Research

Ps- I tried to bold things so you knew where they went and then my font went a little wonky and got out of hand.**
 * Hey Groupies...This is the information I found. Feel free to use what you want, discard what you want. I'm not sure What Amanda has done, I didn't know how to get ahold of her. There are a couple of things I didn't do any research on so I'm hoping she'll cover them! See you all Sunday at 7pm :) Melanie

__**Do girls learn better from female teachers?**__ It makes little difference to most students whether they are taught by a man or woman. It is the quality of the teaching, not the gender of the teacher that matters. While teacher's treat male and female students differently, this is true for both female and male teachers. The gender of the teacher has little or no effect on how they treat boys and girls. -Patricia B. Campbell Ph.D. "Girls are...Boys are...:Myths, Stereotypes and Gender differences" U.S. Department of Education

__**Are gender differences biological?**__ Some educators use the "math gene" as an excused for their OWN gender-biased classroom behaviors (refer to role-play). While there is no evidence of a "math gene", there is a lot of evidence that practice and encouragement improves math and science skills for girls (and boys). Sex is not a good predictor of academic skills, interests or even emotional characteristics. Stereotypes play a huge roll into gender differences.-Patricia B. Campbell Ph.D. "Girls are...Boys are...:Myths, Stereotypes and Gender differences" U.S. Department of Education

Young students tend to model themselves after adults of the same sex (and having a female teacher who is anxious about math may reinforce the stereotype that boys are better at math than girls). Beilock studied 52 boys and 65 girls with 90% of the teachers female. By the end of the school year the more anxious the teachers were about their own math skills, the more likely their female students (not the boys) were to agree that boys were better at math than girls. If females end up believing in this stereotype, it will steer them away from harder math classes and keep woman out of lucrative careers in science and technology. (CBC article from shaunda)

__**Social Expectations**__ and informal influences when children are very young probably contribute to some of the reasons behind the classroom gender differences between boys and girls. Teachers can be aware of this by introducing material that is gender-friendly and watch how they treat boys and girls in the classroom. Parents can also help by making an effort to expose girls to science, engineering, math, etc. (Patten, 1998) An important part of this is encouragement and creating a sense of self-efficacy. Encouraging female students that they can be successful in any area of study is key (especially a male oriented career). Younger females tend to lack confidence so by creating a sense of self-efficacy at young age will help them feel comfortable in whatever they choose. Context enhances learning for most girls, Owens and Straton found that girls prefer cooperation, open-ended and organized activities and that teachers should try to meet the needs of these students. I'm putting my idea in here but you can change it to "we" if you agree ** * I feel as though as teachers we should be trying to meet the differentiated needs of all students regardless of gender.**

Research shows that boys do get called on more in class. A reason behind this may be that boys volunteer to answer a lot more often which may be related to males being more assertive or competition-valuing nurture.

Gender Stereotypes. Members of our society carry stereotypes with regards to what is considered appropriate behavior for boys and girls (Gibbs, 2001). Boys are expected to be more aggressive and aggressive behavior is encouraged in academic settings. Female Socialization Girls are generally encouraged to be more passive. Consequently, they do not participate in class with as much ease and confidence as many of their male peers. Teacher Lack Awareness of the Issue While most teacher education programs provide training on diversity, learning disabilities, discipline, etc, they do not provide an instruction that addresses gender issues in the classroom (Sanders, 2003) Boys and girls educated in single sex environments are more likely to explore a wider range of careers / study more subjects. Both boys and girls become more diverse role models of their own sex. Research shows that boys and girls actually learn differently. Keeping boys and girls in separate classrooms allows the teacher to design lessons that are more responsive to the students' needs. We now have good [|evidence] that single-sex classrooms CAN break down gender stereotypes, particularly when teachers have [|appropriate professional development.] [|Girls] in single-sex educational settings are more likely to take classes in math, science, and information technology (NASSPE) [] Robert Slavin gives three key strategies to avoid gender bias in teaching. ** Treating females and males equally ** One should provide equal opportunities for both sexes to participate in class and take on leadership roles, establish strong role models, and ensure that all students have the chance to do complex technical work. Call on girls as often as you do boys, and be sure to ask the girls some of the higher- level cognitive questions. Research shows that both male and female teachers initiate more interaction with boys, and on higher cognitive levels. Have high expectations of both male and female students. Do not encourage learned helplessness by over-nurturing the girls. Encourage girls and boys to be active learners by using manipulatives and providing hands-on learning experiences. Use gender-free language in classroom discourse. Use quality, precise feedback to girls' as well as boys' answers - not just a nod or a "good." Make eye contact with all students and call them by name. Provide adequate wait time, perhaps 3 or 5 seconds, before calling on a student to answer the question. Females often wait until they have formulated an answer before they raise their hands; boys often raise their hands immediately and then formulate an answer. Do not interrupt girls or boys or let other students do so. Refrain from recruiting students to perform classroom "chores" based on traditional gender roles. Do not ask only boys to assist in carrying boxes and girls to clean the bookshelves. Be a model of non-bias behavior for not only your classroom, but also the entire school
 * Reasons for Such Inequities **
 * Single-sex school systems **
 * Avoid stereotypes ** This can be accomplished by checking textbooks for gender bias, watching for unintended bias in classroom activities and practices, and using gender free language. It is also important to recognize and rectify any gender biases or stereotypes you have absorbed as a teacher (Gross Davis, Barbara, 1993).
 * Promoting integration ** Students of both sexes should work together in projects and classroom activities in order to provide cross-sex collaboration. You could also get a sense of how students feel about the cultural climate of the classroom (Gross Davis, Barbara, 1993).
 * Student/Teacher Interaction **