Ways in Which Schools Contribute To Commonly Held Beliefs about Gender

 The issue of gender variance is key in the current society. Specialists agreed that biology and the environment integrate to create gender difference. Most of the time girls and boys undergo different school experiences due to gender differences perpetrated through the school systems. For instance, schools offer differential practical skillset which pronounces gender difference (Hyde, 2016). Additionally, school systems generate primary situations where gender socialization occurs and commonly held believes on gender are upheld. Therefore schools amplify gender variances by enabling surroundings that promote and enhance gender uniformity and variance.

 Schools impact gender variance through two underlying elements- teachers and peer grouping.  Teachers and peers openly affect gender variance and its beliefs by enabling boys and girls to perceive themselves as different from each other through schooling materials and reactions. More so, teachers and peers also cement commonly held gender believes through the materials they teach. For instance, teachers teach on gender stereotype mannerism and peers illustrate these stereotypical behaviors through attitudes. These students can adopt these gender stereotypes and bias consequently using them to direct their inclinations and conducts (Kerkhoven et al., 2016). Furthermore, most educators are more likely to prefer certain gender-stereotypical believes, such as boys are inclined towards scientific subjects while women prefer social sciences. These prejudices are then reflected through a teacher's classroom mannerism. Furthermore, teachers' gender-stereotypical perspectives influence school atmosphere and behavior towards either gender. First teachers model gender variance mannerisms to their students. For example, female educators often associate mathematics with men. Secondly, educators usually, present different expectations from their female and male students. For instance, girls are expected to be feminine through their dress code while men are encouraged to be manly and strong. Thirdly, teachers define gender variance by defining gender and using it to label and manage other students.

Changes in the Classrooms That Could Lead To Gender Quality

 How a teacher interacts with students will have an extensive impact on equality perception and participation of the students in the classroom. These interactions produce a long-lasting impact on the social lives of students and form a mental picture of gender expectations from the entire community. The first way of creating classrooms with gender equality is by paying attention to both boys and girls. This way, everyone gets the same opportunity to participate in classroom affairs. Simply put, both boys and girls are to be criticized and praised in equal measure (Islam, & Asadullah, 2018). This way, every student gets an equal chance of participating in classroom affairs. In terms of resources, teachers should ensure that there are equal accessibility and usage of learning material to both girls and boys. More so, teachers should not facilitate the spread of gender discrimination hence students will be discouraged from illustrating gender bias.

 Gender socialization is the ongoing mechanism of imparting social norms and expectations into the mind of children. The school provides a platforms through which students distinguish gender behavior. For example, during adolescence period boys and girl tend to adhere to stereotypical norms perpetuate gender variance and inequality (Islam, & Asadullah, 2018). The underlying reason people endorse such gender variances is connected to medical related concerns and reproductive health. Therefore, during adolescent period, boys and girls intensify social norms and attitudes because puberty restructures their gender perception and societal prospects. With adolescent, girls are constrained than boys as they are expected to be home keepers in the future.

 In summary, the educational system plays a role in cementing gender variance beliefs. First, through the school curriculum, the teachers convey societal stereotypes to students. Students are taught to internalize gender bias through school programs and material. Peers exhibit stereotypes from their social backgrounds unconsciously. Also, schools create situations where the students are aware of their gender difference and socialize against these types of backgrounds. In terms of generating gender equality in schools, teachers should pay attention to both genders. Also, gender stereotypes should be done away with.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 References

Hyde, J. S. (2016). Sex and cognition: gender and cognitive functions. Current opinion in neurobiology, 38, 53-56.

Islam, K. M. M., & Asadullah, M. N. (2018). Gender stereotypes and education: A comparative content analysis of Malaysian, Indonesian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi school textbooks. PloS one, 13(1), e0190807.

Kerkhoven, A. H., Russo, P., Land-Zandstra, A. M., Saxena, A., & Rodenburg, F. J. (2016). Gender stereotypes in science education resources: A visual content analysis. PloS one, 11(11), e0165037.