Gender Differences In Teachers Research Articles

Primary School Teachers’ Knowledge of Assistive Technologies for Students with Dyslexia and Dysgraphia in Abu Dhabi

This study aimed to determine the knowledge level of primary school teachers regarding their gender-based variations and the obstacles they face with using Assistive Technologies (ATs) for students suffering from dyslexia and dysgraphia in Abu Dhabi, UAE. For this purpose, a three-point Likert scale questionnaire was used to get teachers’ responses. The study’s main findings revealed that teachers have a high degree of knowledge about some of these technologies, such as highlighters, pen grips, voice recorders, and specific software applications. It also reveals significant gender differences in teachers’ knowledge of some of these technologies, with male teachers being more familiar with voice-based tools and female teachers being more familiar with visual and tactile tools. The most significant challenge was the short class timings, followed by the teachers’ lack of knowledge and training about the relevant ATs. This prevented primary school teachers from knowing ATs for students with dyslexia and dysgraphia. The findings contributed to the limited literature on gender knowledge levels and obstacles faced by teachers in using ATs for students with dyslexia and dysgraphia. Further, future directions for research are suggested.

Gender Differences in Teachers' Digital Literacy Skills in Teaching STEAM

Teachers’ characteristics such as educational level, age, gender, educational experience and digiyal literacy for educational purposes can influence the adoption of an innovation in teaching. This study aimed at analyzing the impact of gender differences on teachers' digital literacy skills in the teaching of STEAM in secondary schools. This study was descriptive research which adopted a Survey type. Four research questions were raised. The population for this research comprised science teachers in Kaduna State secondary schools. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 150 senior science teachers across the three local governments. The questionnaire was designed to elicit information from the senior secondary school teachers on the impact of gender differences on teachers' digital literacy skills in teaching STEAM. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics tools which include pie charts and bar chat. The findings of the study showed that the number of male secondary school teachers was higher than their female counterparts involved in the teaching of STEAM in senior secondary schools. A significant difference exists in the number of male teachers that possess laptop devices compared to their female counterpart. A higher percentage of male teachers possess more digital skills than their female counterpart, lack of school support, limited time and lack of internet access are the major factors affecting the use of digital skills in teaching STEAM. This study recommends that schools should provide the needed facilities required in teaching STEAM based on global best practices.

The impact of gender differences in teachers' teaching practices and attitudes on students' math and science achievement in Saudi Arabia: Evidence from TIMSS 2019 data.

- Teacher practices were positively associated with students' achievement.- Teachers' attitudes were positively associated with students' achievement.- Female teachers hold more positive attitudes toward teaching.- There are differences in teaching style and practices based on gender.

Assessing Gender Differences in Teachers' Digital Literacy Skills for Assisting Students with Functional Diversity

Assessing Gender Differences in Teachers' Digital Literacy Skills for Assisting Students with Functional Diversity

Emotional Labor and Professional Identity in Chinese Early Childhood Teachers: The Gendered Moderation Models

The sustainable development of early childhood institutions in aging China calls for the sustainable development of early childhood teachers, which should attend to the balanced development between male and female teachers. Yet this issue has not been adequately investigated in the literature. To fill this research gap, this study explored the gender differences in Chinese early childhood (EC) teachers’ professional identity (PI) and emotional labor strategies. Altogether, 250 teachers (146 female and 104 male, Mage = 30.28 years, SD = 7.81) from Southern China were sampled and surveyed. First, the independent samples t-tests revealed significant gender differences in teachers’ PI, deep acting, and surface acting. Second, the structural equation modelling results demonstrated that PI fully mediated the relationship between teacher educational attainment, years of teaching experience, and natural and deep acting. Third, multigroup analysis confirmed different mediation paths for female and male teachers. These findings suggest that male and female early childhood teachers differed in their sense of PI and use of emotional labor strategies. Therefore, future policymaking efforts should design and implement teacher professional development (PD) programs and teacher support mechanisms catering to male EC teachers’ needs, characteristics, and difficulties in the Chinese EC workforce.

Mathematical Epistemic Beliefs: Through the Gender Lens

This large survey study set out to ascertain whether gender differences in teachers’ mathematical epistemic beliefs exist, and the extent to which teachers’ gender as well as their teaching experience level, education level, and socio-economic setting of the schools can predict these beliefs. Specifically, the study examined teachers’ beliefs concerning the structure, stability, and source of mathematical knowledge. This is crucial given that previous research have demonstrated the potential role of teachers’ mathematical epistemic beliefs in shaping their mathematics teaching, and hence their students’ mathematics learning outcomes and perceptions of the subject. The current study drew on survey data collected from 745 primary teachers using items from the Thai Teachers’ Mathematics Education-related Beliefs (TTMEB) questionnaire. The data were analysed using Independent-samples t-test and multiple regression. The findings reveal a very limited to no effect of gender on teachers’ mathematical epistemic beliefs, and also alert us to the fact that when it comes to exploring factors that shape one’s beliefs, their exogenous characteristics, such as the socio-economic setting of where they live and work, should too be taken into account. Overall, the study helps to dispel any myths about gender differences in the way male and female teachers perceive mathematics, specifically the nature of mathematical knowledge.

Gender Differences in the Work and Home Spheres for Teachers, and Longitudinal Associations with Depressive Symptoms in a Swedish Cohort

The high level of stress among teachers is a frequently reported problem globally but less is known about how demands and resources among teachers affect depressive symptoms, and to what extent gender differences in these conditions can explain potential differences in depressive symptoms. The present study investigated gender differences in teachers’ self-reported depressive symptoms, and differences in their demands and resources in both work and home spheres. Associations between demands and resources, respectively, and depressive symptoms as well as gender differences in these associations were examined. Results from univariate and parallel growth modelling (N = 1,022), using data from six time points (2008 to 2018), found higher levels of depressive symptoms, higher emotional and quantitative work demands, and more time doing unpaid work among female teachers, whereas male teachers reported more time on leisure activities. Emotional and quantitative work demands were associated with depressive symptoms at baseline, and these associations also developed in parallel over time. Leisure time had a negative association with depressive symptoms at baseline. There were no gender differences in the strength of these associations. Findings suggest that gender differences in teachers’ depressive symptoms could be attributable to women’s greater demands in the work sphere and fewer resources in the home sphere than men as opposed to their being more vulnerable to workplace stressors.

Gender differences in teachers’ occupational accidents

The authors stated that the main objective of the current research is to analyze the relationship between the gender of injured teachers and independent variables, such as age, place of the accident, absence days, and severity of the injury, to improve women’s occupational health and safety. Teachers’ accidents recorded in Spain (N = 136,702) from 2003 through 2018 were analyzed by calculating their incidence rates, using statistical tools for independent samples. Gender differences were found in some of the variables studied. Women were more likely to suffer an occupational accident. Compensation per lost working day was found to be statistically lower for women, but no differences based on gender were found in the absence days due to occupational accidents suffered by teachers. The salary gap should be addressed to avoid gender economic discrimination among injured teachers. Preventive strategies should be developed to mitigate the negative difference caused by gender variables.

Teachers' Self-efficacy for Using Information and Communication Technology: The Interaction Effect of Gender and Age

The purpose of the study is to examine the moderating effect of age on gender differences in teachers’ self-efficacy for using information and communication technology (ICT) in teaching as well as possible variables underlying this effect. Following Bandura’s conceptualisation of self-efficacy, we defined teachers' self-efficacy as their confidence in performing specific tasks that require the integration of ICT into the teaching practice. The study was conducted via an online questionnaire on a sample of 6613 elementary and upper secondary school teachers in Croatia. The hierarchical multiple regression analysis was applied. The findings indicate minor gender differences in self-efficacy for using ICT that are more prominent among older teachers and practically non-existent among younger teachers. These effects remain statistically significant after controlling for the type of school where the teacher works, perceived technical and professional support for using ICT in school, and frequency of use of computer programmes in teaching. The interaction effect ceases to be statistically significant after the introduction of length of computer use in teaching and/or attitudes towards computers in the model, indicating that these two variables have a role in low self-efficacy for using ICT among older female teachers. A similar level of self-efficacy for using ICT among young male and female teachers is an encouraging finding which could hopefully be followed by gender equality in other aspects of ICT use. The findings suggest that strategies for enhancing ICT self-efficacy should be particularly targeted at older female teachers. This study contributes to a better understanding of the underresearched topic of gender differences in teacher’s ICT self-efficacy.

Examining Teachers’ Knowledge of Line Graph Task: a Case of Travel Task

Teachers should possess a robust knowledge of graph interpretation in a world that requires increasingly scientific citizens. This study aimed to investigate teachers’ knowledge of interpreting a context-based line graph, by understanding the types of difficulties teachers have in interpreting such graphs. The study also sought to determine whether there were gender differences in teachers’ graph interpretation skills and determine whether these interpretation skills were different among teachers with varying teaching experiences. Sixty-one teachers from ten districts in one Indonesian province participated in this study. Empirically derived items were developed to identify the teacher’s conceptual understanding of line graphs with Curcio’s (Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 18(5), 382–393, 1987) level of interpretation applied to explain the difficulties encountered. This study revealed that most of the teachers had difficulty answering questions that required ‘reading beyond the data’. Specifically, these teachers interpreted the graph as an iconic representation of a real event rather than an abstract representation of data (i.e., speed vs. time). Performance differences in teachers’ understanding of the graph were dependent on the grade level they taught, with differences especially evident in the interpretation of moderate and difficult items. There were no differences in teachers’ understanding by gender or years of teaching experience. The results highlight the importance of focusing on teacher professional development centering on teachers’ knowledge of graph comprehension.

Using technology to break gender barriers: gender differences in teachers’ information and communication technology use in Saudi Arabian classrooms

How does teachers’ gender influence their information and communication technology-based instruction in Saudi Arabian government schools? Using unique data collected in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2014, the analyses presented here show that male and female teachers in intermediate school classrooms differently use information and communication technology. As one of the only completely gender-separated educational systems in the world, the differing pedagogies, knowledge and skills of teachers by gender in Saudi Arabia reveal the unique approaches that both the Saudi and technology context provide for students’ learning. Female teachers’ use of technology in the classroom is more frequent and of different types than that of males. Implications are discussed for teacher professional development and for understanding the important role of cultural context around gender and information and communications technology in education.

Gender differences in executive function and behavioural self-regulation in 5 years old kindergarteners from East Japan

ABSTRACTThe present study examined gender differences in kindergarten students’ ability for behavioural self-regulation and executive function in East Japan. One hundred and eleven 5-year-old children were assessed on behavioural self-regulation, inhibitory, and working memory tasks (direct measurement). Children's responses to the teacher's instructions were video-recorded and analysed (class room observation). Teachers assessed behaviour problems in the classroom. Results demonstrated that, while there were no significant gender differences in direct measurement or classroom observations, there were gender differences in teachers’ evaluation of social problems, attention problems, and aggressive behaviour, with girls demonstrating lowere levels of problem than boys. These results suggest that teachers’ evaluation of behavioural problem could be biased by gender. Possible reasons for this discrepancy were discussed.

Teachers’ perceptions of the concomitance of emotional behavioural difficulties and learning disabilities in children referred for learning disabilities in Oman

Research has documented overlapping and coexisting characteristics of learning disabilities (LD) and emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD). Such concomitance may impact teacher referrals of children at risk for LD which in turn may influence service delivery. Using the Learning Disabilities Diagnostic Inventory (LDDI) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), we examined teachers’ ratings of EBD and LD symptoms in 439 students referred for LD in elementary schools in Oman. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) showed that there were no gender differences in LD symptoms, whereas there were significant gender differences in teachers’ ratings of hyperactivity and conduct problems in referred children. There was an association between teachers’ ratings on the LDDI and SDQ dimensions, reflecting children’s concurrent display of LD and EBD symptoms. Implications are discussed within an Omani context in which there is a need to increase teachers’ awareness of the behavioural and emotional profile of children at risk for LD.

BRAIN ATROPHY AND DISEASE-FREE STATUS OVER 4 YEARS OF FREEDOMS STUDY

<h3>Introduction</h3> Teachers are facing various types of strain. Research of gender differences in teachers’ health is scarce and not conclusive so far. The aim of this study was to assess gender differences in teachers’ perceived physical and mental strain within the framework of a psychological risk assessment. <h3>Methods</h3> A standardised questionnaire was handed out in 13 schools in Bavaria, Germany. Amongst other items, frequencies of diverse physical strain were assessed by a 6-point scale ranging from ‘daily’ to ‘never/almost never’. The same scale served for assessing frequencies of mental strain. Gender differences were measured using Chi-square test. <h3>Result</h3> 359 questionnaires were completed (return rate 45.4%). 91 participants were male, 262 female (6 missing values). Main outcomes for physical strain in men were neck tension (22.0%), sleeping disorders (16.5%) and headache (12.1%). Women also stated neck tension at most (36.6%), followed by back pain (25.6%) and sleeping disorders (16.8%). Main outcomes for mental strain in men were feeling under time pressure (58.2%) and exhausted/tired (49.5%), followed by feeling tense and rushed (42.9%, each). Women also stated feeling under time pressure (54.6%) and feeling exhausted/tired (52.3%), followed by feeling rushed (38.9%). Chi-square test didn’t show significant gender differences in mental strain. Regarding physical strain, significant differences in men and women were found for neck tension (p=0.042) and back pain (p=0.025). <h3>Conclusion</h3> Based on the sample, conclusions have to be drawn with care. Nevertheless, results suggest that there are gender differences in neck tension and back pain. In order to carry out sustainable interventions promoting teachers’ health based on psychological risk assessments, possible influence by gender aspects should be taken into consideration or ruled out. However, further studies are needed to take profound action.

Being Shy at School

In our commentary on “Bashful boys and coy girls: A review of gender differences in childhood shyness” by Doey et al. (2013) we provide an analysis of limitations to the study of shyness in children as well as future avenues of research that may be fruitful for better understanding implications of shyness in school. Our focus is primarily on shyness in the classroom context, but we first discuss persistent difficulties in the measurement of shyness in childhood. Like Doey et al., our commentary reflects research in samples from the United States and Canada, unless otherwise noted. We then delve into potential school-related moderators of relations between shyness and children’s academic and social success, such as language skills and self-regulation, which are also associated with gender. To extend work summarized in Doey et al. (2013) regarding gender differences in teachers’ perceptions of shy students, we report on a new analysis of a longitudinal data set to examine gender as a moderator between children’s shyness in preschool and teacher-child relationships in early elementary grades. We conclude with a brief description of research on classroom support as a buffer for shy boys and girls.

A Don Quizote fighting windmills: A study of teachers imagined stress in the teaching profession

The present study investigated the prevalence of teacher occupational stress among primary school teachers in Matebeleland North Region. A survey method was used to collect data for the study. A sample of 10 schools was randomly selected from primary schools in the Region. A total of 120 teachers drawn from the 10 schools participated in the study. A survey questionnaire (the adapted version of Kyriacou and Sutcliffe’s (1978) instrument) was used to collect data for the present study. A t-test was used to determine gender differences in teachers’ perceptions of stressful experiences. The major findings were that all the participating teachers perceived their profession as stressful. The majority of teachers (66%) views the teaching profession as much too extremely stressful and is in the risk category while 34% perceive their occupation as mildly to moderately stressful and are in the productive category. The t-test showed no gender differentiation with regards to stressful experiences among teachers. The study recommended the improvement of teacher’s quality of work life through identifying and addressing the underlying causes of stress. Further the Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture could consult countries that have successfully attenuated teacher stress and implement similar stress reduction strategies. Key words: Stress, teacher stress, teaching profession.

Gender differences in teachers’ perceptions of students’ temperament, educational competence, and teachability

Student's temperament plays a significant role in teacher's perception of the student's learning style, educational competence (EC), and teachability. Hence, temperament contributes to student's academic achievement and teacher's subjective ratings of school grades. However, little is known about the effect of gender and teacher's age on this association. We examined the effect of teacher's and student's gender and teacher's age on teacher-perceived temperament, EC, and teachability, and whether there is significant same gender or different gender association between teachers and students in this relationship. The participants were population-based sample of 3,212 Finnish adolescents (M= 15.1 years) and 221 subject teachers. Temperament was assessed with Temperament Assessment Battery for Children - Revised and Revised Dimensions of Temperament Survey batteries and EC with three subscales covering Cognitive ability, Motivation, and Maturity. Data were analyzed with multi-level modelling. Teachers perceived boys' temperament and EC more negatively than girls'. However, the differences between boys and girls were not as large when perceived by male teachers, as they were when perceived by female teachers. Males perceived boys more positively and more capable in EC and teachability than females. They were also stricter regarding their perceptions of girls' traits. With increasing age, males perceived boys' inhibition as higher and mood lower. Generally, the older the teacher, the more mature he/she perceived the student. Teachers' ratings varied systematically by their gender and age, and by students' gender. This bias may have an effect on school grades and needs be taken into consideration in teacher education.

Gender and Teachers' Attrition: The Occupational Destination of Former Teachers

Based on the resources–rewards model and on the sex segregation perspective, the study was designed to examine gender differences in teachers' attrition by comparing three groups: teachers who remained in the educational system, teachers who left the labor market, and teachers who left teaching and entered other occupations. The study also addressed the type of occupations into which former teachers moved. The sample was 2,108 teachers who participated in the censuses of 1983 and 1995 and are represented in the inter-generation dataset of the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics. The findings indicated that one-third of the teachers did not continue teaching. Most of them moved to other occupations. Gender was found to be related to teachers' attrition and to their occupational destination. The data support the sex segregation perspective and suggest that working in a female-dominated occupation has different implications for women's and men's attrition and patterns of changing occupations, which contribute to maintaining the sex segregation structure in the labor market.

Written feedback and scoring of sixth-grade girls’ and boys’ narrative and persuasive writing

This study examined the possible gender differences in teachers’ scoring and written feedback on two narrative and two persuasive writing samples sent to 108 grade six teachers throughout one Canadian province. Participating teachers read a narrative and a persuasive piece of writing from one boy, and a narrative and persuasive piece written by one girl. The four papers were credited to a male author for some teachers and to a female author for others. The teachers evaluated the writing using the provincial scoring guides for narrative and persuasive writing. They also wrote comments and/or indicated needed edits and revisions on the piece of writing, providing the same kind of feedback to the student writers that they would provide to their own students. A two-way ANOVA was used to compare the scores by the teacher's gender and the identified gender of the writer for each of the four papers. There were significant differences between scores assigned to female and male papers on particular papers within specific scoring categories. Nevertheless, teachers’ ratings of the writing showed no consistent patterns privileging female or male writers. Additionally, female and male teachers’ scores were not significantly different for three of the four writing samples. The persuasive papers overall were scored higher than the narrative papers. With one exception, the highest scores within each of the four scoring categories were assigned to papers whose writers were identified as boys. Teachers scored two papers higher when the student writer's perceived gender matched their own (same-sex appreciation). Their scoring demonstrated the opposite effect (same-sex depreciation) for the other two papers. Teachers wrote extensive comments to the student writers. The greatest percentage of their comments to the narrative writers were editive and the greatest percentage of comments about the persuasive papers were revisional in nature. Girls received approximately the same quantity of comments as boys did by female and male teachers. Of the comments directed to male student authors, the greatest percentage were editive in nature. Female and male student authors received relatively equal numbers of verdictive (praising) and revisional comments.

Gender differences in teachers' behaviors in relation to adolescents' self-concepts.

Gender differences in the relationship between teachers' behaviors and adolescents' self-concepts were investigated in 276 (156 boys and 120 girls) Standard Ten students from two coeducational high schools in Langa, Cape Town, South Africa. The Perceived Teacher Behavior Inventory was used to measure adolescents' self-concepts. Analysis indicated significant differences in perceived teachers' behavior and adolescents' self-description scale scores between boys and girls. Further, students' self-concept dimensions most strongly associated with teachers' behaviors were relations with family, general school, and health.