Describe gender bias in the classroom and suggest a reason that ...

[j.rubin]

Describe gender bias in the classroom and suggest a reason that it occurs. There are at least three ways that gender bias affects students. List and describe the three ways.
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

To what factors do low achievers typically attribute their successes and failures?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

[ryhom]

Answer to Question 1

Gender bias occurs in the classroom when teachers respond differently to male and female students without having sound educational reasons for doing so. Studies have shown that teachers do treat male and female students differently. One reason for this is probably that teacher behavior is influenced by traditional gender-role stereotyping. According to these stereotypes, boys are expected to be more impulsive and unruly than girls, who are expected to exhibit more self-control and to be obedient. The author describes three ways in which gender bias affects students. They are
(1) Course selection: Although high school students of both genders take about the same number and type of math courses, more boys than girls take calculus. While girls take close to the same number of science courses as boys, girls are more likely to study the biological sciences, whereas boys are more likely to take physics and engineering.
(2) Career choice: Relatively few girls choose careers in science, mathematics, engineering, or computer-related fields. Females outnumber males, however, in educational administration, educational and vocational counseling, social work, and public relations. A discussion of possible reasons for these differences in career choice is provided in the text.
(3) Class participation: Children tend to adopt the gender roles that are portrayed in society as being the most appropriate and acceptable. According to psychologists, such as Gilligan, girls learn to suppress their true personality and beliefs. In classroom discussions, instead of saying what they truly think about the topic, they will either give no opinion or say what they believe others want to hear. This phenomenon is referred to as loss of voice.

Answer to Question 2

Low achievers attribute success to luck or an easy task, and attribute failure to lack of ability.