Group items tagged

Argh! We need good journalism!

"We often tend to think about gender as the biological differences between women and men - however, this is incorrect. Gender is what actually gets expressed - how we look, how we act and how we feel. While sex is determined by what is dictated by our biology or what is written into the chromosomes, known as genotype, it is the interaction between the genes and the environment that determines gender. The amazing thing about gender is that it is completely created by society. It is a social construct that has been accepted by many, and from the moment a child is born, they are faced with gender stereotypes from clothing to how boys and girls are treated and expectations of behaviour. The question is, how do we as educators eliminate gender stereotypes?"

"A major study into maths attainment has found that boys and girls perform equally in the subject, dispelling long-held myths around gender and education. The first UK-wide research of its kind for 13 years was carried out by Keith Topping, Professor of Educational and Social Research at the University of Dundee, and education assessment company Renaissance found differences in maths attainment between girls and boys to be almost negligible. The study also found that regular and high-quality maths practice improves outcomes across the board and that primary pupils outperformed secondary students, with better attainment scores."

Share with anyone who might want to learn something new before this next election cycle has come to a close. Great content for teachers in many disciplines to understand and teach around the historical and present constructions of gender in varied fields and by many different people across time. Stories of women who have accomplished many things you likely haven't heard previously.

"A new qualitative study, published in the journal Gender and Education and carried out by researchers at the Universities of Hertfordshire and Hildesheim, found that teacher gender has no effect on how male and female teachers employ discipline strategies used in primary school classrooms."

"New research from Monash University has found that girls in single-sex schools are more likely to study chemistry, intermediate mathematics, advanced mathematics and physics in their senior years when compared to their co-ed counterparts."

Interesting. Would an analogous research conducted on boys shows a preference for disciplines predominantly associated with girls?

"Countries with greater gender equality see a smaller proportion of women taking degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), a new study has found. Policymakers could use the findings to reconsider initiatives to increase women's participation in STEM, say the researchers. Dubbed the 'gender equality paradox', the research found that countries such as Albania and Algeria have a greater percentage of women amongst their STEM graduates than countries lauded for their high levels of gender equality, such as Finland, Norway or Sweden."

A guide for selecting anti-bias children's books recommends checking illustrations, story lines and the relationships between characters as some of the ways to find books without gender bias.

Good review of studies on the actual causes of low numbers of women in American science - gender bias

"Lack of access to education and health care for girls around the world doesn't just hurt girls -- it hurts their families, communities and economies. Last month, UN Women released an infographic illustrating in numbers just how beneficial supporting young girls can be for a country's economy. "

by Libby Nelson on July 14, 2014

Free CEU online opportunity to learn about best practices for success with girls in STEM disciplines.

Parents of reluctant readers complain that boys are forced to stick to stuffy required school lists that exclude nonfiction or silly subjects, or have teachers who cater to higher achievers and girls. They're hoping books that exploit boys' love of bodily functions and gross-out humor can close the gap.