Review of Strategies to Address Gender Inequalities in Scottish ...

Staff and management in most schools visited in the course of the project were awareof gender differences, but considered that these were best addressed through policystatements aimed at the improvement of achievement for all pupils (boys and girls).The most effective practice recorded was that of a cluster of schools, a secondary andits associated primaries, who were working together to provide continuity throughouta pupil’s school career. Even there, the secondary school showed less engagementwith the adopted strategies than did the associated primary schools.The findings from this case study are generally in line with the issues raised in theliterature review (see Section 2.5, pp8 ff.).4. Learning and teachingThe advice from the literature is that schools should accommodate gender differencesthrough gender-sensitive teaching that provides tasks and activities to meet the needsof a wide range of learning styles and preferences, while avoiding the imposition ofstereotypes. This was most in evidence in primary schools and pre-5 establishments,where the team observed several instances in which gender-related learning styles hadbeen taken into consideration. In particular, ‘boy-friendly’ aspects of learning andteaching such as active learning, time-limited tasks and oral questioning had beenadopted by some schools and gender-related preferences had been consideredthroughout the teaching cycle, from planning and preparation through resourcing toassessment. However, a note of caution requires to be sounded at this point. There isevidence, both from the literature and the case study schools, that not all boys havethe same needs and that some of these needs may not be accommodated in ‘boyfriendly’approaches. Quiet and reflective boys, for example, might well bedisadvantaged by such tactics, as might some girls. In the fieldwork phase of thestudy, there were examples of the provision of a range of learning opportunities forboth boys and girls. These were predicated on the basis of a spectrum ofcharacteristics across children rather than a boy-girl dichotomous categorisation.Some of the best examples of teaching and learning were the result of attendance atcourses or seminars on learning styles where gender differences were addressed,rather than on gender per se.Interviews with pupils of all ages were very revealing. Many pupils, including boysthemselves, thought that girls were better learners, more interested in school andbetter behaved than boys were. However, boys also demonstrated – at both primaryand secondary stages – an interest in school and in learning. When children wereasked about whether they thought their schools were good schools, the vast majoritystated that they were, and that in general they enjoyed being there. There were fewpupil perceptions that teachers favoured children of either gender, although somechildren felt that teachers were harder on boys, in terms of behaviour, than they wereon girls.Most of the parents who were interviewed were generally very supportive of theirchildren’s schools and satisfied with the quality of education that their children werereceiving. Most parents stated that they were not aware of any gender bias inteaching and learning, although many were supportive of taking a harder line withboys. Parents often had firm views on how children should be treated, and felt thattheir views were generally considered and taken on board by the schools concerned.5. Classroom organisationIn nursery and primary schools, there was no specific tactic of classroom organisationfor addressing gender inequalities. However, the team did observe some strategies,such as those intended to develop and address issues of emotional literacy, which__________________________________________________________________________________Review of Strategies to iv University of StrathclydeAddress Gender Inequalitiesand University of Glasgow