Learning Genders and Teachers Teaching Gender Research Paper

Introduction

A human being is the best creation of God in the world. There are two types of human beings living in the world as man and woman. “WOMEN are different from men and those differences matter in women’s health issues” (The New York Times, 2008). But at the time of born, their behaviors are the same. For the first time in his or her life, there is no difference between man and women’s behaviors. But day by day, they are behaving differently, and their characteristics, attitudes, and values are going to be different from each other.

Consequently, they are going to be men and women. In our society, this study identifies human beings whether they are men or women based on different biological structures and different characteristics, attitudes, values, and behaviors which are established constructed by the specific environment, society, and culture in where we are living. In our environment, society, and culture, there are various types of institutions such as educational institutions from where this study collects our necessary knowledge and non-educational institutions such as religion, workplaces, family, media, peers, communities, and politics.

Every institution impacts our characteristics, attitudes, values, and behaviors, they teach us that what type of characteristics, attitudes, values, and behaviors means gender roles, should be contained, the persons who work in these institutions teach various types of gender activities directly or indirectly or both. This study thinks that the teachers treated as the representative impact on the gender roles.

They teach us that what type of behaviors we have to do with society and with other people and what type of behaviors our society expects from us. Hence teachers in addition to the systems of education, are a much more important factor to influence our gender roles. Some educational institutions prefer to give single-sex teachers which helps to influence gender roles. In case of teaching style, it is different for male teacher and female teacher which also influence the gender roles.

Literature Review

The gender issue is an important factor in our world. Every developed, developing and underdeveloped country is fighting against gender discrimination because they believe that if we can use our power of male and female people properly for development, we can reach our destination of optimum development. It is known that there is a great relationship between educational institutions and gender issues. That’s why there are various types of research did by the various researchers on gender issues of students and teachers such as

Ausburn, 2004

This study describes instructional design elements most valued by nontraditional adult learners in hybrid learning environments that combine limited face-to-face contact with online learning and collaboration” (Cleveland, and Clouse, 2005).

Shel, 2007

This study describes teacher training, school, and classroom climate (to which, this study added community, cultural, governmental influences, etc.), and teacher-student interaction and peer interaction (which encompasses teaching methods and management of peer relationship) (Shel, 31 March 2007).

Machin and Sandra, 2006

This study evaluates the gender gap at various stages of compulsory education in England. This study considers the importance of some possible explanations for the gender gap – in particular, factors that may explain the observed changes over time.

But no research is ever done on the relationship between gender and teaching practices. This study will identify whether any relationship has between gender and teaching practices or not. This study will discuss it and how our teaching practices give the gender message to us directly or indirectly or both. This study thinks that it is one kind of descriptive research that means the descriptive research approach is appropriate. “The major purpose of its description of the state of affairs as it exists at present” (Kothari, 2005, p.4).

The main characteristic of this research approach is that the researcher has no control over the variables, he or she can only report what has happened and what is happening. This study also thinks that it is explanatory research.

Research Methods and Methodology

The purpose of this study is to identify whether there is any relationship between gender and teaching practices or not if so, how the teaching practices give the gender massages. This is done by using largely qualitative research techniques, in its focus groups; a questionnaire is designed to collect information from educational institutions about its teaching practices, male and female teachers, male and female students of these institutions.

This study is one kind of descriptive research and that’s why this study has to describe whether there is any relationship between gender and teaching practices or not. To describe it, the current information about the teaching practices of educational institutions must be needed. One male and the female worker will go to the institutions and ask the related questions on teaching practices to collect the information and the given answers will be written by the workers.

Research design

This study will be completed through an experimental research design is used. In it, there is a hypothesis and to test this hypothesis data is collected from an educational institution through a questionnaire. The participants of this questionnaire will answer as many as possible and after getting these answers an analysis will be done to test the hypothesis.

Sample Selection

In this study, to test the hypothesis, the necessary information needs to collect from the sample and that’s why this study needs to select a sample. The various related questions in the questionnaire are asked to six male and six female students and also three male and female teachers in three educational institutions. In the case of students’ selection, three local students and three students who come from the outside of the city are selected to ask the questions. In the case of teachers’ selection, one senior and two junior teachers are selected to ask the questions.

Questionnaire Design

In this study, to collect data, the questionnaire system is used and the open type questions are used because it helps to discuss freely between the questioner and the participants and the questionnaire design will be as follows:

1. Are the teachers whether all male or all female or both?
2. Which type of subjects is preferred by the male and female teacher to take the class?
3. Are the classrooms combined or separate for male and female students?
4. What type of subjects is male and female students preferred for their higher education?
5. What type of students do male or female teachers like in his or her classroom?
6. are there any behavioral differences of teachers in the case of their male and female students?
7. are there any differences between male and female teachers in case of their teaching style?
8. are there any differences between given facilities by the teachers in the case of their male and female students?
9. Are the possible locations equally accessible to girls and boys, such as in a mosque?
10. What are the direct and indirect costs for girls and boys to attend school?
11. How inclusive of girls are the learning materials available? Do they include pictures of girls and boys? Are stories and texts appropriate for both? Do they perpetuate gender stereotypes?
12. Are teaching materials available to help teachers address specific topics needed by girls and boys such as reproductive health for girls?
13. How many male and female students will be in a classroom?
14. are there any differences between the male and female students in case of their educational expenses?
15. Do the female and male teachers behave with male or female students the same or not?
16. Is there any kind of tendency of male or female teachers for which female or male students do not like to contract with teachers alone?
17. Do you think that male teachers are more ethical or not in the case of teaching and also behaving with female students than female with male students?
18. As a teacher, are male and female both teachers ethical or not?
19. Do you think that the teaching practices of this institution are influential factors for gender roles?

Hypothesis

The relationships between gender and teaching practices are the main hypothesis of this study. Because about all of us first learn our behaviors from our parents who are the teacher of our pre-school education but at the time of five or six years we go to the primary school and then secondary school and then high school. During this educational time of our life, the teacher teaches us about many non-educational matters such as characteristics, attitudes, values, and behaviors, as well as our gender roles, hence teachers and teaching practices, are very important influential factors in case of our characteristics, attitudes, values, and behaviors as well as our gender roles. And that’s why this study wants to hypothesize that ‘there is a relationship between gender and teaching practices.’

Data Collection

• Q1) in the one educational institution, all teachers are male, in another two educational institutions, all teachers are female and male combined.
• Q2) Male teachers like technological, mathematical, sciences based subjects and field assignment based subjects such as management, banking, finance, management & information systems, and marketing, accounting & information systems, and so on, to take classes and most female teachers like theoretical subjects such as literature, history, political science, and so on to take classes.
• Q3) where combined teachers are available, classrooms are combined but male students sit at one site and female students sit at another site.
• Q4) Maximum male students prefer technological, mathematical, sciences based subjects and field assignment based subjects such management, banking, finance, management & information systems, and marketing, accounting & information systems, and so on for their higher education, but most of the female students prefer theoretical subjects such as literature, history, political science, and so on for their higher education. Male teachers try to influence their male students to take technological, mathematical, and science-based subjects and female teachers also try to influence their female students to take theoretical subjects.
• Q5) Most male teachers like male students in their classrooms and most female teachers prefer female students in their classrooms and they feel comfortable in it.
• Q6) Most of the female teachers give various helpful advice to female students than male students and most male teachers prefer male students to ask important questions, to give supporting elements for their improvement that means behave different behaviors with male and female students (Kelly, 2007).
• Q7) One teaching style is different from other teaching styles and it is normal, but there are great differences between male and female teacher’s teaching styles in the classrooms. Male teachers can contract with male and sometimes female students very quickly but female teachers can contract with female and sometimes male students. Male teachers like to move to one place to make the topics easier to understand by the students but most of the female teachers like to stay in one place to deliver their lecture.
• Q8) In every educational institution, there are various differences among the given facilities such as course materials, accommodation facilities, communication facilities, library facilities, and so on, between the male and female students. These differences always give a very important gender massage that male and female students are not the same; they are different from each other in various ways such as thinking, mind, behavior, values, and characteristics.
• Q9) There are various places and locations in every educational institution such as mosque, hall for male or female students, gymnasium, swimming places, and so on, where male and female students can not go together and many of these places and locations allotted for male and student are different.
• Q10) In the case of various costs for male and female students to attend school, there are differences among various direct and indirect costs for male and female students such as admission fees, accommodation fees, travel charges, and so on.
• Q11) to make the lectures understandable, various types of learning materials are used. In the case of combined school, these must be appropriate for male and female students. Most of the time male teachers use that type of male-oriented stories and pictures and female teachers use female-oriented stories and pictures for examples of the given lectures. As a result, it has a great impact on the gender roles and these give an important gender massage.
• Q12) Sometimes teaching materials are different in the case of male and female students. Female teachers can easily use any type of examples in front of female students but these may not be appropriate in front of male students and male teachers also use various examples in font of male students which are not appropriate in front of female students.
• Q13) In one educational institution, the male and female students are the same but in the other two institutions male students are higher than female students in the technological, mathematical, and science based subject’s classroom and female students are higher than male students in the theoretical subject’s based classrooms.
• Q14) the educational expenses of male and female students are not the same in all three educational institutions. In every institution female’s educational expenses is higher than the male student.
• Q15) Sometimes male or female teachers can not treat same their female and male students. Before thinking of them as a student, male or female teachers think they are female or male students and that’s why they can not behave with them as a student.
• Q16) Ethics is a combination of moral standards by which one person should be guided in private and personal life. It tells persons that what is right and what is wrong and how to live moral lives. Like any other person and profession, a teacher and his or her profession must have a code of ethics. Because of the lack of ethical and moral values of male or female students do not like to contract with the female or male teacher alone.
• Q17) Sometimes male teachers try to take a chance with their female students for becoming female students and female teachers also. That means sometimes teachers breach their code of ethics as a result the gender roles are influenced. The potential breaches of the teacher’s code of ethics are
  • Various types of inappropriate relationships with students such as sexual, business partnership, drinking binges, and so on
  • To violate the various types of school rules and educational procedures which are clearly stated
  • Failure to be responsible for his her duties (no teaching, chaos, wrong attitude toward the teaching profession, etc)
  • Enforcing the various types of teacher’s personal views such as political and religious views, views notorious social issues, preference of a particular social group, and so on, directly or indirectly on the personal views of students which are unrelated to the subject of a lesson.
  • Unfair behaviors such as improper grading, partiality, and lack of fairness are based on who is liked or not with his or her past performance and historical background.
  • Creating various types of embarrassment or disparagement environment with the help of emotional or psychological harassment
• Q18) in every educational institution, every sample of teachers and students is with this study’s hypothesis. All of them would like to say that there is a great relationship between gender and teaching practices (Clifford, n.d.).

Data Analysis

In this study, there are two-three types of variables such as independent variables, dependent variables, and dummy variables.

• various teaching professions are independent variables.
• the gender massages are dependant variables.
• the various instruments which influence the actions of independent variables and as a result dependant variables are reacting very faster.

This study analyses the summary of various related answers to asked questions in the organized questionnaire and tries to identify the relationship between gender and teaching practices.

• this study observes that most male teachers prefer male students and most female teachers prefer female students.
• this study observes that their teaching style is such type that meal teachers feel comfortable with male students and female teachers feel comfortable with female students. The teaching style segregates the area of knowledge into two sectors for male and female students.
• This study observes that male students prefer technological, mathematical, science-based subjects and the job sector which subjects are more complicated and competitive for their higher education and the teacher.
• this study observes that teaching practices influence them to take these subjects. And female students prefer theoretical subjects and the subjects what is suitable for the service-oriented job they are more efficient to serve people.
• This study observes that on top of that teachers and teaching practices also influence them to take these subjects and send a gender message that these fields of knowledge are suitable for females and the former fields of knowledge are suitable for a male.
• this study observes that every educational institution gives different educational facilities to male and female students.
• This Study Observes that ethics and good moral values are so important qualities and they must be contained by a male or female teacher. Otherwise, our gender roles are badly affected. According to Regulations (L.N. 81 of 1988), a teacher has three kinds of responsibilities and these must be fulfilled. Without good moral values and ethics, a male and female can not be a teacher. The responsibilities are (Dickey, 2006):
  • “The teachers’ responsibilities to the students in his or her care
  • The teacher’s responsibilities to his or her colleagues and the teaching profession and
  • The teacher’s responsibilities to the parents of his or her students and the community”

Under the first responsibility, various activities are included such as; the teacher

1. Shall consider primly the student’s well being
2. Shall support his or her whole professional effort to support the students to develop his or her whole personality including his or her capability to work
3. Shall promote in his or her student’s honesty, indignity
4. Shall act with justice
5. Shall exercise authority by the law of the land and with evolving concepts of the student’s needs and rights
6. Shall differ each child because everyone is individual and promote differently for their appropriate education
7. Shall create an obligation to support all students under his or her charge to build up their talents suitably and to the fullest extent feasible
8. Shall promote the students to work with his or her parents
9. shall not disclose information about pupils obtained in the course of professional service unless such disclosure serves a compelling professional purpose or is required by law.

Under second responsibilities various activities have also such as the teacher

1. shall give the proper owner to the professional standing and Opinions of his or her colleagues and shall develop and keep a good relationship with them
2. Shall maintain a nature to help in all possible ways junior colleagues and those in training
3. shall give equal educational facilities to male and female students also give an important gender message
4. Should give a reasonable service to protect the students from harmful conditions of learning for health and safety
5. Should not purposely representation the students to embarrassment or disparagement
6. Should acknowledge the authority of senior professional colleagues while retaining the right to express a professional opinion
7. Should be familiar with his or her obligation to develop his effectiveness as a teacher in every possible way
8. Should be familiar with his responsibility for his actions and judgments and he shall be prepared to stand by their consequences
9. should be acquainted with his or her too obvious responsibility, individual’s inventive nesses and honesty in his teaching and other professional actions within guidelines laid done for the profession.
10. Should not intentionally make a false statement concerning the qualifications and competence of a candidate applying for a position (Cornell University Law School, n.d.).
11. Should not accept privilege, reward, or support that might come into view to influence professional decisions or actions
12. Should not try to make any plan to influences the Minister, the Department of Education, or Educational Board to get any kinds of unethical facilities
13. Should not make any unethical relationships with a senior professional colleague or any teacher and criticize their work in the hearing of students

Under third responsibilities, various activities have such as the teacher

1. Shall recognize the right of a parent to consult him, through proper channels, on the welfare or progress of a pupil. “The teacher shall recognize the right of a parent to be consulted about any matter which concerns the future development of his child
2. Shall do nothing to undermine lawful parental authority but shall be prepared to give advice which, in his professional view, is in the best interest of the pupil
3. Shall make every effort to encourage parents to interest themselves actively in the education and welfare of their children and d) shall act within the community in a manner which enhances the prestige of the profession” (Malta Union of Teachers, n.d.). This study also observes that the teaching style of male and female teachers is different and the teaching style of the female teacher is suitable for female students and the teaching style of the male teacher is suitable for male students (Wenglinsky, 13 February 2002).

Test of Hypothesis

After analyzing the collected data from teachers, students, and educational institutions, it is clear that the hypothesis of this study is right, and there is a great relationship between gender and teaching practices. Because the teaching practices of a male and female teacher in the sample educational institutions is such type that they give all time with the help of their activities, behaviors, beliefs, attitudes, values, characteristics, teaching style, advice, their preferences, motivations, and other educational instruments a message to their students that they have two types of students one is male students and another is female students, male and female students are not same and their power, facilities, activities, behaviors, beliefs, attitudes, values, characteristics and preferences should not be same. They teach us that besides the biological differences between males and females, we have another difference between male and female’s power, facilities, activities, behaviors, beliefs, attitudes, values, characteristics, and preferences. And that’s why this study wants to say that there is a relationship between gender and teaching practices.

Results

This study saw that there is a great relationship between gender and teaching practices. As a results gender discrimination creates in society, male students can not think of female students as a part of them, and also female students can not think of male students as a part of them (Oyler, Gregory, and Philip, April 2001),. It creates negative competition between male and female students which influences the male and female student’s activities, behaviors, beliefs, attitudes, values, characteristics, and preferences. As a result of this relationship between gender and teaching practices, the confidence level of males and females.

Some studies found that males’ and females’ confidence in their computer ability was equal (Sanders, June 2005). But by the time females, the confidence level is significantly decreasing day by day and females with lower confidant level is dropping out of computer programs. Because of this relationship, nowadays single-sex schools are increasing day by day (Walford, 1983).

Conclusion

This study wants to say in conclusion that although there is a relationship between gender and teaching practices this is not good for our society and that’s why this study tries to give suggestions in its conclusion to improve these pictures

• Educational institutions should be a combined based teaching system that means an equal number of male and female teachers who will be more responsible in case of gender issues.
• an Equal number of male and female students in all classes and all subjects should be available in every educational institution.
• Equal educational facilities, courses materials, preferences, and educational expenses should be for male and female students.
• All male and female teachers should think that students are a student who has no sex and no gender that means all teacher should think that there is no difference between male and female students.
• the teaching style of both male and female teachers should be such type that it will be suitable for all types of students such as male and female students.
• every male and female teacher must follow the applied code of ethics and by the institution and by the department of education and the code of ethics must be related to law. In the code of ethics, the male and female teacher’s behaviors, the teaching style, relationship with male and female students, and other activities which give the negative gender message, must be included. These must be followed by every male and female teacher.

As human beings, our characteristics, attitudes, values, and behaviors as well as our gender roles are constructed by the sociological perspective. Hence our male and female characteristics are affected by the various social institutions. The important influential social institutions are school. The environment of schools, teachers of the school, the values of the school, and the teaching practices have a significant impact on our gender roles and this study tries to find out the relationship between gender and these factors especially teaching practices.

Term paper on learning Gender

Whether a human being is male or female it is identified to observe his or her biological factors and characteristics, attitudes, values, and behaviors which are constructed by our society. Our socialization plays a larger role than the biological perspective but some sociologists believe that it is a combination of both factors such as biological and sociological but that our socialization plays a larger role. There are various influential factors such as social institutions such as schools (including preschools) and other institutions of education, religion, workplaces, family, media, peers, communities, and politics which teach us our gender roles. There are four aspects of the gender of Harding such as

• a property of individuals
• a relation between groups
• A property of symbolic systems and
• a way of distributing scarce resources

Sometimes these four attributes are collapsed into two main ways of understanding sex or gender such as

The sex-gender system

• ‘A set of social relations between men which have a material base… that enables them to dominate women’
• Concern with the sexual division of labor, social division around sex or gender (traditionally the focus of equal opportunities or gender mainstreaming)

Gender Identity

• identity and subjectivity of a particular gender
• discourse (post-modern feminism is sometimes accursed of collapsing everything into discourse)
• issues of embodiment
• performativity of gender (butler)

There are various psychological differences between the male and female which influence his or her think, communication, and behaviors which are apparent in the playgrounds. For example

• boys tend to play different types of games that do not play girls.
• Boys are more hierarchical the noun of it is the hierarchy that means the system of grades of status or authority ranked one above the other.
• Girls are more collaborative which means more sharing and caring and they are more co-operating.
• girls tend to be better at communicating their feelings that means girls can easily express their feelings to others.
• boys tend to answer in the classroom very frequently.
• the tendency of girls to be able to diagram and systematize their jobs much more effectively than boys
• Girls are more capable to show their efficiency to various learning contexts.
• boys tend to interrupt frequently and answer not frequently in spite of do not know the answer.
• the tendency of girls to keep silent in the classrooms and also in groups
• boys tend to overestimate their academic abilities that mean they tend to be more confidants than means over confidant.
• the tendency of girls is to underestimate their abilities and that’s why they always work hard to compensate for their shortage of abilities.
• boys tend to take action before thinking and they involve quickly with practical activities than girls,
• girls tend to think before taking steps and they are slower involving in practical activities.
• the tendency of Girls is that they are more got ready to be open about their ambition than boys.
• girl tends to enlarge communication skills quickly than boys. The taking style is quicker and earlier.

Culture is one kind of the important influential factor in gender roles. For example, during the time of school age of children, imitation instruments such as imitation dolls become important, and in case of these, peer and media influence strongly on the gender roles. As a result, these affect their mindsets and behaviors.

Recent brain research proposes that there are two major objective differences between male and female brains and also in the way men and women use their brains. In many educational institutions, the single-gender classes system is used and it has various advantages and disadvantages. Some advantages are given below (Learning about Learning, 31 August 2007):

• there is less disruption to the learning of girls and quieter boys.
• the content of the curriculum can be adjusted to suit boy’s and girl’s interests, for example, in reading materials.

Learning about Learning | Gender in education

• Boys can relax and express themselves more effectively when girls are not present and they take more risks in their learning.
• the absence of boys can empower girls and make them more assertive.”

Some disadvantages which are given below

• there is a danger of introducing or reinforcing male/female stereotypes” (Learning about Learning, 31 August 2007).
• Male teachers can sometimes reinforce a macho or ‘lad dish’ culture and the learning climate can often be characterized by confrontation.
• “Not all boys or girls behave or think like ‘typical’ boys or ‘typical’ girls” (Learning about Learning, 31 August 2007).
• “Same-sex classes can result in the relatively higher attainment of girls, thus widening the gap in attainment between girls and boys” (Learning about Learning, 31 August 2007).

Sometimes students can get a chance to select the learning style because they may have any specific learning style favorite and their preferences may vary between male and female students. Sometimes, this study sees that teachers cooperate with males more habitually, ask them better questions, and provide them more accurate and helpful feedback. From this discussion, it is clear that the teachers act differently with male and female students and the activities also differ from male and female teachers.

References

Ausburn, J. Lynna., (2004), Gender and Learning Strategy Differences in Non-traditional Adult Students’ Design Preferences in Hybrid Distance Courses, The Journal of Interactive Online Learning, Volume 3, Number 2, pp. 01. Web.

Cleveland, Gary. Clouse, F. Shawn. (2005). Distributed Learning for Geographically Dispersed Students. Clyde Neu; Journal of Educators Online. Web.

Clifford, Hazel (n.d.), A Comparison Of Gender-Related Attitudes Towards Mathematics Between Girls In Single-Sex And Co-Educational Schools, Submitted to the University of Exeter for the degree of Master of Education. Web.

Cornell University Law School, (n.d.), ABA Model Code of Professional Responsibility. Web.

Dickey, J. Robert. (2006). Code of Ethics, TESOL Law Journal. Vol. 1. 16-23.

Kelly, Nicola. (2007), Information Communication Technology (ICT) & Gender–The Declining Numbers. Web.

Kothari, C R. (2005). Research Methodology: Methods & Techniques. 2nd ed. New Age Publishers. New Delhi: Wishwa Prakashan.

Learning about Learning, (2007), Research summary – gender in education- Differences between boys and girls. Web.

Machin, Stephen. And Sandra McNally, (2006). Gender and Student Achievement in English Schools Centre for the Economics of Education. Web.

Malta Union of Teachers, (n.d.), Code of Ethics. Web.

Oyler, Celia., Gregory, T. Jennings. And Philip, Lozada, (2001), silenced gender: the construction of a male primary educator, Teaching and Teacher Education. Volume 17, Issue 3, Pages 367-379.

Sanders, Jo. (2005). Gender and Technology in Education: A Research Review. Sage Publications, London. Web.

Shel, A. Tammy. (2007), Gender and Inequity in Education Literature Review, Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2008: Education for All by 2015: will we make it? UNESCO. Web.

The New York Times, (2008). Q&A/Dr. Carolyn M. Mazure; Women’s Health, Women’s Differences.

Walford, Geoffrey (1983). Girls in Boys’ Public Schools: A Prelude to Further Research. British Journal of Sociology of Education, Vol. 4, No. 1. pp. 39-54.

Wenglinsky, H, (2002). How schools matter: The link between teacher classroom practices and student academic performance, Education Policy Analysis Archives, 10(12). Web.