Gender Equity, Is It Really Important in the Classroom? Essay -- Teachi

Gender Equity, Is It Really Important in the Classroom? There are many differences between boys and girls in the classroom. Most people do not realize this, but it is a proven fact. Gender differences in math and science are very evident. Teachers subconsciously treat boys with a higher degree of respect when it comes to math and science than they do girls. The roles of boys and girls are set at very young ages (Butler and Damnjanovic, 1997). Actually, before they even start going to school their roles are learned from their parents. Most parents buy boy toys for boys and girl toys for girls, thus forming the behavior to which their children will become accustom. According to Dale Baker (2001), "Teachers call on boys more often than girls, ask boys more higher-order questions, give boys more extensive feedback, and use longer wait-time with boys than girls"(p 1). What teachers do not realize is that this puts a big impact on girl’s self-esteem and learning skills. Also, it is not that girls dislike math and science but they "lose courage over time"(Bond, 2001, p 1). In addition, according to research done by the New England Consortium for Undergraduate Science Education (NEWCUSE, 1996), Men tend to respond to questions more confidently, aggressively, and quickly, regardless of the quality of their responses; they tend to speak more freely and spontaneously in class, formulating their answers as they speak. Women, on the other hand, tend to wait longer to respond to a question in class, choosing their words carefully, reflecting on the question and constructing an answer before they speak. (p 4) I feel this is because boys have the reputation of being rambunctious and wild, while girls are supposed... ...18/01). Butler Kahle, J., Damnjanovic, A. (1997). How Research Helps Address Gender Equity[online]. Available: http://narst.org/research/gender2.htm. (3/18/01) Kober, N. (2001). What special problems do girls face in science? What can schools And Teachers do?[online]. Available: http://www.enc.org/topics/equity/articles/documents/1,1946,ACQ-111315- 1315,00.shtm. (3/18/01). NECUSE Colleges, Students at Brown University. (1996). Achieving Gender Equity in Science Classrooms.[online]. Available: http://www.brown.edu/Administration/Dean_ Of _the_College/homepginfo/equity/Equity_handbook.html. (3/18/01). Perez,C. (2001). Equity in the Standards-Based Elementary Mathematics Classroom [online]. Available: http://www.enc.org/topics/equity/stories/documents/0,1946,FOC -001768-index,00.shtm. (3/18/01).