Gender in the Classroom

There are many ways that gender operates in the educational system, especially the classroom. This chapter focuses on the gendered organization of schools themselves, the gendered classroom experience, competing explanations for gender differences in educational attainment, and suggestions for the future. Most of the research is from developed countries, especially the United States, so the content may not generalize to countries in which education is not public and/or is not mandatory for both girls and boys, such as southern Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and western Asia (United Nations Population Fund [UNFPA], 2005). In some of these countries (e.g., Chad, Yemen, Niger, Ethiopia), fewer than 75 girls are in primary school for every 100 boys enrolled. Thus, it is not surprising that the women constitute 64% of all adults who are illiterate (UNFPA, 2005). Given the gross inequalities in educational opportunities for girls relative to boys in some developing cultures, the picture in developed countries is much brighter. Nonetheless, gender inequalities still exist, albeit of a subtler nature.