Gender Differences in Secondary School Teachers' Control over Classroom and School Policy

Abstract

The study described in this article examined the effect of school gender organization--whether it is a boys' school, girls' school, or coeducational school--on gender differences in teachers' perceptions of organizational control. The study was conducted in U. S. independent schools, both because of the variety of gender organization in these schools and because of the tendency for independent school teachers to have more organizational influence than their counterparts in public schools. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) methods were used to analyze a sample of 629 mathematics and English teachers in a stratified, nationally representative sample of 60 independent secondary schools. In coeducational schools and boys' schools, male teachers perceived greater influence over school policies outside of the classroom than did female teachers. These gender differences were especially great in coeducational schools. In girls' schools the trend was reversed, however, with female teachers experiencing greater influence than male teachers. These findings provide insight into school organizational factors, especially single-sex grouping, that either inhibit or facilitate the empowerment of women teachers.