Elementary Teachers' Perceptions of Gender Bias

The purpose of this study was to determine elementary teachers' perceptions of
gender bias and further, to determine if additional information on gender bias might have
an effect on how elementary teachers interact with their students. This study is valuable
because gender bias situations can have a profound influence on how boys and girls view
themselves in the world. Additionally, gender bias has been linked to a technological gap
between males and females.
The subjects for this study were 12 elementary teachers from a large metropolitan
school district who participated in three different activities. The purpose of these
activities was to determine the teachers' general perceptions of gender bias, their
perceptions of gender bias related to curriculum, the origins of these perceptions, and
finally, how this process might affect their current educational practices.
The results of this study indicate that these elementary teachers placed a low
priority on gender bias as a consideration for evaluating software or as an educational issue. The participants felt that their parents, their upbringing, and their environment
were responsible for their perceptions of gender bias. Also, while the participants
expressed a belief that the activities involved in the study would cause them to scrutinize
software and other materials more carefully, they would not necessarily focus on gender
issues. They also believed that these activities would have a limited influence on their
current teaching practices.
As a result of the study, I feel there is a need for pre-service teacher education and
professional development for current teachers regarding what constitutes gender bias and
the difference between bias and stereotypes. l also would recommend training to assist
teachers in treating both male and female students equitably. Finally, since this study
only involved three software titles, I would recommend additional research on the
amount of gender bias content in educational software.