, les loisirs). (Carrington, Tymms et Merrell, 2008;Francis, 2008;Royer, 2010Royer, , 2011. Par contre, les recherches connues actuellement ne montrent pas la présence d'une relation directe entre le sexe de l'enseignant et la réussite scolaire chez les garçons (Hansen et Quintero, 2018;Carrington, Francis, Hutchings, Skelton, Read et Hall, 2007;Lahelma, 2000;Martin et Marsh, 2005). ...
... Governance refers to all government processes, either by government, markets, or networks, either in family, ethnicity, organizations, or territories, either through law, norms, power or language. Governance is a highly contextual concept, the theory and definition of which depend on the context (Carrington et al., 2008). It has various terminologies, such as monetary governance, economic governance, public governance, corporate governance (Iqbal & Lewis, 2009). ...
... Some experts assume accountability as the central issue of governance (Gayle et al, 2003;Carrington et al, 2008;Iqbal & Lewis, 2009) and liken it to different sides of the same coin. Accountability is related to who is accountable, to whom, how and for what it is accountable (Perks, 1993). ...
Article
This study aims to analyze the extent to which the implementation of the concept of Public Service Agency at Gorontalo State University to realize its Good University Governance, and to determine the policy/model/framework of its management under the agency mandate. This study population is the heads in the work units of Gorontalo State University, such as vice chancellors, deans, vice deans, heads of institutions, heads of main offices, and several lecturers and or employees. This study used all populations as the samples and the descriptive statistical approach for its data analysis. The findings contended that all stakeholders of State University of Gorontalo generally understood the implementation of Public Service Agency for Good University Governance.
... Teachers' demographic characteristics, such as gender, age, and working experience, also appear to be related to job performance. Carrington et al. (2008) found that primary school students taught by female teachers demonstrated more positive attitudes towards school than their peers taught by male teachers. Isaksson and Johansson (2000) found that young teachers are more technologically capable and alert; additionally, they are able to adapt quickly to stressful environments. ...
Article
Teacher job performance is crucial for school success. Prior research has heavily focused on its positive effects, whilst neglecting the interaction of factors shaping teacher job performance. Drawing on self-determination theory, particularly basic psychological needs satisfaction, this study aimed to explore how teachers’ job satisfaction was associated with their job performance, and how teacher collaboration moderated this association, using the 2018 dataset from the Programme for International Student Assessment. Results of multilevel structural equation modelling and simple slope analysis confirmed that teachers’ job satisfaction served as a positive predictor of job performance, and teacher collaboration moderated the association significantly, but distinctly, at different levels. At the teacher level, job satisfaction positively predicted job performance as being stronger with higher teacher collaboration. However, at the school and cross levels, teacher collaboration moderated the relationship negatively. The findings demonstrate the critical role of teacher collaboration in improving teachers’ job performance through enhancing their job satisfaction in schools.
... Female instructors experience more behavioral challenges than male teachers. Carrington et al. (2008) investigated that teachers' gender do not impact on students' attainment. The students may accurately assess teaching styles of teachers attributed to them. ...
... For instance, female students' math performance is found to be related to the presence of female math teachers (e.g., Marx & Roman, 2002), and the deteriorated relative performance of male students is suggested to be linked to the increasing feminization of the education system (Holmlund & Sund, 2008;Neugebauer et al., 2011). Based on representative bureaucracy theory (Song, 2018;Zhang, 2019) and role-model explanations (Carrington et al., 2008;Herrmann et al., 2016), congruence between teachers' gender and students' gender is assumed to be positively associated with student performance. However, empirical evidence for the relation is ambiguous. ...
Article
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Student–teacher gender congruence is suggested to be related to increased student performance, but little is known about the contexts in which these effects occur. Based on literature on gender stereotypes this study hypothesizes different effects of student–teacher gender congruence for male and female students across school subjects and in different educational contexts. Using administrative data of secondary schools in The Netherlands (N > 50,000), this study examined to what extent student–teacher gender congruence is associated with male and female students’ performance in the subjects math, physics, Dutch language, and French language. Further this study explored the role of students’ educational level, schools’ religiousness, and schools’ location in these relations. As expected, we found that gender congruence was positively related to female students’ performance in math and physics and to male students’ performance in Dutch language and French language. However, the role of educational context differed for male and female students across subjects and lacked a clear pattern that corresponded to the gender stereotypes hypotheses. This study emphasizes that effects of student–teacher gender congruence can differ in magnitude and direction in different contexts, encouraging future research to use qualitative methods to examine how context influences the role of gender in education.
... Although 61% of the physics teachers were isolated, their students performed just as well as those of non-isolated teachers, which also contradicts prior research in secondary physical sciences . Finally, the gender of the teacher was not related to student performance, consistent with research on affective factors that found both genders report the same level of motivation regardless of teacher gender (Carrington et al., 2008). Although this factor has received limited attention previously, there has been some research that concluded students tend to rate male high school physics teachers as more effective than women (Potvin & Hazari, 2016). ...
Article
Advanced placement (AP) physics performance is an important metric for examining precollege student preparation for post‐secondary study. The present study examined potential predictors of AP Physics 1 performance including gender, teacher, and school‐level characteristics. A theoretical framework proposed teacher preparation and experiential variables are predictive of student outcomes, in addition to contextual variables that include demographics and academic offerings. Data showed that AP Physics 1 participants varied statistically from the overall high school population in terms of gender and ethnicity, with more women, White, and Asian students enrolled. AP Physics 1 teachers tended to be more experienced than other physics teachers. A multivariable linear regression model indicated significant negative predictors included female gender and socioeconomic status; the sole positive academic predictor was whether the school offered AP Chemistry. Notably, physics performance was not predicted by physics teacher characteristics including gender, certification type, years of experience, course load in physics, and isolation. Physics performance was also unrelated to school size, AP Physics enrollment, and access to AP Biology and Calculus. Results suggest that targeted resources should be identified to support teachers in high poverty schools, and training them to enact strategies that diminish gender achievement gaps.
... This study examines the potential role of teachers' characteristics on these gender differences. For instance, the teacher's gender effect is inconsistent across studies: while Antecol et al. (2015) and Beilock et al. (2010) found a negative effect of having a female teacher on girls' math performance, other studies (Carrell et al., 2009;Gong et al., 2018;Helbig, 2012;Xu & Li, 2018) found a positive one, or no effect at all (Burusic et al., 2012;Carrington et al., 2008;Coenen & Van Klaveren, 2016). Overall, it is interesting to note that any observed effect tends to be specific to girls, with boys seemingly unaffected by the teacher's gender. ...
... Male role models in the early childhood classroom are an important element in the growth of young children (Carrington, Tymms, & Merrell, 2008;de Zeeuw et al., 2014;Martino, 2008). In a short interview with three male teachers from Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena, California, Cassandra Morrison asked the question, "What unique benefits do children encounter by having male role models in the classroom?" ...
Thesis
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Males comprise less than 2% of the early childhood classroom teacher population. This research explored the experiences of male teachers from career exploration to classroom teaching. The purpose of the study included discovery of the influences motivating choice to teach in the early childhood education field. Five male teachers who have taught, or are currently teaching, in the early childhood classroom of licensed, group child care facilities in the upper Midwest of the United States were interviewed in this phenomenological, purposive study. Perceptions and assumptions of male teachers resonated with the study participants, but the children they cared for in the classroom provided the greatest influence on their motivation to stay. Study participants identified essential characteristics of a successful early childhood teacher, as teacher himself and professional colleague, while shedding light on involvement in an engaging classroom. Results of the findings included the charge to change the language of the child care profession and recognized that a teacher of early childhood is a professional, a role model, uses play for learning, and is not doing women’s work.
... Therefore, this paper continues from works on organisational masculinities and "blokishness" and analyses women's leadership styles to explore to what extent women present role models for other women respective of their perceived masculinity and what is the perception of the so-called masculine women vs. feminine women regarding their leadership and behavioural styles and role models. The analysis focussed on comparing masculine vs. feminine women using the framework of behavioural style such as blokishness could provide an answer to why, for example, studies show that women do not always identify with senior women but with those who are closer to them and whom they know more intimately regardless of their position (Singh et al., 2006;Hoyt and Simon, 2011) or why individuals, in general, do not always respond best to those who are of the same gender, race, class, etc. (Carrington et al., 2006). ...
Article
Purpose This paper presents a sociological analysis of the advertising industry's leadership styles and role models in England using masculinities in behaviour (“blokishness”) as a concept. The paper particularly focusses on the experiences of the so-called tomboy women who were socialised with boys and embraced masculine behavioural styles and compares their views and styles with women who experienced a more common, feminine socialisation and spent time in girls' peer groups during early socialisation. The paper explores why some women are seen as role models and others are not. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative interviews were conducted with 37 women working in a variety of roles within the advertising industry in England, and from a variety of backgrounds, and views on leadership and role models were analysed with a particular focus on “tomboy” women and their behavioural and leadership styles, which is linked with role models and compared against views of the so-called feminine women. Triple coding and a thematic analysis were used to analyse data and make sense of concepts derived from participants' answers. Findings The findings suggest that tomboy women demonstrate masculine leadership and behavioural styles and are less likely to see themselves as role models along with facing disapproval from female employees they manage. On the other hand, feminine women demonstrate feminine leadership styles and are more likely to see themselves and become accepted as role models. Thus, the paper suggests that the perception and experience of role models depend on behavioural and leadership styles, which is different for the so-called tomboy and feminine women. Data suggest this is due to participation in early peer groups during childhood. The paper offers conceptualisation figures to inform future research. Practical implications The findings suggest it is not always formal structure that impedes the progress of women, but often informal ones linked to behavioural styles. Therefore, whilst many positive policies have been introduced to improve equality in organisations and society in general, this paper sheds light on how these policies could get undermined by informal issues such as behavioural and leadership styles. Human resource (HR) professionals should further internal policies to prevent situations in which only those “who are like us” can go ahead in their careers by diversifying the workforce and employment and promotions panels. Originality/value To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first paper analysing role models, and leadership styles linked to the position of women in the advertising industry, focussing on blokishness in behaviour and comparing styles of the so-called tomboy and feminine women.
... Reasonably, the career decision process is complex due to existing of various motivations that affect an individual's actions (Eccles and Wigfield, 2020;Kanfer et al., 2017). It can't be wrong to say that individuals' abilities, interests, values, necessities, priorities, advice and opinions of family and friends can all play a role, to more male teachers can promote gender equality in the teaching profession and also help overcome male students' low performances (Carrington et al., 2008). Although there is a considerable amount of studies conducted to examine preservice teachers' reasons given for joining the teaching profession (Hayes, 1990;Stiegelbauer, 1992;Brown, 1992;Pajares, 1993;Yong, 1995;Bastick, 2000;Manuel and Hughes, 2006;Bergmark et al., 2018;Jennifer and Mbato, 2020), limited research has been done with practicing teachers to better understand the factors motivated them to join teaching profession. ...
Article
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Purpose This study aims to identify the main motivational factors that led practicing teachers to choose teaching as a profession in the United States and Turkey. Another purpose of this research is to investigate the possible significant difference between male and female teachers from the United States and Turkey considering motivational factors that lead them to choose teaching as a profession. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to collect and analyze the data. First, randomly selected middle grades teachers were asked to write personal statements where they explain their main reasons for choosing teaching as a career. Then, qualitative data obtained from personal statements were coded. The coding process allowed the researcher to create factors. Then, cross-tabular representation was produced by descriptive data. Finally, ANOVA was run in order to identify significant differences among groups of participants in terms of all motivational factors. Findings Results indicated that (1) female teachers are motivated mostly by “Leisure and Comfort”; (2) “Enjoyment of subject” is a big motivator for US male teachers; (3) Turkish male teachers are motivated mostly by “Necessities” (4) male teachers have no strong desire to work with kids; (5) female teachers enjoy teaching more comparing the male teachers; (6) US Female teachers feel more personal fulfillment in teaching. Practical implications Motivational factors and reasons for choosing a teaching career can be further investigated by qualitative case studies with selected male and female teachers in order to better understand the reasons that derived both male and female teachers to specific kinds of motivational factors. That may provide a tick description of how motivation for the teaching profession develops over time starting from early memories and experiences in education and schooling. Through the lens of these kinds of qualitative studies, we may better understand how lived experiences are affecting decision-making by developing interest in specific areas. Originality/value Although there is a considerable amount of studies conducted to examine preservice teachers' reasons given for joining the teaching profession, limited research has been done with practicing teachers to better understand the factors that motivated them to join the teaching profession.
... Tanto hombres como mujeres han escogido, ya sea de forma consciente o inconsciente, modelos a seguir (Carrington et al., 2008). De acuerdo con Schier (2020), para las mujeres, estos role models aumentan la autoconfianza y permiten que compita y progrese en su contexto profesional y de negocios, lo que se ha evidenciado en la literatura motivacional. ...
Article
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El relacionamiento de las mujeres en el mundo empresarial es fundamental para reducir la brecha de género en el ámbito empresarial. A partir de un programa de mentoring con empresarias de Valparaíso (Chile), se buscó crear redes de trabajo colaborativo en torno al reconocimiento de role models y comprender la sororidad que esto promueve, para beneficio de su crecimiento profesional y empresarial. Esta investigación con enfoque cualitativo entrevistó a las participantes y usó el análisis de percepción conductual sobre los conceptos de empoderamiento, sororidad, role models y mentoring. Como resultado, se encontró que estos procesos permiten a las empresarias compartir experiencias y crear escenarios de confianza, solidaridad, empatía y empoderamiento. Así, crear redes de trabajo y vínculos entre ellas ayuda a acortar las brechas de género para las empresarias de la región.
... Lam et al., 2010); however, other studies showed no teacher gender effect on student learning outcomes (e.g. Carrington et al., 2008;Holmlund & Sund, 2008), suggesting instruction-specific or context-specific effects. As PISA includes several countries (e.g. ...
Article
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Despite the general consensus on the positive impact of formative assessment on student learning, researchers have not shown the underlying mechanisms between specific formative assessment strategies and academic performance on an international sample. This study examines the link between student and teacher reports of teachers' formative assessment strategies (i.e. clarifying goals and monitoring progress, providing feedback, and instructional adjustments) and students' reading achievement, based on data from 151,969 fifteen-year-olds in 5,225 schools in 19 countries/regions in PISA 2018 via multilevel analysis of plausible values. The results show that clarifying goals and monitoring progress, and instruction adjustments are positively linked to reading achievement, but providing feedback alone has no significant impact. These findings highlight the complexity of formative assessment as a multifac-eted concept and the different impacts of formative assessment strategies on student learning. Implications for researchers and practitioners are discussed.
... It also perpetuates stereotypical ways of thinking about classroom management and discipline; that it must be direct and aggressive (i.e., indexed as masculine), to be successful. In fact, such discipline strategies have been shown to damage positive teacher-learner relationships (see Carrington, Tymms, and Merrell 2008 for an example). ...
... However, the finding seems to contradict observations by Blackmore (2016); Carrington et al. (2008); Kailiti (2018); Koomson (2012);Naidoo et al. (2016) and Wadesango and Karima (2016) that gave the impression that women who aspire to ascend to higher leadership positions in patriarchal societies only draw their inspiration from female role models at the top echelon of leadership. Blackmore believes men fail to be role models to women aspiring to leadership positions because of men's long history of misrecognising women's capacity to lead. ...
Article
This study examines the experiences of the only three female headteachers leading boys’ senior high schools (SHS) in Ghana to understand the uniqueness of their career journeys, on-the-job experiences and the leadership strategies. Qualitative phenomenological approach was used for the study. The three women were interviewed multiple times over a period of five months between November 2020 and March 2021. The data were inductively and deductively analysed to identify themes that help to tell their story. The results of this study show that early exposure to role models and socialisation into the power of positive thinking at the family, school and societal levels imprint values that inspired the participants to top leadership positions and the strategies they deployed – blending of motherliness and professionalism, networking and ethical leadership. The female headteachers are bridge builders and transformational leaders who are suitable for leadership in the twenty-first century. This study identifies several implications for female headteachership including: initial preparation for aspirants of school leadership positions, ongoing professional development, and support of female school leaders. The Ministry of Education should provide women with more headteachership or leadership opportunities in schools.
... This outcome is associated with the personality of female teachers, who are well-known for exhibiting maternal and caring conduct. According to the results of the previous study, it was concluded that women make better teachers than males, owing to their mothering experiences and caring attitude (Carrell et al., 2010: Carrington et al., 2008: El-Emadi et al., 2019Slavich & Zimbardo, 2012). That females are more interested in teaching and feel that it is a rewarding career for the vast majority of them is supported by research. ...
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We are very happy to publish this issue of the International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research. The International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research is a peer-reviewed open-access journal committed to publishing high-quality articles in the field of education. Submissions may include full-length articles, case studies and innovative solutions to problems faced by students, educators and directors of educational organisations. To learn more about this journal, please visit the website http://www.ijlter.org. We are grateful to the editor-in-chief, members of the Editorial Board and the reviewers for accepting only high quality articles in this issue. We seize this opportunity to thank them for their great collaboration. The Editorial Board is composed of renowned people from across the world. Each paper is reviewed by at least two blind reviewers. We will endeavour to ensure the reputation and quality of this journal with this issue.
... This finding corroborates previous observations that exposure to charismatic and relatable role models has a positive impact on students' self-efficacy, motivation and ambition to pursue a career in their subject (Morgenroth et al., 2015). However, there is no clear literature consensus on whether gendermatched role models have a stronger impact on girls' aspirations and performance (Lockwood, 2006;Porter & Serra, 2020) or this inspirational effect manifests itself regardless of gender-matching (Carrington et al., 2008;Conner & Danielson, 2016). By showing that awareness of scientific role models, regardless of their gender, has a significant correlation with girls' intentions to pursue further scientific studies, the results of our survey indicate that the latter hypothesis holds true for the population surveyed in the present study. ...
Article
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Exposure to inspirational and relatable role models is crucial towards fostering engagement of learners with scientific disciplines. However, the representation of scientists in popular culture is still far from being adequately gender-and race-inclusive. This study evaluated the gender balance and impact of scientific role models using a two-pronged experimental approach. The gender balance was investigated in search engines, online databases, and school curricula. A survey was used to investigate English secondary students' awareness of role models and intentions to pursue further scientific studies. Our findings revealed a widespread female underrepresentation amongst scientific role models in all the analysed online sources and in high school curricula provided by the three main English exam boards. The survey (= 356) revealed that students were considerably more likely to identify famous male than female scientists. While awareness of female role models was significantly associated with students' gender, this was not the case for male role models. A statistically significant correlation was also observed between the number of identified role models and intentions to pursue scientific studies in Key Stage 4 girls. This study reinforces the urgency of ensuring school curricula and online resources provide a more modern and inclusive representation of scientists.
... The effect of teacher gender on primary level students will be different than those higher levels of education. According to Carrington et al. (2008), the gender of a teacher has a significant impact on student assignments and the educational enthusiasm of both girls and boys. Gender plays an important role in the academic achievement of students. ...
Article
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The world is becoming more and more competitive and for the performance and personal progress is the key factor. A study was designed to know teachers' perceptions regarding students' performance at the higher secondary school level. All the higher secondary school students (male and female) were the population of the study. The higher secondary schools of district Toba Tek Singh were considered for the target population. The 80 teachers (40 male and 40 female) were chosen as a study sample proportionate from the 17 higher secondary schools. The collected data were statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics frequency and percentages with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The demographic characteristic of respondents shows that the vast majority of teachers have a graduate degree, and half of the teachers belong to the 25-50 age category and have up to 10 years experience, respectively. The teachers’ response indicated that students of higher secondary schools have confidence in asking and answering questions.
... Gender highlights women's roles and responsibilities in relation to those of their male counterparts, and this has broader implications for how men and women may want to perceive their economic roles, say, within the preschool sector (Moses, Admiraal & Berry, 2016;Mukuna & Mutsotso, 2011). Thus, research on gender inequality within preschools emphasises the experiences of men against women in relation to their positions within the preschool centres (Carrington, Tymms & Merrell, 2008;Mathwasa, 2019;Mukuna & Mutsotso, 2011;Sayed & McDonald, 2017). It equally emphasises the need to raise the consciousness and status of men who care for children within preschools in an attempt to position them as equal partners with their female counterparts (Ravhuhali, Mashau, Lavhelani, Mudzielwana & Mulovhedzi, 2019;Rohrmann, 2020;Sayed & McDonald, 2017). ...
Article
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In the study reported on here we employed the interpretivist qualitative approach to explore the recruitment and retention of male educators in preschool centres. Purposive sampling was used to select 2 preschool owners, 2 principals, 4 preschool educators and 2 male educators in the Foundation Phase. Data were obtained by in-depth interviewing and were analysed thematically. Results showed no male educators in preschools in the education district where the study was conducted. Misinterpretation of cultural roles, stigma, fear and prejudice, low educator status within the preschool sector and a lack of male recruitment policies were found to be negatively affecting the recruitment of males into the preschool sector. A gender balance that ensures that both female and male educators are recruited within the preschool sector would appear to be congruent with the philosophical underpinnings of the Social Role Theory (SRT). The Departments of Education and Social Development should, therefore, embark on awareness campaigns to educate all stakeholders on the need for a gender balance within the preschool sector.
... Such finding is attributed to the nature of female teachers in manifesting caring and motherly behavior. The result of the previous study shared a similar trend where it was concluded that women are better teachers because of their mothering experiences and gentle behaviors than males (Carrell et al., 2010, Carrington et al., 2008, El-Emadi, et al., 2019, Slavich & Zimbardo, 2012. Corollary to this, it has been shown that females are more interested in teaching and consider it a rewarding career for the vast majority of them. ...
Article
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The present study assessed the language teachers' pedagogical beliefs and orientations in integrating technology in the online classroom and its effect on students' motivation and engagement. It utilized a cross-sectional correlational research survey. The study respondents were the randomly sampled 205 language teachers (μ= 437, n= 205) and 317 language students (μ= 1800, n= 317) of select higher educational institutions in the Philippines. The study results revealed that respondents hold positive pedagogical beliefs and orientations using technology-based teaching in their language classroom. Test of difference showed that female teachers manifested a firmer belief in student-centered online language teaching than their male counterparts. However, the utilization and attitude towards technology in the language classroom is favorably associated with the male teachers. As to students' level of language learning motivation and engagement, it was found out that male and female students have high level of language learning engagement. Further, the test of relationship showed that the higher the teachers' belief in utilizing student-centered teaching to integrate technology in the language classroom, the higher the students are motivated and engaged in learning. In like manner, it was also revealed that teacher-centered belief is negatively correlated to student’s motivation and engagement in online language learning. In this regard, the pedagogical assumptions that hold EFL teachers positively to integrate technology in the language classroom. This study generally offers implications for enhancing language teacher's digital literacy to promote motivating, fruitful, and engaging language lessons for 21ts century learning.
... Such finding is attributed to the nature of female teachers in manifesting caring and motherly behavior. The result of the previous study shared a similar trend where it was concluded that women are better teachers because of their mothering experiences and gentle behaviors than males (Carrell et al., 2010, Carrington et al., 2008, El-Emadi, et al., 2019, Slavich & Zimbardo, 2012. Corollary to this, it has been shown that females are more interested in teaching and consider it a rewarding career for the vast majority of them. ...
Article
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The present study assessed the language teachers' pedagogical beliefs and orientations in integrating technology in the online classroom and its effect on students' motivation and engagement. It utilized a cross-sectional correlational research survey. The study respondents were the randomly sampled 205 language teachers (μ= 437, n= 205) and 317 language students (μ= 1800, n= 317) of select higher educational institutions in the Philippines. The study results revealed that respondents hold positive pedagogical beliefs and orientations using technology-based teaching in their language classroom. Test of difference showed that female teachers manifested a firmer belief in student-centered online language teaching than their male counterparts. However, the utilization and attitude towards technology in the language classroom is favorably associated with the male teachers. As to students' level of language learning motivation and engagement, it was found out that male and female students have high level of language learning engagement. Further, the test of relationship showed that the higher the teachers' belief in utilizing student-centered teaching to integrate technology in the language classroom, the higher the students are motivated and engaged in learning. In like manner, it was also revealed that teacher-centered belief is negatively correlated to student's motivation and engagement in online language learning. In this regard, the pedagogical assumptions that hold EFL teachers positively to integrate technology in the language classroom. This study generally offers implications for enhancing language teacher's digital literacy to promote motivating, fruitful, and engaging language lessons for 21ts century learning.
... There are two fundamental discourses or policy narratives that have been the major concerns about the scarcity of male teachers in early childhood settings, which are: (i) the need for more male role models to fill the gap of absent fathers and the cumulative incidence of single-parent families [28][29][30][31] and (ii) the desire for more gender balanced representation in the teaching profession, a position that is often underlined by limited philosophies of equity which have failed to consider the importance of the status of women's work, racial inequality and the privilege of males [4,27,28,[32][33][34][35]. Male teacher shortage has dominated policy narratives particularly in trying to understand the policy physique of boys' education in which concerns of female dominancy have been inextricably linked to the phenomenon 'failing boys' in need of male role models [36,37]. Due to debates about gender balance in teaching, Riddell and Tett [35] have described these tensions as modernist and post-structuralist accounts of sex and gender where 'man' and 'woman' are socially categorised and increasing the numbers of male teachers so as to have a more gender balanced representation in the teaching profession has been problematic. ...
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The absent male educators in the Early Childhood Development (ECD) programmes have created a gap in the momentum of success gained through fathers’ involvement in the early life of children. Worldwide, the gender imbalance trends in early childhood education and lower primary classes have been immemorial female skewed with men becoming extinct in the arena. Hitherto, copious studies testify of men’s involvement as fathers in young children’s early life as crucial for their social, emotional, and cognitive development. This chapter focuses on the importance of having male educators in the foundation phase of children’s care and learning, barriers to male involvement as educators in early care and learning centres, and how learning institutions can recruit and train male educators specific for the ECD. Male educators in the ECD have been confronted by stigmatisation, ridiculed, hit glass ceilings, and are viewed with hostility and suspicion. A preliminary exploration of literature from renowned published work that focuses extensively on various countries across continents will be covered in this review. This chapter envisaged strategies that could be employed in the recruitment, retention, and active participation of male educators in the ECD settings that will inform policy and teacher education.
... Studies have also provided positive relationship between sex matching between teachers and students and improved academic achievements for both boys and girls in North America, South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa (Plan International 2013). This corroborates well with earlier studies that linked lower performance of boys to underrepresentation of males in the teaching force (Harris and Barnes 2009;Carrington, Tymms, and Merrell 2008;Holmlund and Sund 2008). ...
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There has been a growing concern in Kenya that boys have gradually been left out of the gender equation with little research capturing their schooling experiences. When examined, boys’ underachievement is treated with suspicion that has led to few studies demonstrating their marginalisation. This paper explored the manifestations of boys’ underachievement in education in Busia and Kirinyaga counties in Kenya. The study was carried out in 12 primary schools targeted 12 headteachers, 24 teachers, 480 pupils, 8 education officials and 180 households. Enrolment, school attendance, and candidature for national examinations data showed boys were marginalised. In addition, they lacked adequate role models. However, on performance, boys still had better results than girls. The paper concludes that boys were beginning to under participate in education and recommends the need for gender interventions to target both boys and girls and tripartite efforts at communities, county governments and national government to re-enrol boys.
... Note that some evidence suggests that same-sex role models have no effect on female STEM participation or even a negative effect (see, e.g. Bamberger, 2014;Betz & Sekaquaptewa, 2012;Carrington et al., 2008). 12. ...
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It is a well-known and widely lamented fact that men outnumber women in a number of fields in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths). The most commonly discussed explanations for the gender gaps are discrimination and socialization, and the most common policy prescriptions target those ostensible causes. However, a great deal of evidence in the behavioural sciences suggests that discrimination and socialization are only part of the story. The purpose of this paper is to highlight other aspects of the story: aspects that are commonly overlooked or downplayed. More precisely, the paper has two main aims. The first is to examine the evidence that factors other than workplace discrimination contribute to the gender gaps in STEM. These include relatively large average sex differences in career and lifestyle preferences, and relatively small average differences in cognitive aptitudes – some favouring males, others favouring females – which are associated with progressively larger differences the further above the average one looks. The second aim is to examine the evidence suggesting that these sex differences are not purely a product of social factors but also have a substantial biological (i.e. inherited) component. A more complete picture of the causes of the unequal sex ratios in STEM may productively inform policy discussions.
... Consequently, there have been efforts to recruit males to the profession, anchored on concerns that include the need for male models, boys' underperformance, and others. However, studies such as that of Carrington, Tymms, and Merrell (2008), Lahelma (2000), and Driessen (2007) provided empirical data that question role model and boys' underachievement arguments. ...
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Teaching has become a feminized profession, especially in elementary teaching, in which it is regarded as “women’s work.” Concerns about the “extinction” of men in the field resulted in calls for male teachers. While studies indicate that there is positive discrimination in favor of men (despite the feminization of teaching), it appears that there are also forms of discrimination that work against them. As such this study explored the challenges of being a male in the feminized profession from the perspective of male teacher candidates. Studies in the field of teacher education in the Philippines mainly focus on curriculum and students’ academic achievement, hence an inquiry must be done on the plight of male teachers in a gendered profession. A phenomenological study was employed to look into the realities of six male teacher candidates. Findings show that male teachers are: (1) leadership-destined; (2) conflicted; (3) limited; and (4) devalued. The narrative of male teachers in the Philippine education sector reveals the need to revisit programs and policies in professional development and support. Finally, recommendations are made for teacher education programs to guide teacher candidates' experiences towards a more inclusive profession.
... Generally, results from previous studies on teacher gender are not consistent (Akyuz & Berberoglu, 2010). Some studies concluded that the teacher's gender has no effect on students' mathematics achievement (Carrington, Tymms, & Merrell, 2008;Chudgar & Sankar, 2008;Lingard, Martino, Mills, & Bahr, 2002). While other studies have shown that students taught by female teachers perform better in mathematics, as female teachers tend to provide adequate support, a more positive academic atmosphere, and higher motivation levels for students (Hoque, Razak, Zohora, & Islam, 2013;Krieg, 2005;Laird, Garver, & Niskodé-Dossett, 2011). ...
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This study investigated the professional traits of mathematics teachers that affected mathematical achievement for fourth-graders in the TIMSS 2015 study, including teaching experience, degree of educational qualification, teacher specialization, and amount of professional development, all broken down further by gender. This investigation compared TIMSS 2015 results of students in four countries (Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, and Saudi Arabia) and used a causal-comparative design with data available through the IEA website. The findings indicated that the traits of professional development, specialization, educational qualification, and teaching experience among mathematics teachers were found to have various levels of impact on the achievement of fourth-grade students in the participating countries, as will be stated in the discussion of the results.
Chapter
Empathy is a fundamental trait crucial for fostering inclusive learning environments, enhancing student-teacher relationships, and promoting understanding among students and educators. Recent studies emphasize its significance in education, showing its positive impact on collaboration and appreciation for diversity (Davis et al., 2016). Empathy enables educators to tailor teaching strategies to meet diverse student needs, creating a more inclusive classroom atmosphere (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009). Moreover, empathy contributes to a supportive work environment for educators, enhancing collaboration and professional development (Katz, Blumler & Gurevitch, 2015). By prioritizing empathy, schools can cultivate a more compassionate and understanding educational community where everyone feels valued and respected, thus significantly contributing to the field of inclusive education.
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The underrepresentation of men in non‐traditional fields of work is often attributed to essentialist gendered beliefs that associate such roles exclusively with women. This phenomenon is not limited to any specific country but is observed worldwide. Moreover, male teacher drop‐out rates remain a consistent issue. This article examines the detrimental impact of gendered expectations of masculinity on male primary teachers through interviews conducted with both male and female teachers in the UK. It argues that men in this occupation face a ‘double bind,’ being judged for conforming to hegemonic masculine norms while also facing judgement for deviating from them. All male teachers interviewed expressed feeling the pressure of gendered expectations, which primarily stem from one central misconception fuelled by traditional conceptions of gender; that the occupation is unsuitable for men. As a result, men who enter the profession encounter challenges not only related to their gender but also their sexuality and their sense of professional identity as teachers. Addressing the damaging role of gender beliefs is crucial in promoting the numerical representation of men in the teaching profession.
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Mädchen und junge Frauen durchlaufen das Bildungssystem heute mit größerem Erfolg als Jungen und junge Männer, in der Berufswelt sind Frauen jedoch weiterhin benachteiligt. Zur Kompensation geschlechtsabhängiger sozialer Ungleichheit müssen Jungen im Lesen und im selbstgesteuerten Lernen gefördert werden. Mädchen brauchen Unterstützung ihres Interesses an Naturwissenschaft und bei der Umsetzung ihres Schulerfolgs in entsprechend qualifizierte berufliche Tätigkeiten.
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In this paper we examine the gender matching effects in learning outcomes by studying the sorting behaviour of teachers and students by gender across private and public schools.We develop a theoretical framework behind the selection mechanism process which is grounded in the economic framework of systematic gender norms. Using contextual gender norms that are relevant to a developing country context, our theoretical model of matching behaviour predicts that the relative gain in learning outcomes is higher for female students under female teachers. We find support for our theoretical predictions when we test them using Young Lives Survey (YLS) data collected from Andhra Pradesh.
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In our digital multi-option society, material, social and emotional needs are satisfied to a significant extent through offers from the profit-oriented and highly digitized market system. Social media emerges as a relatively new meta-level between market and consumer regarding the complex factors influencing individual consumption routines. Social media influencers are a central factor in these dynamics as they serve as points of orientation for young people, who are regularly exposed to influencer content on social media platforms and the values and ideologies they reflect and reproduce. Young people’s consumption choices regarding nutrition, too, are significantly influenced by their socialization on social media. For nutrition and consumer education, this means that educators need a deeper understanding of the impact of influencers’ media content on the nutritional and consumer behavior of children and adolescents in order to grasp their key role as reference points and symbolic power. The EKo-K.I.S.S. project, supported by the ‘Zukunftsfonds Steiermark’, addresses this issue by developing media-didactic concepts for nutrition and consumer education at schools and universities based on social science studies. This paper contributes to this project by addressing the role of influencers and its implications for the development of teaching competence in nutrition and consumer education. Based on results of a quantitative survey amongst Styrian pupils and educators, it shows the importance of this topic in education and points out ways of integrating it in educational practice.
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Parents and educators commonly assume that male teachers serve as more effective disciplinarians for boys than female teachers. Do schools tend to assign male teachers to teach boys with perceived behavioral issues? Our study uses administrative data in Indiana to investigate male teacher assignment in elementary school. We find that boys with at least one suspension record in the previous year are 12% more likely to be assigned to a male teacher than boys without suspensions, whereas girls’ suspension histories do not predict assignments to male teachers. In addition, teachers who have 10% or more of students with suspension histories are 19.5% more likely to migrate to another school and 16.2% more likely to leave the state’s teacher workforce. Our study suggests that male teachers have an elevated risk of being assigned to teach male students with suspension histories, which may contribute to teacher turnover.
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Das Einüben der Fähigkeit, mit sprachlicher und kultureller Vielfalt produktiv umzugehen, ist ein Kernanliegen des zeitgemäßen Fremdsprachenunterrichts. Doch wie ist der Umgang mit dieser im Klassenzimmer organisiert? Daniel H. Rellstab analysiert auf der Basis eines von Erving Goffman geprägten Interaktionsverständnisses Interaktionen in »Deutsch als Fremdsprache«-Klassenzimmern. Dabei zeigt er, welche Ressourcen Lehrkräfte sowie Schülerinnen und Schüler in der Interaktion einsetzen, wie sie aushandeln, welche Sprachen legitim, welche illegitim sind, und wie sie dabei Identitäten und Normen re- und dekonstruieren.
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This paper provides the first causal evidence on the effects of gender match in the adviser–student relationship (as opposed to the well‐researched instructor–student relationship) on student outcomes along both the intensive and extensive margins. We analyze administrative data from a university with a faculty adviser assignment policy that makes gender pairing between advisers and students exogenous. We find that matching female students with female adviser has a positive and significant effect on retention and grade point average (GPA) upon graduation, particularly for students with academic challenges and non‐science, technology, engineering, and mathematics students. For female students with below‐median high school GPA, gender match is found to raise the odds of graduate school enrollments.
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Cet article vise à identifier les stéréotypes de genre véhiculés par les enseignants de sexe masculin et les garçons du secondaire dans leurs perceptions déclarées à l'égard de leurs relations enseignants-élèves (REÉ). Se situant dans une approche qualitative interprétative, cette étude met en évidence les propos de 18 enseignants et de 86 garçons du secondaire, collectés par le biais de trois stratégies de collecte de données, soit l'entrevue semi-dirigée, le groupe de discussion et le questionnaire d'enquête. Les données qualitatives obtenues ont été analysées à l'aide des catégories conceptualisantes. Les principaux résultats mettent en lumière que certains enseignants mentionnent communiquer ou intervenir auprès des garçons sur la base d'intérêts stéréotypés masculins. Quant aux garçons, plusieurs d'entre eux font ressortir la distanciation émotive des enseignants à leur égard. This article aims to identify the gender stereotypes conveyed by male teachers and male high school students in their stated perceptions of their teacher-student relationships (TSR). Using an interpretative qualitative approach, this study highlights the statements of 18 teachers and 86 boys in high school collected through three data collection strategies, namely the semi-structured interview, the focus group and the survey questionnaire. The qualitative data obtained were analyzed using the conceptualizing categories. The main results highlight that some teachers mention communication with boys is based on stereotypical male interests. In counterpart, some boys report the teachers being emotionally distant from them.
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This study aims to analyse the data related to the factors influencing the educational aspirations of school level students in different aspects. There are various factors that influence the educational aspiration of students at different school levels and from the related studies, the factors that influence educational aspirations can be understood.The degree of their influence in this regard can also be figured out. So, this is essential to know about the studies which have already been done in this area. In this study, data have been analysed year-wise, continent-wise, country-wise and area-wise for their systematic review. It also describes the degree of the supremacy of these selected influencing factors, out of many. Hereby, this systematic review identifies the existing research gaps in the area of educational aspirations of school level students.
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There is a shortage of male elementary school teachers in the United States. Men who choose careers as elementary school teachers must be confident and ignore social barriers that keep other men from considering the profession. The current investigation seeks to understand the viewpoints of men who teach elementary school, a career predominated by women. This was the first known investigation on the topic using Q methodology. Data analysis extracted three distinct viewpoints: the Fixers, the Mentees, and the Aspirants. This study provides the results of data analysis, responds to research questions, and makes recommendations for policy. The findings of this study indicated that men who teach are proud to be role models and make a difference for students, and they believe that they are equally suitable to teach as women. Many participants seemed to be unaware of recruitment efforts in their field. The information gleaned from this study may help universities and school districts to seek new ways to attract quality male teachers.
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Advice processes are omnipresent in our professional and private lives. We use a laboratory experiment to study how gender and gender matching affect advice giving and how gender matching affects advice following about entry into a real-effort tournament. For advice giving we find that women are less likely than men to recommend tournament entry to advisees than are intermediate performers. Furthermore, women maximize less often the expected earnings of advisees than intermediate performers. For advice following we find that men enter the tournament significantly more often than women in the intermediate-performance group do. Gender matching does not seem to affect advice giving or following. Overall, when it is less clear what the better advice or decision is, gender differences emerge. These results are consistent with findings in other areas that document that gender differences emerge in situations that are more ambiguous.
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Cross‐country studies reveal two consistent gender gaps in education—underachievement in school by boys and low rates of participation in STEM studies by girls. Recent economics research has shown the importance of social influences on women's STEM avoidance, but male low achievement has been less‐studied and tends to be attributed to behavior problems and deficient non‐cognitive skills. I revisit the determinants of the gender gap in U.S. educational attainment with a relatively‐advantaged sample of young men and women and find that school behavior and measured skills are not very important drivers of gender differences, particularly in the transition to college. Educational aspirations, on the other hand, are strongly predictive of educational gaps and the gender difference in aspirations cannot be explained, even with rich adolescent data that includes parental expectations and school achievement indicators. These results suggest that gender identity concerns may influence (and damage) the educational prospects of boys as well as girls through norms of masculinity that discourage academic achievement.
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The current study relies on in-depth interviews with 65 Black males to explore their experiences in a Black Male Initiative (BMI) program at three different higher education institutions in the US. In discussing their narratives, the students articulate the qualitative contributions that BMI had on their sense of self and connectedness on campus. In particular, BMI helped the men formulate a micro-community, which was centered on their shared experiences and cultural familiarity and provided opportunities for them to learn more about themselves. The research findings detail the men’s bonding experiences, including ways their identities matter in how they relate to one another, connect and engage with other Black men, and learn about their race and gender identities. These findings challenge deficit projections of Black male students as underachieving and uncaring about their education (and future) and highlight some benefits they attribute to and accrue from being in community.
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In the UK, government and educational stakeholders perceive the problem with boys’ disaffection and underachievement in school as due to a lack of role models. In political role model discourses Black or Ethnic Minority (B.E.M.) teachers are recruited to modify the behaviour of B.E.M. boys, without attaching any blame to the systemic racism they experience in schooling and wider society. The empirical date for this article is drawn from a research project examining the lives of B.E.M teachers. Semi-structured interviews with three male B.E.M. teachers are scrutinised for insights to how they perceive and self-define their discursive work. The author proposes a conceptual frame referred to as ‘shared discursive history’ to contextualise the way B.E.M. teachers live their role model identity. The findings suggest disrupting links made with B.E.M. boys, behaviour and potential trajectory necessitate B.E.M. teachers modelling a critical stance to, and assumptions about, representations of ‘other’.
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This paper assesses the psychometric properties of the Student Motivation Scale, an instrument measuring school students' motivation. Motivation is assessed through nine measures, separated into what are referred to as boosters and guzzlers. Boosters are constructs that reflect adaptive motivation and guzzlers are constructs that reflect less adaptive motivation. Boosters are subsumed by thoughts (self-belief, learning focus, value of schooling) and behaviours (persistence and planning and monitoring). Guzzlers are subsumed by thoughts or feelings (low control and anxiety) and behaviours (avoidance and self-sabotage). Data show that the Student Motivation Scale has a clear factor structure reflecting the hypothesised five boosters and four guzzlers, is reliable, and correlated with achievement. Gender and year level differences also emerge: girls are significantly more learning focused and engage in more planning and monitoring than boys; girls are significantly more anxious than boys; Year 9 students are significantly lower than Year 10 and Year 11 students in learning focus, significantly higher than Year 11 students in avoidance, and significantly higher than Year 10 and Year 11 students in self-sabotage. Strategies for intervention are discussed in the context of these findings and the issue of academic resilience is introduced as an additional aspect of motivation that the Student Motivation Scale is able to assess.
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We explore the impact of student gender, teacher gender, and their interaction on academic motivation and engagement for 964 junior and middle high school students. According to the gender-stereotypic model, boys fare better academically in classes taught by males and girls fare better in classes taught by females. The gender-invariant model suggests that the academic motivation and engagement of boys and girls is the same for men and women teachers. We also examine the relative contribution of student-, class-, and school-level factors, finding that most variation was at the individual student level. Of the statistically significant main effects for gender, most favoured girls. In support of the gender-invariant model, academic motivation and engagement does not significantly vary as a function of their teacher's gender, and in terms of academic motivation and engagement, boys do not fare any better with male teachers than female teachers.
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This article explores young people's perspectives on males and females as teachers, contrasting these with teachers' perceptions. It builds on 90 interviews of school students aged 13-14 and 60 follow-up interviews 4 years later. The first interviews were conducted in ethnographic context in two secondary schools in the mid-1990s in Helsinki, Finland. Whilst lack of male teachers is a recurrent theme in educational discussion, widely agreed among teachers, gender did not appear to be relevant when young persons talked about teachers. They appreciate teachers, irrespective of gender, who can teach and are friendly and relaxed, but who nevertheless keep order and make sure that students work. Male teachers who teach popular, non-academic subjects were often favoured by boys, but so were female teachers of academic subjects and increasingly as time went on. The interviews suggest that students do not need male teachers to act as ‘male models’. They also suggest that male teachers should be sensitive in relationships with female students. When questioned explicitly, most of the interviewees did not regard lack of male teachers as a major problem
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Frequent calls for more male teachers are being made in English-speaking countries. Many of these calls are based upon the fact that the teaching profession has become (even more) 'feminized' and the presumption that this has had negative effects for the education of boys. The employment of more male teachers is sometimes suggested as a way to re-masculinize schools so they become more 'boy-friendly' and thus contribute to improving boys' school performance. The focus of this paper is on an Australian education policy document in the state of Queensland that is concerned with the attraction, recruitment and retention of male teachers in the government education system. It considers the failure of this document, as with many of the calls for more male teachers, to take into account complex matters of gender raised by feminism and the sociology of masculinities. The paper then critiques the primary argument given for the need for more male teachers: that is, that male teachers provide boys with much needed role models.
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Recommendations for the aggressive recruitment of minority teachers are based on hypothesized role-model effects for minority students as well as evidence of racial biases among nonminority teachers. However, prior empirical studies have found little or no association between exposure to an own-race teacher and student achievement. This paper presents new evidence on this question by examining the test score data from Tennessee's Project STAR class-size experiment, which randomly matched students and teachers within participating schools. Specification checks confirm that the racial pairings of students and teachers in this experiment were unrelated to other student traits. Models of student achievement indicate that assignment to an own-race teacher significantly increased the math and reading achievement of both black and white students. Copyright (c) 2004 President and Fellows of Harvard College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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Stereotype threat is being at risk of confirming, as self-characteristic, a negative stereotype about one's group. Studies 1 and 2 varied the stereotype vulnerability of Black participants taking a difficult verbal test by varying whether or not their performance was ostensibly diagnostic of ability, and thus, whether or not they were at risk of fulfilling the racial stereotype about their intellectual ability. Reflecting the pressure of this vulnerability, Blacks underperformed in relation to Whites in the ability-diagnostic condition but not in the nondiagnostic condition (with Scholastic Aptitude Tests controlled). Study 3 validated that ability-diagnosticity cognitively activated the racial stereotype in these participants and motivated them not to conform to it, or to be judged by it. Study 4 showed that mere salience of the stereotype could impair Blacks' performance even when the test was not ability diagnostic. The role of stereotype vulnerability in the standardized test performance of ability-stigmatized groups is discussed.
Article
The move in the United Kingdom to recruit more men into primary teaching is to tackle boys under-achievement. One explanation that has been offered as to why boys' are under-achieving is the 'feminisation of primary schooling'. This article begins by exploring the findings of a national survey of student primary teachers towards gender roles and schooling. The views of the students indicated accordance with the idea that primary schools are feminised and feminising environments. The discussion here critiques these notions and argues that current educational policy is not moving forward in a direction that will actively challenge conventional stereotyping. Rather, the move is towards one where notions of masculinity and femininity will be reinforced through a 're-masculinisation' of primary schooling.[1] The research drawn upon in this article was undertaken collaboratively with Bruce Carrington and Ian Hall (University of Newcastle), and Becky Francis (University of North London). I would like to record my thanks to them all, particularly Bruce for his contribution to this article. He provided the analysis of the quantitative data and commentary on the outline of the research project. His analysis of the qualitative data on men student teachers can be found in Carrington (forthcoming). I would also like to thank colleagues at the International Sociology of Education Conference for their comments and observations, in particular Meg Maguire, and two anonymous referees of this article.
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This article responds to a recent review essay by King (1993) on the limited presence of African American teachers in American elementary and secondary education. The purpose of this response is twofold. First, it is suggested that the original work leaves some of the issues surrounding attracting and retaining elementary and secondary school teachers unaddressed, leaves some conflicting empirical work unsynthesized, and provides interpretations and policy suggestions that do not necessarily directly follow from the empirical evidence. Second, this response highlights an emerging problem in educational research. It suggests that a productive and worthwhile area of inquiry would be one in which educational researchers examine how “crises” in education emerge, how they are defined and constructed both within and outside the field of education; and how educational researchers respond to educational crises. It is hoped that these substantive and policy concerns will begin to receive additional attention from educational researchers and policymakers.
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This review focuses on the experiences of minority group teachers as they move into teacher credential programs and then into the teaching profession. Research reports published between 1989 and 1998 were considered if they focused on the experiences of preservice and in-service minority group teachers in public school contexts. After a descriptive synthesis provides a snap-shot of the actual experiences of minority group teachers in schooling, a social justice framework is used to guide teacher educators and school-based professionals in their construction of robust recruitment and retention programs. This review demonstrates the power of the presence of minority group teachers but also demonstrates the obstacles to full realization of their potential. Perhaps the opportunity to imagine the possibilities of schooling in the context of making a real difference in students' lives is the catalyst minority group people need to enter and remain in the teaching profession.
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In this article I review scholarship in a number of disciplines within education, including psychological and social foundations, policy, instruction and curriculum and analyze implications for urban teacher preparation. I define the distinguishing characteristics of urban school systems, and analyze and synthesize relevant research about the diverse social and political contexts that have influenced urban schools and urban teacher preparation, paying particular attention to implications for the "ecological" paradigm of school reform. I suggest how the challenges in urban teacher preparation in the U.S. have changed in the past decade because of the linkage between education and the economy, as well as alterations in the knowledge base of teaching, especially data about cultural diversity. While a growing consensus has emerged among researchers that learning is enhanced when it occurs in contexts that are socioculturally, linguistically, and cognitively meaningful for the learner, policy has been driven by contradictory assumptions, most importantly the belief that educational outcomes can and must be standardized because of the demands of an increasingly global economy. This contradiction presents new and urgent challenges for urban teacher preparation.
Article
This paper reports the findings of a study which sought to provide improved understanding of what motivates young men to choose primary teaching as a career and their experiences of their university course. It is hoped that the understanding so derived can be used to encourage males to enter the teaching profession at primary level. Sixteen new male graduates were interviewed, just over half had begun the education degree immediately after leaving high school. Working with children was a positive motivation, but teaching was also seen as a desirable career with good working conditions. Parents, both mothers and fathers, were supportive of teaching as a career for their sons. The university course became more interesting for these male students once they were involved directly in schools. They described themselves as less conscientious than female students, but as having interests other than study which gave them an edge in the classroom.
Article
Since 1997, the Blair administration has taken various steps to make school teaching a more inclusive occupation. For example, in England and Wales it has introduced measures to increase levels of male recruitment to primary teaching and attract more ethnic minority entrants to the profession. This paper shows how these policies have been legitimated by an appeal to commonsense notions about the salience of ‘role models’ in socialization. Underlying official discourse in this sphere is the assumption that the ‘targeted recruitment’ of male or ethnic minority teachers will provide much-needed ‘role models’ in schools for those groups most likely to experience educational failure and disaffection. Thus, matching teachers and children by gender or ethnicity is seen as a panacea for male or Black ‘underachievement’. This paper begins by weighing the strengths and weaknesses of current policies on gender, ethnicity, and teaching. Having subjected the ‘role model’ argument to critical scrutiny, it moves on to discuss the dilemmas encountered by male entrants to primary teaching during the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) and ethnic minority students preparing to teach in either the primary or secondary sectors. Drawing upon the findings of two recently completed studies, the students' responses to the policies under consideration and their lived experiences during school placement are considered. The paper concludes by exploring the implications of the discussion for policy.
Article
The prevailing construction of primary teaching in the UK and elsewhere is that of a feminised occupation. In popular discourse, male teachers have been variously depicted as 'unusual', 'ambitious', 'odd' or even 'deviant'. Such constructions have engaged policy makers, academics and practitioners. Although previous research has suggested that working with younger children is more likely to be viewed as a 'woman's job', no large-scale investigation has been conducted into the factors influencing male entry to lower and upper primary teaching. In this paper, the findings of a recently completed survey of gender differences in graduate students' images of primary teaching as a career—undertaken in England and Wales—are presented. As well as drawing comparisons between male and female student teachers, detailed consideration is given to the perceptions of men planning to work with younger children and older children respectively. The paper concludes with an exploration of the policy implications of the research.
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Using data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS), the authors find that the match between teachers' race, gender, and ethnicity and those of their students had little association with how much the students learned, but in several instances it seems to have been a significant determinant of teachers' subjective evaluations of their students. For example, test scores of white female students in mathematics and science did not increase more rapidly when the teacher was a white woman than when the teacher was a white man, but white female teachers evaluated their white female students more highly than did white male teachers.
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An analysis of data involving over 1,000 pupils in 62 classes focused on the progress made during the first 3 years of schooling in England. The pupils started school at the age of 4 and they were assessed on entry to school. They were then assessed 1 year later and again 2 years after that. Building on work reported in an earlier paper this study considered: • The adequacy of the baseline assessment for 4-year-olds in predicting later progress. • The differences between classes in value-added terms. • The long-term impact of being part of a class that made rapid academic progress during the 1st year at school. • Differences between pupils who started school in different terms. • Differences between pupils of different ages. Overall, the analysis supported the view that effective early provision has a positive impact on children's academic progress to the age of 7.
Article
Mixing and Matching: The Effect on Student Performance of Teaching Assistants of the Same Gender - Volume 36 Issue 4 - Daniel M. Butler, Ray Christensen
Article
Recent research on the differential attainment of boys and girls at school has produced findings in significant contrast to the standard account on which most previous explanations of the differences between boys and girls were based. Put simply, much previous research may have been attempting to explain differences whose nature was incompletely understood. The result, if these new findings are accepted, is that further research is now necessary to discover the potential socio-economic, classroom and individual determinants of these gender gaps. In addition, it is important before such research takes place that the nature of the actual differences between the 'performance' of boys and girls is more clearly understood. This article is intended to be a part of that advance. It details differential attainment by gender for all students in Wales over 6 years and at every level of assessment from Key Stage 1 to A level. There are few significant gender differences in mathematics and the sciences (i.e. the majority of the core subjects). For all other subjects, there are no significant gender differences at the lowest level of any assessment. Otherwise, the gap in attainment between boys and girls rises with every grade or level in an assessment, leading to the conclusion that the problem, if indeed it is a problem, is one mainly facing mid-to high-attainers. Proportionately more girls are attaining high grades and more boys are attaining middle grades than might be expected. Trends over time reveal no great change in this picture at the subject level over 6 years, but in terms of aggregate scores such as government benchmarks, the gap between boys and girls is decreasing.
Article
Girls' avoidance of computers seems downright mysterious. There is no Big Culprit, but teachers and administrators might ponder the effects of gender-biased classroom practices, social activities, and TV commercials and role-models. This article points out some computer-equity-program successes in several states. A sidebar describes "gender-blenders" to get the process rolling. (MLH)
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The role model argument and faculty diversityAvailable online at:http:onlineethics.orgabstractsfac-diverse.html
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Do teachers' race, gender, and ethnicity matter? Evidence from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988
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