Achieving Gender Equality in Teaching and Learning: Identifying Problems and Searching for Solutions

Abstract

Abstract The paper intends to investigate the ways in which gender equality is perceived throughout the world, to identify the main concerns relating to gender equality and to pinpoint some international measures already taken in this field. The research for this paper is based on other studies, reports and analyses concerning gender equality conducted by several entities that have as their main interests the research of the gender variable in teaching. A local study was also conducted, where I tried to observe whether Romanian textbooks of English are sensitive to gender equality in their visual aids (“cotext”). Seven textbooks were analyzed, printed from 1997 to 2004, ranging from the 2nd to 11th grades. Both the theoretical and the practical aspects of the research reveal that although awareness concerning gender equality has been raised, gender equality is yet to be achieved. Neither the pragmatic aspects of teaching nor the written support represented by English textbooks treat boys and girls equally, thus reinforcing genderbased stereotypes and attitudes.