Children's Views on Gender Issues in School

Abstract

Most of the research on gender issues in schools has focused on teacher behaviour and the values transmitted through observed talk and behaviour. There has been comparatively little research on children's attitudes to teachers’ behaviour. As part of an analysis of their views on schooling 53 children in their first year of secondary school were given lengthy interviews about their experiences of school, including their recollections of primary schools. Out of these interviews emerged some clearly and consistently held opinions about teachers’ and pupils’ attitudes to gender. Whilst pupils did not think that the issues were of the highest salience, and did not observe extreme forms of discrimination, they were all concerned about the ‘unfair’ treatment of boys in particular. This included being ‘picked on’ more than girls who might be carrying out the same actions. Both boys and girls felt that the former were unfairly treated. But the children also felt that certain kinds of discrimination were inevitable, given the reputation and nature of boys’ behaviour.