33. Gender and Education
Poster
A Gender Manifesto For Schools Created by Transgender Youth, Cisgender Peers and School Staff.
Charlotte Demeyer, Jana Verguchten, Indra Vanoverbeke
VIVES University, Belgium
Presenting Author: Verguchten, Jana
Because every European citizen should feel safe and be able to be themselves, recent legislative developments, case law and policy initiatives have been evoked to improve people’s lives and to build equal and welcoming societies, including for LGBTQIA+ people. Nevertheless, this has not always been translated into clear improvements in their lives. Discrimination against LGBTQIA+ people persists throughout the EU and they are still unable to be themselves without the risk of social exclusion and the feeling to be threatened. The European Union Fundamental Rights Agency’s (FRA) LGBT survey identified transgender persons as particularly vulnerable to hate crimes and unlikely to report them (EU-LGBTI II, 2020). Despite that, anti-trans violence has become the focus of attention in European and international policy discussions and research in recent years (e.g. the LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025), there is still a need for more research focusing on the strengths and opportunities from the transgender persons' perspective. As many are still vulnerable to being bullied at school, experience gender-related violence in society and at home and are not being accepted by significant others. Parents of transgender persons report high levels of bullying, lack of attention for transgender persons in the anti-bullying policy at school, lack of understanding and exclusion from staff and inconvenient rules regarding bathroom use, school uniforms and sports participation (Johnson et al., 2014). This also has an impact on student learning. Therefore, efforts should be made to make secondary schools more transgender inclusive and supportive (Beemyn, 2012).
In this project, we aimed 1) to increase resilience of transgender youth within the school context and 2) to guide educational professionals on how they can combat and prevent violence and bullying against transgender youth. Both by developing a gender manifesto. We want to raise awareness and improve skills of educational professionals to counter stereotyping, stigmatization, pathologizing, discrimination, harassment and bullying affecting trans people. The research question of this project is: How can we enhance the resilience of transgender youth and develop a trans-sensitive environment in secondary schools through the use of a gender manifesto?
As such, we hope to facilitate community building at school. Community building consists of creating an inclusive school culture in which every individual feels at comfort. For this, a shared vision between teacher, (transgender) student and parents is essential and was captured in the manifesto. Research shows that there is a need for this type of approaches to make school-wide changes, rather than just focusing on the safety of the transgender community (Sergiovanni, 2022).
What makes this project innovative, is that it aims to strengthen the resilience of transgender youth (16-25 years old) in a bottom up manner, using a co-creative research approach, instead of victimizing transgender people (van Dijk-de Vries et al., 2020). Inspired by the Lundy Model of child participation, transgender youth received a voice, platform and safe space to influence society (Kennan et al., 2019). This can help to reduce the impact of victimization on the mental health of trans youth, helping them to speak openly about violence, feel more confident in coping with violence, to find social support and to report experiences of violence.
In this European CERV project educational professionals (n=6), transgender youth (n=5) and cis gender peers (n=4) were involved to create the manifesto. This gender manifesto describes how school teachers can broaden their view on gender education and how schools can make (minor) adjustments to meet the needs of transgender individuals.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedIn this project we worked together with psychologists of the UZ Ghent Centre for Sexology and Gender. We first conducted a literature review about community building in education and resilience, specifically focussing on LGBTQIA+.
During a co-creation session, transgender youth (16-25y) (n=10) brainstormed about the content, set up and conditions of the module. Based on these findings and the literature study , the content of the module was developed and a manual was created.
Participants for the module were recruited by UZ Ghent as all selected participants were undergoing treatment at the UZ Ghent or were on the waiting list. The module took place in the UZ Ghent, in order to ensure a safe and familiar environment for the participants. All researchers, involved in the module, received a training about trans-sensitive approaches before the module started. If necessary, psychologists were available for the participants.
The module consisted of five sessions of half a day. During the first session, transgender youth brainstormed about the concept “’gender manifesto”. On the second session, the participants brought a cis peer to discuss the concept again. They reflected on the main topics that should be in a gender manifesto and started the writing process. At the end of this session the participants were encouraged to contact an educational professional and the researchers also contacted some educational professionals. In the third session, the transgender youth presented the main topics of the gender manifesto to the educational professionals. Together they discussed the format of the output. During the fourth workshop transgender youth finalized the manifesto. At the final session, transgender youth presented their poster (the gender manifesto) to a broader public of educational professionals and a panel discussion took place.
Before the start and at the end of the module, pre- and post-tests were administered to the participants. These pre- and post-tests were used to measure self-esteem and their overall quality of life and were set up based on existing questionnaires such as the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and the WHOQoL-BREF. Besides the pre-and post-tests, a focus group, supervised by the psychologists and co-design specialized researchers, was held to gather qualitative data as well. This way, we collected both qualitative and quantitative data from the participants that gave us insight into how they experience the module and how following the module influences their resilience.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsWe can conclude that the creation of the gender manifesto increased the resilience of the trans youth as well. Different participants spoke about an increase in the dare to speak out. The educational professionals involved in this study moreover mentioned that they learned new knowledge about transgender youth and that they recognize the need for being more sensitive towards transgender youth at school. They also indicate that sometimes little things can provide big changes (e.g. let transgender youth express their pronoun, provide gender neutral mails,…).
From various items in the surveys, we can deduce that transgender young people also see a role for teachers to strengthen their resilience at school. As such, the main message is that it is important to enhance and reinforce the role of educational professionals in making transgender youth more resilience by taking action in the educational practice.
The poster of the gender manifesto is now used as didactic tool by transgender health professionals in trainings. This gender manifesto is also integrated as didactic material in different courses of the VIVES university of applied sciences. As such, we hope to increase the trans-sensitivity of (future) professionals in order to increase the resilience of transgender youth.
Developing this manifesto helped to strengthen the resilience of the participants and contributed to the community building objective, but also helped to raise awareness and brought this topic to the attention of schools. The gender manifesto can be found on our project website and has been shared with our national and European stakeholders to ensure a widespread implementation.
ReferencesBeemyn, G. (2012). The experiences and needs of transgender community college students. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 36(7), 504-510.
FRA, EU-LGBTI II - A long way to go for LGBTI equality (14 May 2020) (FRA, second LGBTI survey)
Johnson D., Silkorski, J;, Savage, TA & Woitaswksi, SA (2014). ouders van jongeren die zich identificeren als transgender: een verkennend onderzoek. Forum voor schoolpsychologie, 8(1), 56–74.
Kennan, D., Brady, B., & Forkan, C. (2019). Space, voice, audience and influence: the Lundy model of participation (2007) in child welfare practice. Practice, 31(3), 205-218.
van Dijk-de Vries, A., Stevens, A., van der Weijden, T., & Beurskens, A. J. (2020). How to support a co-creative research approach in order to foster impact. The development of a Co-creation Impact Compass for healthcare researchers. PLoS One, 15(10), e0240543.
Sergiovanni, T. J. (2022). Building community in schools. San Francisco: JosseyBass
33. Gender and Education
Poster
Gender in national curricular documents. A multiple case comparative study of Sweden, Ireland, Estonia and Czechia
Anna Donovalová
Charles University, Czech Republic
Presenting Author: Donovalová, Anna
Equality is currently one of the most debated aspects of the curriculum and the revisions of curricular documents and the educational strategies of all four analysed countries formulates gender and gender equality as an important issue to address (Ministerstvo školství, mládeže a tělovýchovy, 2020; Higher education authority, 2017; Ministry of Education and Research, 2021; Swedish government, 2018). It is also one of the key issue within strategies and policies produces by the European union concerning education and gender equality.
This study focuses on the topic of gender and gender equality in the curriculum of four countries whose curricular documents have recently been revised, or are in the process of revision, and which are characterized by diametrically different social discourse and level of gender equality (as indicated in Gender Equality Index conducted by the European Institute of Gender Equality) - Sweden, Ireland, Estonia and the Czech Republic (European Institute for Gender Equality, 2023). The study analyses and then compares the national curricular documents of all four countries, maps how and where the topic of gender and gender equality, as well as gender principles, are present and how they are thematized.
The aim of this study is to analyse various curricular documents from countries that score across the Gender equality index (both in overall results an withing the area of knowledge) from best to worst, to map if and how each curricular document integrate, thematize and conceptualize the topic of gender and gender equality. By studying national curricular documents and the ways in which gender and the principles of gender equality are integrated into these documents we can identify the examples of good practices, which can be inspiring during the process of curriculum revisions. Combining the results from various curricular documents will help create an analytical scheme, a categorical system that will be used as a tool to analyse curricular documents and to integrate different aspects of gender into curriculum.
Science provides reliable knowledge about the empirical world that is reproduced (also) in the school environment. It is therefore absolutely crucial that it includes the gender dimension and perspective (Harding, 2016) and the principles of gender equality.
Curricular documents are created different levels, this study analyses curriculum documents at the state (national) level (Dvořák, 2012).Gender and gender equality topics can be presented in the school environment within the intended curriculum as expressed in the official state curriculum documents (Dvořák, 2012). The study follows the aspects of feminist pedagogy and the notion that knowledge is a social construct. According to Lawton (1975), curriculum is a selection from culture and society and it is not possible for everything to appear here. Whether the issue of gender will be included in this selection depends on the approach of a particular society or culture to this topic (Elwood, 2016).
Mainstreaming gender equality into education within the European Union is one of the focuses of EU policies as we see that inequalities (in this case gender inequalities) are persistent in education in EU countries, although to a different level in each country (Driel, Donlevy & Melstveit Roseme, 2023). The focus of many studies dealing with the issue of gender (in)equalities in the education content is on textbooks and teaching materials with only few of them analysing the curricular documents.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedThis study employs a qualitative research design, specifically a multiple case study approach (Hunziker & Blankenagel, 2021), to analyse and compare national curricular documents for primary and lower secondary schools in Sweden, Ireland, Estonia, and Czechia.
The data were chosen based on the criteria of availability, language (the curricular documents had to be available in an official English translation) and most importantly based on the results of Gender Equality Index (countries scoring across the index from best to worst scores). The analysed data are the official curriculum documents from each of the four countries – the Czech Framework Educational Program for Primary Education, Irish The Primary School Curriculum, Framework for Junior Cycle, Swedish Curriculum for the Compulsory School, Preschool Class and School-age Educare, and Estonian National Curricula for Basic Schools.
The analysis methods used in this study are content analysis and critical discourse analysis. Content analysis allows for the systematic examination of the content of the curriculum documents (Hsieh & Shannon, 2005), while critical discourse analysis provides a deeper understanding of the social and cultural contexts that shape the representation of gender in these documents (Rogers, 2008).
To facilitate the analysis, the documents were coded in the programme atlas.ti. Coding involves assigning labels to sections of the text to identify themes and patterns (Belotto, 2018). This process enables the systematic and objective analysis of the curriculum documents and aids in the comparison across different national contexts (Elliott, 2018).
The methodology involves two main stages of analysis. First, each set of curriculum documents is analysed separately from the perspective of the conceptualization of gender equality. This involves examining the processing of the topics of gender and gender equality, the explicit naming of this topic, and the principles of gender equality.
The aim is to identify where these criteria appear in the curriculum documents, where they are absent, and where they are not explicitly named but are implicitly present.
Following the individual analysis, the curriculum documents are then compared with each other. This comparative analysis allows for a broader understanding of how gender equality is conceptualized and represented in different national contexts.
This methodology provides a robust framework for examining and comparing the representation of gender equality in national curricular documents. It offers valuable insights into the similarities and differences in how gender equality is conceptualized and represented in different national educational contexts.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsThe results of the document comparison show a different concept of gender equality as well as a different direction of educational goals, which in all three countries is in line with the social discourse. The comparison offers the opportunity to describe the processing of gender equality topics, to identify places where there is room for the inclusion of gender equality and principles that can be incorporated into curriculum documents. The open approach of the Swedish curriculum is different from the Czech and Irish approaches. By comparing the three curriculum documents, we can analyse each curriculum again and outline the possibilities of conceptualizing gender equality.
The level of integration and conceptualization of the topics of gender and gender equality is vastly different across the four documents. While Sweden has incorporated gender equality into curricular documents not only as a topic but also within the goals of education and the school environment, the Czech and Irish curriculum documents focus more generally on equality and it´s various aspects. Even the goals in these curricular documents relate primarily to equality in general. The Estonian curriculum contains less mentions of gender or gender equality than the Irish documents, but covers many aspects of gender dimension.
The comparison of the documents offers an optics through which a country can view their national curricular documents, identify room for integration of gender and gender equality and possibly even get inspired during the process of revision of the curricular documents.
ReferencesBelotto, M. (2018). Data Analysis Methods for Qualitative Research: Managing the Challenges of Coding, Interrater Reliability, and Thematic Analysis. The Qualitative Report. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2018.3492
Driel, B. V., Donlevy, V., & Melstveit Roseme, M. (2023). Issue paper on gender equality in and through education. Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (European Commission).
Dvořák, D. (2012). Od osnov ke standardům: Proměny kurikulární teorie a praxe. Univerzita Karlova v Praze, Pedagogická fakulta.
Elliott, V. (2018). Thinking about the Coding Process in Qualitative Data Analysis. The Qualitative Report. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2018.3560
Elwood, J. (2016). Gender and the Curriculum. In D. Wyse, L. Hayward, & J. Pandya (Eds.), The Sage Handbook of Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment (pp. 247-262).
European Institute for Gender Equality. (2023). Gender Equality Index 2023: Towards a green transition in transport and energy. Publications Office. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2839/64810
Government Offices of Sweden. (2018). Strategy for Sweden's Development Cooperation for Global Gender Equality and Women's and Girls' Rights 2018–2022. Government Offices of Sweden. https://www.government.se/contentassets/3e6be18734b94807b98a7b4d4c970d81/strategygenderequalityandwomensrights-002.pdf.
Harding, S. G. (1991). Whose science? Whose knowledge? thinking from women’s lives. Cornell University Press.
Hsieh, H.-F., & Shannon, S. E. (2005). Three Approaches to Qualitative Content Analysis. Qualitative Health Research, 15(9), 1277–1288. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732305276687
Hunziker, S., & Blankenagel, M. (2021). Multiple Case Research Design. In S. Hunziker & M. Blankenagel, Research Design in Business and Management (s. 171–186). Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-34357-6_9.
Mareš, J. (2015). Tvorba případových studií pro výzkumné účely. Pedagogika. 65(2). 113-142.
Ministry of Education and Research. (2021). Estonian Education Strategy 2021-2035. Ministry of Education and Research.
Rogers, R. (2008). Critical Discourse Analysis in Education. In N. H. Hornberger (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Language and Education (s. 810–825). Springer US.
33. Gender and Education
Poster
Elevating Educational Awareness: Exploring Modern Rape Myths in European Discourse
Marlena Mitka, Pamela Hyży
University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland
Presenting Author: Mitka, Marlena;
Hyży, Pamela
The concept of "rape myths" emerged in the 1970s, from feminist and sociological theories (Schwendinger, Schwendinger, 1974; Brownmiller, 1975). The term was created to explain a set of cultural beliefs, rooted in sexual aggression against girls and women (Payne et al. 1999). The researcher, who developed one of the first diagnostic tools to study the phenomenon, defined rape myths as "prejudices, stereotypes or false beliefs about rape, rape victims or rapists" (Burt, 1980, p. 129). A similar definition, but broader, was proposed by Lonsway and Fitzgerald (1994), who described rape myths as ‘attitudes and beliefs that are generally false but widely and persistently held, and that serve to deny and justify male sexual aggression against women’ (p. 134). Furthermore, rape myths are designed to perpetuate sexual violence by blaming the victim, absolving the perpetrator, and rationalizing acts of sexual aggression. In addition, they serve to blame the victim, acquit the perpetrator, and downplay the seriousness of sexual violence.
Research on the existence and impact of rape myths today is extensive, making it clear that the widespread acceptance of rape myths spans diverse societies, cultures, and diverse social groups. Rape myths are dynamic risk factors that contribute to violent behavior and influence people's perceptions of acts of sexual assault, victims as well as rapists. They also play a role in maintaining false beliefs about sexual violence. Rape myths influence the widespread tendency to trivialize and naturalize the problem of sexual violence, to despise victims, and to devalue them.
The primary aim of the systematic research review is to precisely identify, analyze, and comprehend prevailing rape myths in Europe. Furthermore, its aim is to delineate the functioning of myths concerning sexual assault and identify factors influencing their prevalence. Our goal is to gain a deeper understanding of the cultural and social aspects associated with this phenomenon.
We have identified the main research questions as the subject of our study:
- What factors contribute to the perpetuation of myths about rape in Europe?
- What are the mechanisms related to the functioning of rape myths in European societies?
- What are the most common contemporary rape myths in Europe?
- What educational and pedagogical solutions do researchers propose in this area?
Understanding and debunking these myths is crucial for fostering a safer and more informed society. By unraveling the deeply ingrained cultural beliefs associated with sexual aggression, educational efforts can address and challenge these misconceptions. In essence, these research endeavors not only contribute to academic knowledge but also hold immense potential for shaping educational practices, fostering a society that rejects harmful beliefs, and creating safer environments for all.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedThe present study conducted a systematic review of rape myths. A comprehensive search was performed using three multidisciplinary research databases: ProQuest, Scopus and ERIH Plus. The choice of these databases was motivated by their global recognition and the wide range of scientific literature, which provided an in-depth exploration of the available research on the topic. The study focused on peer-reviewed articles from English-language journals published between 2013 and 2023, particularly material from the European context.
Strict criteria were applied in the selection process, excluding non-peer-reviewed material and considering only research conducted in Europe or affiliated with European research departments. The selected timeframe (2013-2023) aimed to capture recent developments in conceptions of rape myth, aligning with significant social changes and events such as the #MeToo campaign.
The search yielded a total of 2,507 results from selected databases. After eliminating irrelevant studies by analyzing titles and abstracts and removing duplicates, 116 articles were subjected to full-text analysis. After a thorough review, 24 articles were excluded based on eligibility criteria, resulting in the inclusion of 92 articles in the systematic review.
The two-step process included individual checking by two reviewers, resolving discrepancies through discussion. Selected articles were reviewed in detail to gain insight into proposed solutions to change harmful beliefs about rape myths. This systematic approach ensured the inclusion of relevant and recent literature, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of efforts to address and change perceptions of rape myths in European societies.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsAnalyses conducted as part of the research project provide evidence of a number of factors determining the perpetuation and spread of these myths. Among the most important are sociodemographic factors, such as gender, age and educational level, as well as the influence of cultural and media messages, political ideology and legal norms. In addition, the phenomenon under discussion is so complex that the scientific literature describes numerous mechanisms and theories related to the functioning of rape myths. One of the most popular of these is to blame the victim, while excusing and minimizing the role of the perpetrator. Moreover, the Cognitive Schemas/Scipts Theory provides a framework for understanding the functioning of rape myths in society. Also noteworthy are the Defense Mechanism, Compassion Fatigue, Anticipatory Bias, and the Story Model or Sexual Economy Theory. The survey shows that there is a noticeable convergence in the prevailing contemporary beliefs about rape myths in European communities. Among these, two significant issues stand out: (a) the belief that perpetrators are more likely to be people unknown to the victim, and (b) the widespread blaming of the victim for the rape, especially when the victim was under the influence of intoxicating substances such as alcohol or drugs.
Few researchers have addressed the educational aspect in their research. Unfortunately, most of these publications provided only suggestions and guidelines. The authors only emphasized the need for long-term and carefully thought-out public campaigns, as well as the introduction of topics related to rape myths into sex education programs. There were proposals for educating employees, but there was a lack of implied suggestions. In the next phase of our research project, we plan to identify and analyze current educational solutions to sexual violence myths.
ReferencesAdolfsson, K., & Strömwall, L. A. (2017). Situational variables or beliefs? A multifaceted approach to understanding blame attributions. Psychology, Crime & Law, 23(6), 527–552.
Bevens, C. L., Brown, A. L., & Loughnan, S. (2018). The role of self-objectification and women’s blame, sympathy, and support for a rape victim. PLOS ONE, 13(6).
Brooker, P., & Butler, C. (2021). Rape myths in practice: The everyday work of accounting for rape survivors. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 8(1).
Brownmiller, S. (1975). Against our will: Men, women, and rape. New York: Penguin Books.
van der Bruggen, M., & Grubb, A. R. (2014). A review of the literature relating to rape victim blaming: An analysis of the impact of observer and victim characteristics on attribution of blame in rape cases. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 19, 523–531.
Burt, M. (1980). Rape myths. [In] M. E. Odem i J. Clay-Warner (red.), Confronting rape and sexual assault. Wilmington, Del.: Scholarly Resources.
Davies, M., Gilston, J., & Rogers, P. (2012). Examining the relationship between male rape myth acceptance, female rape myth acceptance, victim blame, homophobia, gender roles, and ambivalent sexism. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 27(14), 2807–2823.
Dawtry, R. J., Cozzolino, P. J., & Callan, M. J. (2019). I blame therefore it was: Rape myth acceptance, victim blaming, and memory reconstruction. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 45(8), 1269–1282.
Lilley, C., Willmott, D., Mojtahedi, D., & Labhardt, D. (2023). Intimate partner rape: A review of six core myths surrounding women’s conduct and the consequences of intimate partner rape. Social Sciences, 12(1), 34.
Lonsway, K. A., & Fitzgerald, L. F. (1994). Rape myths in review. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 18, 133-164.
Payne, D. L., Lonsway, K. A., & Fitzgerald, L. F. (1999). Rape myth acceptance: Exploration of its structure and its measurement using Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale. Journal of Research in Personality, 33, 27–68.
Samji, K., & Vasquez, E. A. (2019). The link between myths about sexual aggression and sexual objectification via hostile attitudes toward women. Journal of Sexual Aggression, 26(3), 385–393.
Schwendinger, J. R., & Schwendinger, H. (1974). Rape myths: In legal, theoretical, and everyday practice. Crime and Social Justice, 1, 18–26.
Sirvent Garcia del Valle, E. (2019). Acceptability of sexual violence against women in Spain: Demographic, behavioral, and attitudinal correlates. Violence Against Women, 26(10).
33. Gender and Education
Poster
Gender Equality in STEM Education, How Can Teachers Reflect on Their Lessons?
Jan Ardies, Kato Luyckx, Eva Dierickx
AP University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Antwerpen, Belgium
Presenting Author: Luyckx, Kato
Despite the equal talent of girls in STEM, they are less likely to choose STEM-related fields, a trend reflected in the labour market. To address this societal challenge in education, we developed the Gender Sensitive Education Checklist (GSEC) and corresponding workshop. This reflection tool for teachers focuses on 4 pillars on which teachers can focus. The GESC helps them make timely adjustments to their lessons, supporting all children, regardless of their gender, more effectively in their STEM careers.
The four pillars of the checklist
Awareness of gender biases is crucial for gender equity. Teachers should avoid a so called “gender blind” attitude (Garrahy, 2001) that overlooks gender differences and historical disparities. Recognizing how our thoughts and actions are changing, depending on the gender of the pupil that we’re interacting with, is the first step in creating gender-sensitive STEM lessons (Consuegra et al., 2013). Therefore, ‘awareness’ forms the first pillar of the Gender Sensitive Education Checklist (GSEC), which includes reflective questions for teachers.
The second pillar focuses on girls’ representation in technology. Early imaging and framing in STEM are often formed by stereotypes about boys’ superiority in STEM, which can deter girls (Brown, 2021). Therefor, critically examining study materials for these stereotypes and implementing positive female role models can influence attitudes of all students (Cheryan et al., 2011; Smeding 2012).
Classroom interactions, the third pillar, are influenced by gender biases (Consuegra et al., 2016). Stereotypical language (example: “I need 2 strong boys”) can reinforce existing stereotypes (Rhodes et al., 2019). Implementing small changes can boost girls’ interest in STEM, such as explicitly addressing the female word for a profession instead of the regular ‘male’ form (in Dutch: there is a female and male word for most professions).
The fourth pillar pertains to pedagogical methodologies. The integration of students’ personal experiences into the curriculum can enhance engagement and performance, particularly for those with diminished expectations of success (Hulleman & Harackiewicz, 2009). A STEM curriculum contextualized within societal and experiential frameworks appears to be favored by female students as it strengthens the idea of being able to make a significant societal contribution. Previous research suggests that female students exhibit heightened motivation when provided with opportunities to design and conduct their own investigations (Ardies et al, 2015).
The workshops
We organised workshops to foster gender sensitivity in STEM education, introducing the checklist. This two-hour workshop systematically overviewed all pillars: general gender awareness, imaging girls, classroom interactions, and teaching methods. Theoretical underpinnings and relevance were elucidated, punctuated with practical examples and participant interaction. The workshop’s design ensured effective elements like context-specific approaches and reflective practice. Utilizing appreciative inquiry we facilitated the transition from current reality to a gender-sensitive STEM future, resulting in tangible plans and growth areas.
Summarizing the results
This study, conducted with 58 participants who participated in the workshop using the GESC, aimed to support gender-sensitive teaching in STEM through a checklist and workshop. The checklist was found useful for organizing gender-sensitive lessons, and suggestions for wider dissemination were made. Most teachers found the workshop valuable and reported changes in their behaviour. However, these changes were self-reported and not measured directly. More professional development options are recommended, as one workshop may not lead to sustainable changes in attitudes and behaviour. Longer, more in-depth professional development courses could provide more support (Merchie et al., 2016). Despite some teachers expressing doubts about reusing the checklist, most participants gained new insights and intended to make behavioural changes for a more inclusive classroom. Thus, the checklist and workshop show promise in promoting gender sensitivity in STEM education.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedWe developed a checklist and accompanying workshop consisting of the four pillars, described previously in the abstract, that were the result of a literature review and. Both the workshop and the GESC were developed to support teachers in critically looking at their own practices and promoting more gender-sensitive teaching activities where possible. This led us to the following two research questions:
• How do teachers and education professionals experience the checklist and the accompanying workshop?
• What are teachers’ perceptions about their gender-sensitive teaching, and do they experience a difference after using the checklist and participating in a workshop?
In the first phase, we designed the checklist and workshop, based on literature review. Next, the instrument was reviewed and re-designed through multiple feedback-loops. The study was conducted on a representative but relatively small group of 58 participants, including teachers and STEM expert-trainers of which 42 evaluated the workshop and checklist, who each evaluated the GESC and accompanying workshop by filling out questionnaires.
In the first feedback loop, STEM expert-trainers reviewed the instrument and workshop. Based on their feedback, the instrument was revised and tested in a second feedback loop by teachers. A third version of the instrument was evaluated by student-teachers. Afterwards, a fourth and final version of the Gender Sensitive Education Scale was redesigned.
After the workshop, we asked the participants to complete a questionnaire about the checklist and the workshop.
In general, we surveyed teachers' perceived self-esteem about gender-sensitive teaching with two questions. For this, the respondents could indicate to what extent they agreed with questions about their gender-sensitive teaching. Next to open ended questions, participants indicated on a 5-point Likert scale about the usefulness and general clarity of the checklist. Finally, participants answered three open questions about their perceptions of the checklist.
Moreover, the workshop was evaluated with a Likert scale questionnaire and open questions over the participants experiences.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsData was analysed about both the GESC and the accompanying workshop. A first conclusion points out that the checklist was found to be a useful and a practical tool to help organise teaching activities in a more gender-sensitive way. Post-workshop, most teachers felt they were already somewhat engaged in gender-sensitive teaching. The checklist was deemed easy to use and interpret by most participants, with 32 finding it helpful for organizing more gender-sensitive lessons. However, 13 doubted they would reuse it, citing reasons such as it being cumbersome or confusing. Despite this, they indicated they would still strive for more gender-sensitive lessons.
Second, the workshop was found informative by almost all participants, providing new insights, and influencing future teaching practices. Mentioned changes included paying more attention to language and the representation of women in course materials. More complex adjustments in didactics or pedagogical approaches were less discussed, possibly due to their less immediate visibility or existing familiarity among teachers.
A sidenote to these results is we didn’t measure teachers’ factual change in behaviour, nor their capabilities. We only examined their ambitions and self-indicated sense of growth in this subject. Nevertheless, multiple studies showed that teachers’ perceptions, self-efficacy, and ambitions to change their lessons can be seen as an indicator for actual change in teaching behaviour (Chen et al, 2021).
In conclusion, most of the participants indicated that they had gained new insights during the workshop and by using the checklist, and showed intentions for behavioural changes in the classroom, to make this a more inclusive and ambitious place for all students. The checklist and workshop therefore seem promising in promoting more gender sensitivity in (STEM-)education.
ReferencesArdies,J., De Maeyer,S., & Gijbels,D. (2015). A longitudinal study on boys’ and girls’ career aspirations and interest in technology. Research in Science & Technological Education, 33(3),366–386. https://doi.org/10.1080/02635143.2015.1060412
Brown,S.C. (2021). Unraveling bias: How prejudice has shaped children for generations and why it's time to break the cycle. BenBella Books.
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