Gender Bias means discrimination between boys and girls in any form. It’s reflected in various forms like-gender bias in Curriculum, Textbooks, and also in classrooms. In Our Indian Society, the discrimination between Men and Women is clearly noticeable as our society gives more importance to males in comparison to females in all spheres of life. The same condition reflected in schools as well as in classrooms. In the reference of this Sedkar said; “Sitting in the same classroom, reading the same textbook, listening to the same teacher, boys and girls receive very different educations.” (Sadker, 1994)
In the present scenario, we have seen an improvement in the condition of Women in our Society as well as in the treatment of girls in Classroom, Curriculum, Methods, and Approaches. We don’t feel confident to declare victory against the issues related to gender bias in our surroundings because our boys and girls remain the victim of gender stereotypes in curriculum, textbooks and resource material used in the classrooms.
Teachers’ Gender Bias Behavior in Classroom
Today most of the teachers treat their students equally without discrimination but still many teachers involved in gender bias behavior without realizing it. Here are some of the unconscious actions that affect the students in the classroom;
- Most of the teachers do not equally encourage, help or praise both the genders.
- Most of the teachers do not distribute same duties to both the genders.
- Most of the teachers do not keep same Expectations with all of the students.
- Most of the teachers do not ask the same questions to both the genders.
- Most of the teachers do not use gender-free language in the classroom.
- Most of the teachers do not use examples and text for both the genders.
Therefore, it is very clear that the gender bias is very harmful to everyone -“Because classrooms are microcosms of society, mirroring its strengths and ills alike. Bias is embedded in textbooks, lessons, and teacher interactions with students. This type of gender bias is part of the hidden curriculum of lessons taught implicitly to students through the everyday functioning of the classroom.
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