Transcript Gender bias and Education

Gender Bias and Inclusion
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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.
Black Americans
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Brown v. Board of Education
Desegregation…not much for 10 years after, “all
deliberate speed” (91% in the South in all Black schools
in 1964)
Civil Rights Act (1964) Title IV…feds given the right to
desegregate Title VI prohibited distribution of federal
funds
Busing
Second-generation segregationsecond-generation
segregation When a school's multiracial populations are
separated through tracking, extracurricular activities, and even in
informal social events, the school is considered to be in
secondgeneration segregation.
Hispanics
Over 40 million in the U.S., 13% of the
nation
 Several sub-groups sharing common
language, but differ in many ways
 Mexican Americans…war with Mexico
(1846-48)
 Puerto Ricans…1898 acquired from Spain,
citizenship in 1917
 Cuban Americans…after Castro took power
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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:
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.”
• 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.
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.
What Is Inclusion?
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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)
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IDEA
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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)
Benefits of Inclusion
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All students are part of  Development of
a learning community.
personal principles.
Diversity becomes a
 Reduced fear of human
tangible concept.
differences.
All children are treated  Inclusive classroom
and viewed as being
may reduce the cost of
equal.
special education.
There is an
(www.coe.ilstu.edu/jabraun
improvement in self/students/laodonn/Pros.
concept of all
html)
students.
Disadvantages of Inclusion
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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.
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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.
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School districts are not
employing enough
sufficiently licensed
counselors to address the
emotional, social, and
cognitive needs of all
students.
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)
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Benefits for Children with
Special Needs
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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
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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.
Appropriate physical accommodations are not always in place
before a student is integrated into a general education
classroom.
Many feel that inclusion should be made on an individual basis
and may not be appropriate for every child with special needs.
Benefits for the General
Education Students
provides opportunities to experience diversity of society on a
small scale in a classroom
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develops an appreciation that everyone has unique and
beautiful characteristics and abilities
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develops respect for others with diverse characteristics
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develops sensitivity toward others' limitations
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develops feelings of empowerment and the ability to make a
difference
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increases abilities to help and teach all classmates
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develops empathetic skills
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provides opportunities to vicariously put their feet in another
child's shoes
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enhances appreciation for the diversity of the human family
(www.uni.edu/coe/inclusion/philosophy/benefits.html)
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Disadvantages for General
Education Students
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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.
Benefits for Teachers
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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
Disadvantages for Teachers
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Classroom sizes are too big for the adequate management of an
inclusive classroom.
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.
There is not enough time for a teacher to plan and collaborate for
all the students.
Benefits for Society
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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
Disadvantages for Society
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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.
Gender Bias & Inclusion
Are they connected?
Gender Bias and Inclusion
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Textbooks
Boys Vs. Girls in the Special Ed.
Classroom
Why more boys in the inclusion
program?
Gender Bias in the Special Ed.
Classroom
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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.
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
Why is this Happening?
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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
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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
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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
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“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 sixty-three disability articles were
published during a thirty year period of time.”
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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.
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!