Abstract
This study used an online survey in the U.S. to examine Pre-K, 2nd, and 5th grade (N = 539) teachers’ (81% white; 94% female) gendered classroom practices (i.e., promotion of gender salience, gender segregation, gender integration) as well as the effects of gender-role attitudes on these practices. The promotion of gender salience entailed practices such as the use of gender labels and setting up competitions between boys and girls. The promotion of gender segregation entailed practices facilitating same-gender student interactions whereas the promotion of gender integration entailed practices facilitating mixed-gender interactions. Teachers reported making gender salient a few times a month, frequently promoting gender integration, and infrequently promoting gender segregation. Preschool teachers promoted gender salience and gender segregation less often than elementary school teachers. Teachers were more likely to assign students to mixed-sex groups than to same-sex groups for the following reasons: students need experience with other-sex (vs. same-sex) students; it is an efficient and easy way to group students; and, it cuts down on discipline problems. On average, teachers held egalitarian gender-role attitudes. Holding more traditional gender-role attitudes was positively associated with the promotion of gender salience and gender segregation; however, there was no relation between gender-role attitudes and the promotion of gender integration. These findings have implications for classroom practices and teacher professional development, and for the promotion of gender diverse experiences in the classroom.
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Acknowledgements
The authors thank Zareen Islam and Dr. Olga Kornienko for their involvement with data collection and other aspects of research. We thank all teachers for their participation. We also thank Dr. Beth Swadener and the graduate students in her Writing for Publication course for their feedback on earlier versions of this article. The authors thank graduate students Makayla Gill and Jasmine Griffin for proofreading the manuscript. Portions of this work and preliminary findings were presented at the Gender Development Research Conference, April 2012, San Francisco, CA. This research was supported in part by funds provided by the T. Denny Sanford School of Social Dynamics at Arizona State University as part of the Lives of Girls and Boys Research Enterprise (https://thesanfordschool.asu.edu/lives) and support provided to Carol Martin by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R305A180028 to Arizona State University. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the Institute or the U.S. Department of Education.
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This research was supported in part by funds provided by the T. Denny Sanford School of Social Dynamics at Arizona State University as part of the Lives of Girls and Boys Research Enterprise (https://thesanfordschool.asu.edu/lives) and support provided to Carol Martin by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R305A180028 to Arizona State University.
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Farago, F., Martin, C.L., Granger, K.L. et al. Teachers’ Gender-Role Attitudes and Gendered Classroom Practices. Sex Roles 87, 471–486 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-022-01331-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-022-01331-z