Blog #4 - Gender differences, questioning, and student engagement

As a self-proclaimed, "mother of boys," I am feeling more and more interested in the gender differences in our classrooms. I think that I could do my tiny part in helping close that type of achievement gap with some study about the following.

Gender differences, questioning (teachers to students), and student engagement

• Gender differences & questioning: Who calls on whom? How often? Who is ignored?
  

- This could be measured through a talk chart, similar to the one that Dr. Milner gave us for use during our Governor’s School observations.

- I could also make a checklist of some type in Excel format: students’ names, number of times called on individually, number of responses, etc.

• Gender differences & student engagement: In what way are students of one gender engaged with their opposite sex teacher (rambunctious, disparaging, cocky, respectful, etc.).

- This could be done with the checklist/continuum too, or maybe with field notes about the observations : student behaviors would be multiple choice format (head down/head up, looking at teacher/looking elsewhere, leaning forward/slumped, awake/asleep, participating verbal/not participating verbally, etc.)

- This would require some operational definitions:

· Head up, looking at teacher, verbally participating is all categorized as engagement

· Head down, looking elsewhere, not verbally participating is all categorized as being disengagement

• Gender differences: I’ve thought about doing something with the “Gender Equity Quiz” that I found on ERIC. (some kind of case study of one class)

- What are students’ perceptions of gender equity in their class?

- Do the boys perceive this differently from the girls?

- What is the teacher’s perception?