Gender Bias and Inclusion

Do we value all children equally?
 Is anyone more or less valuable?
Gender Bias and Inclusion are controversial
topics in education because both topics relate
to our moral and intellectual virtues.
Therefore, we thought both sides of these
topics would be relevant to future educators.
Gender Bias in Education – Are Girls
Being Shortchanged?
Gender bias in education has received much attention for several years,
especially in 1992 after the American Association of University Women
(AAUW) published the report How Schools Shortchange Girls. Our group
examined the topic of Gender Bias in Education. The areas of this topic
that will be presented are:
 Teacher-Student Interaction
 Instructional Materials
 Single Sex Education
 Possible Solutions (which will be discussed
at the end of the topics Gender Bias favoring
girls and boys)
Teacher-Student Interaction
More than 20 years of research on teachers interactions with
children show that teachers do treat girls and boys differently and
that those differences have a startling effect on the children.
Adolescence is when the effects of long-term gender bias become most
apparent (Wellhousen, Childhood Education).
Ways in which teachers treat girls and boys differently are as follows
(Sadker & Sadker):
• Teachers call on and interact with boys more than girls.
• Teachers give boys more “wait time” in class discussions.
• Teachers often extend boys answers by asking a follow-up question or by
asking them to support their answer. Girls are more likely to receive an
“accepted” answer. (Wellhousen, Childhood Education)
• Teachers do not apply the same rules to both boys and girls.
Boys call out answers (when the teacher does not call on them)
eight times more often than girls do.
Teacher-Student Interaction (continued)
• Teachers assign classroom duties based on gender differences. Even at
young stages (when both males and females have similar physical abilities),
teachers assign more physically demanding duties to males. (Wellhousen)
• Teachers often divide the class based on gender for competitive games and
activities.
• Girls receive fewer compliments based on ability than do boys. Girls are
more likely to be complimented on neatness or appearance, whereas, boys are
more likely to be complimented on their educational accomplishments.
• Teachers promote learned helplessness in girls.
• Teachers often use biased language – using the word he when referring to
inanimate objects or unspecified persons. (Wellhousen)
• Teachers do not promote a wide variety of activities throughout the day.
• Teachers sometimes refer to topics as a “guy” or “girl” thing.
Instructional Materials
For teachers, deciding what instructional materials to use for a class is often
difficult. In subjects such as history, women are not represented as well as men.
(Spring, 80)
Spring states:
• The Sadkers found in 1989 elementary schools language arts textbooks that
there were from two to three times as many pictures of men as women.
• In one 1992 world history textbook, of 621 pages they found only 7 pages
related to women.
Instructional Materials (continued)
Two other authors, Karyn Wellhousen and Zenong Yin, in an article entitled
“Peter Pan isn’t a girls’ part” agree with Spring that women are not fairly
represented in instructional materials.
The authors state:
“Examples of bias in instructional resources include an absence or exclusion
of females from books, stereotyping both sexes, degradation of girls, and
isolation of materials which related to women. Gender biased language,
which distorts students' perceptions of reality,continues to be used in
published materials. Even though textbook publishers have authors' guidelines
for using non-sexist language, the guidelines are not enforced.”
Single Sex Education as a Means for Eliminating Gender Bias
There are several strategies that teachers can use to help eliminate gender bias in
education, however, it is very difficult for teachers to even realize that they are
using biased techniques. Another possible solution to eliminated gender bias is
discussed in our textbook, American Education. This solution is single-sex
education.
According to Spring, single-sex education would (Spring, 81-82):
• Eliminate the problem of female students having to compete with male
students for teachers’ attention.
• Teachers would not be able to push girls aside to focus their instructional
efforts on boys.
• Female students might receive the equal opportunity denied to them in a coed
classroom.
Single-Sex Education as a Solution to Gender Bias in Education
In American Education Spring devotes attention to Susan Estrich, who is an
advocate of single-sex education.
• According to Spring, Estrich notes that 60 percent of the National Merit
Scholarship finalists are boys. (Spring, 81)
• Estrich says that single-sex schools are working. Here is the evidence she has
to prove it:
- In all-girls schools 80 percent of girls take four years of math and
science. In coed schools, the average is two years of these two
subjects.
- In Fortune 1000 companies, one-third of the female board members
are graduates of women’s colleges even though graduates of women’s
colleges represent only 4 percent of all female college graduates.
- Graduates of women’s colleges earn 43 percent more
math and 50 percent of engineering doctorates by all women,
and they outnumber all other females in Who’s Who.
Single-Sex Education as a Solution to Gender Bias in Education
(continued)
Although benefits can be seen for single sex schools, there are several negative
effects that these classrooms/schools can have:
• According to Valerie Lee, a University of Michigan researcher, in many all
girl classrooms still contained high levels of sexist behavior. (Spring, 82)
• Valerie Lee also found that male bashing was taking place in some allfemale schools.
• Lee found that boys in all-male schools engage in serious sexist
conversations about women.
• “In other words, all-female schools do not do anything about the sexist
attitudes of men. In fact, all-male schools might reinforce male sexist
behavior.” (Spring, 82)
• According to Spring, there is the possibility that single-sex schooling might
result in greater academic achievement for girls while doing nothing about
sexist attitudes among men.
Although opinions and research has shown gender
bias shortchanging women, men are shortchanged
in the classroom as well.
The following are areas in education in which men are
shortchanged:
• Academic and Professional Achievement
• Teacher – Student Interaction
Are boys being shortchanged?
“Sitting in the same classroom, reading the same textbook,
listening to the same teacher, boys and girls receive very different
educations." (Sadker, 1994)
• In fact, upon entering school, girls perform equal to or better than
boys on nearly every measure of achievement, but by the time
they graduate high school or college, they have fallen behind.
(Sadker, 1994)
• Across the country, boys have never been in more trouble: They
earn 70 percent of the D's and F's that teachers dole out. They
make up two thirds of students labeled "learning disabled." They
are the culprits in a whopping 9 of 10 alcohol and drug violations
and the suspected perpetrators in 4 out of 5 crimes that end up in
juvenile court. They account for 80 percent of high school
dropouts and attention deficit disorder diagnoses. (Mulrine, 2001)
Are boys being shortchanged?
(continued)
• Research shows that boys are referred for testing for gifted
programs twice as often as girls, which may be because,
"...giftedness is seen as aberrant, and girls strive to conform."
(Orenstein, 1994)
• Boys represent more than two-thirds of all students in special
education programs and there is a higher the proportion of male
students receiving diagnoses that are considered to be subjective
(Chapman, n.d.). – this statement ties in with our other topic,
Inclusion.
• While medical reports indicate that learning disabilities occur in
nearly equal numbers of in boys and girls, it may be the case
that, "Rather than identifying learning problems, school personnel
may be mislabeling behavioral problems. Girls who sit quietly are
ignored; boys who act out are placed in special programs that
may not meet their needs." (Bailey, 1992)
• David Sadker, a professor at American University in Washington,
DC says although much research has been conducted on the topic
of how girls perform in math and science, it is actually boys who
suffer more from gender bias.
Are boys the ones being
shortchanged? (continued)
•
In his article entitled "Gender Equity: Still Knocking at the
Classroom Door," Sadker concludes that more understanding is
needed in order to eliminate the gender bias that impacts males.
"Boys are stereotyped into their gender roles earlier and more
harshly than females (Chapman, n.d.).
• " In his book Real Boys, author William Pollack, Ph.D., concurs
with Sadker. He states that many schools are not suited to the
educational and behavioral needs of today's boys. He identifies
"different tempos" of learning between the genders, and says girls
prefer to learn by watching or listening, while boys tend to learn
by doing. As a result, Pollack says, boys tend to act up out of
boredom, and therefore be labeled as having a behavioral
problem, such as hyperactivity or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
(Chapman, n.d.).
Academic and Professional
Achievement
• Girls consistently receive better grades than boys in elementary
school all the way through college
• More women attend college than men.
• Boys outnumber girls in special education classrooms five to one
(Heller, 2000). We will explain this further later on.
• Boys drop out of school at alarming rates far in excess of girls,
and, as the Sadkers' study actually demonstrated, young boys are
reprimanded far more often than young girls (Heller, 2000).
• Girls stay in school longer, cut classes less than boys, and on
average earn better grades than boys (Woodard, 1998).
• Though boys, on average, outperform girls on standardized math
and science tests, girls score higher than boys on standardized
reading and writing tests (Woodard, 1998).
• Girls, on average, take more academic courses than boys, are
more likely than boys to finish high school, and are more likely to
go to college (Woodard, 1998).
Academic and Professional
Achievement (continued)
• It is girls who get higher grades in school, who do better than
boys on standardized tests of reading and writing, and who get
higher class rank and more school honors (Kleinfeld, 1998).
• It is young women who enter and graduate from college far more
frequently than young men (Kleinfeld, 1998).
• It is women who have made dramatic progress in obtaining
professional, business, and doctoral degrees (Kleinfeld, 1998).
• Females lag behind in two academic areas: mathematics and
science achievement. Females also lag slightly behind males in
attaining professional, business, and doctoral degrees (Kleinfeld,
1998).
• But males lag behind females in two other academic areas and by
far wider margins: reading achievement and writing skills
(Kleinfeld, 1998).
Academic and Professional
Achievement (continued)
• The percentage of female students in medical school
continues to rise--to nearly 50%--which seems to
contradict the idea that girls are discouraged from pursuing
scientific careers (Woodard, 1998)
• Men represent a very small percentage of nurses,
elementary teachers, and primary parents, and/or
homemakers (Streitmatter, 1994).
• There are virtually no male preschool teachers.
• Women are more likely to opt for a “male” occupation than
a man for a “female” occupation.
• From grade school through college, females receive higher
grades and obtain higher class ranks. They also receive
more honors in every field except science and sports.
(Kleinfeld, 1998)
Teacher/Student Interaction
• In a longitudinal study by the Department of Education,
evaluating 25,000 8th to 10th graders, more girls than
boys consistently expressed a sense of teachers being
interested in them and listening to what they had to say
(Heller, 2000).
• The elementary school boys that I have seen in my practice
for more than two decades have complained of their female
teachers favoring their female students (Heller, 2000).
• A study in New York City that showed a sharp reduction in
the number of referrals for special education and in
increase in grades for young boys when they had male
teachers (Heller, 2000)
• School systems are very definitely not designed for young
male children (Heller, 2000).
Teacher/Student Interaction
(continued)
• As for additional survey research that has been done to support
the original claim that teachers ignore girls and hurt their selfesteem, we need to recognize the very limited value of survey
data plus well-established gender trends for females to blame
themselves and males to blame others along with the likelihood
that males are going to make themselves look better on any
survey of self-assessment (Heller, 2000).
• African-American boys scored near the top on self-esteem tests,
despite well-documented academic problems (Heller, 2000)
• Teachers tend to give boys more attention, both positive and
negative
• Boys were likely to be told how to solve dilemmas, while girls
were more likely to have the teacher provide the solution or do
the task for them.
• Teachers tended to criticize boys’ performance on an academic
task for lack of trying hard enough
Teacher/Student Interaction
(continued)
• Research on gender differences in class participation,
school climate, and self confidence provides a welter of
conflicting findings, sometimes favoring girls, sometimes
favoring boys, and sometimes showing no gender
differences at all (Kleinfeld, 1998).
• In the view of elementary and high school students, the
young people who sit in the classroom year after year and
observe what is going on, both boys and girls agree:
Schools favor girls. Teacher think girls are smarter, like
being around them more, and hold higher expectations for
them (Kleinfeld, 1998).
• As recent survey research shows, it is boys , especially
minority boys, who believe that teachers are not as apt to
encourage them to achieve their goals or do their best
(Kleinfeld, 1998).
Conclusion
• “How is it girls are different from boys?” Kevin responded, “Well,
they just are. They look different. Their hair is different, their
faces are different, their teeth are different and stuff.” -This was
a teacher asking a little boy in preschool how girls are different
(Streitmatter, 1994)
• "Until educational sexism is eradicated, more than half our
children will be shortchanged and their gifts lost to society."
(Sadker, 1994)
• Until we realize that this is a real problem in our society we will
never end gender bias in our classrooms.
• So the conflict remains, who is being shortchanged? The
following slides are ways in which teachers can help eliminate
gender bias in their classrooms.
Possible Solutions for Eliminating Gender Bias in Education
Karyn Wellhousen, the author of an article titled “Dos and don’ts for
eliminating bias” in Childhood Education, examines the report by Sadker &
Sadker, Failing and Fairness, along side observations in early education
classroom settings. Through her research and observations Karyn gives
several ideas for teachers to help eliminate bias in education.
• Give girls and boys equal time and attention.
- Boys have tendency to respond quickly, wave their
hands and draw attention to themselves more so than
females. Therefore, it is important to pay attention
to and call on those who are not as enthusiastic as
well as those who are. (Sadker & Sadker)
- A good example of this is finding ways in which
your students can participate equally. One method
that has been implemented in some classrooms is
giving each student a set number of poker chips.
Each student is given an equal number of
opportunities to participate – by exchanging a poker
chip each time he/she participates.
Possible Solutions for Eliminating Gender Bias in Education
(continued)
• Give all students equal time to respond in discussion.
- Girls are more likely to think about their answers prior to answering,
therefore, three to five seconds is beneficial. It gives students the
feeling that their teachers are confident that they will have an insightful
answer. (Sadker & Sadker, 57-59)
• Make the same rules apply to both boys and girls.
- As stated previously, boys call out answers more frequently than girls
do. Boys are less likely to be corrected for not following the rules.
Therefore, if a teacher is going to correct the females for calling out
answers, the boys should be corrected as well. This should be applied
to all classroom rules.
• Give girls and boys the same opportunities.
- Teachers sometimes assign classrooms duties based on
gender. (i.e. boys are more likely to be assigned to
duties that require lifting or moving objects, girls are
more likely to be assigned to less physical duties.
Possible Solutions for Eliminating Gender Bias in Education
(continued)
• Do NOT use gender to divide the class for competitive games or activities.
- As it would be inappropriate to separate the class by ethnicity, it is
also inappropriate based on gender as well. (Wellhousen)
• Praise both girls and boys for their ability. Don’t praise girls only for their
appearance.
- Girls receive compliments more often than boys on their clothing,
hairstyle and overall appearance (Sadker & Sadker, 1994). It has
also been observed that teachers praise females for their neatness
rather than ability. (Wellhousen)
• Do challenge boys and girls.
- Don’t promote learned helplessness in girls. (Wellhousen)
- At school as well as at home, adults challenge boys to find solutions
to problems while they yield to girls' requests for
assistance. (Sadker & Sadker)
Possible Solutions for Eliminating Gender Bias in Education
(continued)
• Use non-biased language. Do not use the pronoun he when referring to an
inanimate object or unspecified person. (Wellhousen)
- Language helps children learn about gender roles. The English
language, unfortunately, presents "maleness" as the norm, and
children interpret the predominance of male terms to mean there are
more males than females. (Wellhousen)
- Many teachers, when referring to firefighters, use the term firemen.
In doing so, many students assume that firefighters cannot be females.
• Encourage students to take part in a variety of activities throughout the day.
- Legos, blocks, tinker toys, etc promote exploration, experimentation
and exploration. Dramatic play promotes the development of
language, role playing skills and imagination. Therefore, students
should become well rounded in both of these areas (to obtain the
education value from both) instead of focusing on what is typical of
each gender.
Possible Solutions for Eliminating Gender Bias in Education
(continued)
• Plan activities that address the issue of gender. Talk about fair and unfair
treatment. Explore the similarities and differences of males and females and
discuss their capabilities. Examine typical stereotypes of each gender.
(Wellhousen)
- Do not ignore children when they make sexist remarks.
• Provide students with bias-free role models.
- Role models may include people from the community who have
nontraditional careers or family members who talk with the class
about the nontraditional responsibilities in the home. (Wellhousen)
- Add books that represent a fair number of male and female role
models.
These two topics seem as though they are unrelated,
however, they do overlap – the following slides will
introduce the topic of inclusion and then later the two
topics will be tied together.
+
= Relationship?
Inclusion:
The positive aspects and effects
Of inclusion for all.
What Is Inclusion?
• The term “inclusion” is
the most frequently used
word to refer to the
integration of children
with disabilities into
regular classrooms.
• The phrase “full
inclusion” refers to the
inclusion of all children
with disabilities.
(Spring, 86)
IDEA
• Individuals with Disabilities Act
• Requires that children with disabilities be educated in
regular education classrooms unless “the nature and
severity of the disability is such that education in the
regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and
services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.”
(www.uni.edu/coe/inclusion/legal/)
• Guaranteed equal educational opportunity for all
children with disabilities. (Spring, 84)
Benefits of Inclusion
• All students are part of a
learning community.
• Diversity becomes a
tangible concept.
• All children are treated
and viewed as being
equal.
• There is an improvement
in self-concept of all
students.
• Development of personal
principles.
• Reduced fear of human
differences.
• Inclusive classroom may
reduce the cost of special
education.
(www.coe.ilstu.edu/jabraun/st
udents/laodonn/Pros.html)
Disadvantages of Inclusion
• Resources are often inadequate
for many of the students with
disabilities.
• Classroom sizes are too big for
the adequate management of
an inclusive classroom.
• Preparing the other students in
a classroom for the needs of
the student is not always
implemented, creating a
stressful situation for the
general classroom.
• School administrations and
boards are not always actively
aware and educated about the
inclusion process and do not
make informed decisions about
the program in their school
districts.
• School districts are not
employing enough sufficiently
licensed counselors to address
the emotional, social, and
cognitive needs of all students.
(http://www.termpaperstermpapers.com/dbs/b4/ems64.shtml)
Inclusion
• Isolation of children with
disabilities often deprives
them of contact with
other students.
• It denies them access to
equipment found in
regular classrooms.
• Full inclusion, it is
believed, will improve the
educational achievement
and social development of
children with disabilities.
(Spring, 86)
Benefits for Children with
Special Needs
• affords a sense of belonging to the diverse human family
• provides a diverse stimulating environment in which to grow and
learn
• evolves in feelings of being a member of a diverse community
• enables development of friendships
• provides opportunities to develop neighborhood friends
• enhances self-respect
• provides affirmations of individuality
• provides peer models
• provides opportunities to be educated with same-age peers
(www.uni.edu/coe/inclusion/philosophy/benefits.html)
Disadvantages for Children with
Special Needs
• Resources are often inadequate for many of the students with
disabilities
• Some students with disabilities are less probable to receive an
appropriate education.
• Some students with severe disabilities need alternative classes and
instruction.
• Support and services are in place, but not to the appropriate need of
many children. (http://ericec.org/faq/i-procon.html)
• Appropriate physical accommodations are not always in place before
a student is integrated into a general education classroom
(http://www.termpapers-termpapers.com/dbs/b4/ems64.shtml)
• Many feel that inclusion should be made on an individual basis and
may not be appropriate for every child with special needs.
(http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content3/inclusion.disab.k12.3.
1.html)
Benefits for the General
Education Students
• provides opportunities to experience diversity of society on a small
scale in a classroom
• develops an appreciation that everyone has unique and beautiful
characteristics and abilities
• develops respect for others with diverse characteristics
• develops sensitivity toward others' limitations
• develops feelings of empowerment and the ability to make a
difference
• increases abilities to help and teach all classmates
• develops empathetic skills
• provides opportunities to vicariously put their feet in another child's
shoes
• enhances appreciation for the diversity of the human family
(www.uni.edu/coe/inclusion/philosophy/benefits.html)
Disadvantages for General
Education Students
• Preparing the other students in a classroom for the needs
of the student is not always implemented, creating a
stressful situation for the general classroom.
• Regular classroom students are “distracted by the
constant disruptions.”
• Regular classroom student may begin acting out
themselves for attention.
• Placement decisions are not made including the needs of
the peers in the classroom. (http://www.termpaperstermpapers.com/dbs/b4/ems64.shtml)
Benefits for Teachers
• helps teachers appreciate the diversity of the human family
• helps teachers recognize that all students have strengths
• creates an awareness of the importance of direct individualized
instruction
• increases ways of creatively addressing challenges
• teaches collaborative problem solving skills
• develops teamwork skills
• acquires different ways of perceiving challenges as a result of being
on a multi-disciplinary team
• enhances accountability skills
• combats monotony
(www.uni.edu/coe/inclusion/philosophy/benefits.html)
Disadvantages for Teachers
•
•
•
•
•
•
Classroom sizes are too big for the adequate management of an inclusive
classroom. (http://ericec.org/faq/i-procon.html)
Entire school staff does not indicate a coherent philosophy of inclusion
education.
Staff development is not in place in many financially burdened schools.
Many school districts do not have unified programs, making the
evaluation counter-productive.
School districts are not employing enough sufficiently licensed
counselors to address the emotional, social, and cognitive needs of all
students. (http://www.weac.org/resource/june96/speced.htm)
There is not enough time for a teacher to plan and collaborate for all the
students.
(http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content3/inclusion.disab.k12.3.1.h
tml)
Benefits for Society
•
•
•
•
•
•
promotes the civil rights of all individuals
supports the social value of equality
teaches socialization and collaborative skills
builds supportiveness and interdependence
maximizes social peace
provides children a miniature model of the democratic
process
(www.uni.edu/coe/inclusion/philosophy/benefits.html)
Disadvantages for Society
• Some feel that it is hard for some students to adjust
using the social skills necessary for the appropriate
education of other young children.
• School administrations and boards are not always
actively aware and educated about the inclusion
process and do not make informed decisions about
the program in their school districts.
http://tiger.towson.edu/~kjenki5/researchpaper.htm#
Concerns%20Regarding%20Inclusion
Gender Bias & Inclusion
How are they connected?
Gender Bias and Inclusion


Textbooks
Boys Vs. Girls in the Special Ed.
Classroom
Why more boys in the inclusion
program?
Gender Bias in the Special Ed.
Classroom

Although males and females comprise equal proportions of
the school-aged population, males account for approximately
two-thirds of all students served in special education In many
cases, it is not clear if females are under identified for special
education, if males are over-identified, or if real differences
exist in the prevalence of disability between males and
females.
(http://www.iteachilearn.com/uh/meisgeier/statsgov20gender.
htm)
The Statistics
Gender of Elementary and Secondary-Aged Students with Disabilities, by Disability Category
1994 Elementary and Secondary School Compliance Reports.
Specific Learning Disability
Male
69.3
Female
30.8
Mental Retardation
59.0
41.6
Emotional Disturbance
79.4
21.0
Source: U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 1994 Elementary and
Secondary School Compliance Reports.
(http://www.iteachilearn.com/uh/meisgeier/statsgov20gender.htm)
Why is this Happening?






Some researchers cite physiological or maturational differences between
males and females as a cause for some disproportionate representation.
(http://www.iteachilearn.com/uh/meisgeier/statsgov20gender.htm)
Males maybe referred more because of gender differences between female
teachers and male students.
(http://www.iteachilearn.com/uh/meisgeier/statsgov20gender.htm)
Female teachers may be more likely to identify boys’ behavior and learning
styles as indicative of a disability, inflating the referral of boys for special
education evaluation.
(http://www.iteachilearn.com/uh/meisgeier/statsgov20gender.htm)
Higher expectations for boys then girls. Girls maybe overlooked if a boys
needs help in the classroom. Teachers may have lower expectations for girls.
(http://www.iteachilearn.com/uh/meisgeier/statsgov20gender.htm)
The disproportionate representation of males in programs for students with
emotional disturbances may reflect a bias in the ways emotional disturbance
is defined and/or the instruments used to identify students as eligible under
those definitions
(http://www.iteachilearn.com/uh/meisgeier/statsgov20gender.htm)
Teachers play a big role as future teachers we have to learn to not favor a
certain gender because in the long run we may be hurting the child’s
education.
Why is this happening continued

According to Glen Young, Learning Disabilities and Adult Education
Specialist at the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Vocational and
Adult Education,"The issue of gender bias in referring children for special
education is based on two issues: the widely held belief that males are more
likely than females to have learning disabilities, and that referrals to special
education within schools seem to be more based on challenging behavior in
the classroom rather than poor academic achievement or deficits.”
http://www.famlit.org/Publications/Momentum/February2000/ld.cfm

According to Chris Moran “Some say boys are moved into special education
to manage rambunctious behavior. Others say girls who might need special
education are overlooked because they hide their problems by
withdrawing.”(The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Gender Bias in Educational Magazines


According to author Kira Isak Piroski, “Mainstreaming of 5.8 million
disabled children, notwithstanding, disability is still not adequately
presented in the two most popular children’s magazines Highlights
for Children and Sesame Street Magazine sample of all Highlights for
Children published from 1961 through 1990 found that only sixtythree disability articles were published during a thirty year period of
time.” (http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers/literature2.html)
Disability narratives in Highlights are gender biased. Twenty-five
narratives featured a male disabled character, eighteen depicted a
female disabled character, and nineteen were either mixed, or nongender specific. Males names dominated titles of stories.
(http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers/literature2.html)
Works Cited
2000, February). Learning Disabilities and Gender Bias in
Employment Context. Retrieved April 14, 2004 from National
Center for Family Literact Web site:
http://www.famlit.org/Publications/Momentum/February2000/ld.cfm
ERIC (2003, March). Inclusion Pros and Cons. Retrieved April 18,
2004 from Educational Resource Information Center, Web site:
www.ericec.org/faq/i-procon.html
Illinois State University (n.d.). The Pros & Cons of Inclusion.
Retrieved April 17, 2004 from Illinois State University, College of
Education Web site:
http://www.coe.ilstu.edu/jabraun/students/laodonn/Pros.html
Bailey, S. (1992) How Schools Shortchange Girls: The AAUW Report. New York,
NY: Marlowe & Company.
Brinton, B. (2000, March 20). How to prevent gender bias from affecting your child's
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Summary
Many general considerations need to be in place before any classroom can be successful.
Teachers need to be reflective. Making the decision to educate everyone in their
classroom, being able to make important decisions about instruction, ability to make
adaptations to the general curriculum, and seeking support are all characteristics of a
reflective teacher. Many teachers do not realize that teachers are responsible for the
emotional needs as well as the academic and intellectual needs of their students.
Flexibility, individualization, caring, natural supports, fairness are all qualities of an
effective teacher in any setting. (Bauer, A.M, 2004)
Careful consideration needs to take place for teachers to provide an equal learning
environment. Schools are a good place for gender bias in society to be eliminated. By
teachers taking the correct approach to teaching (using the suggestions for eliminating
gender bias presented previously), some of the gender bias that is present may be
decreased.
Hopefully in the future all classrooms (math, science, technology, special education,
family and consumer sciences, etc) will contain an equal representation of both genders.
It is up to future teachers, all of you, to help achieve this goal!