Foundations of Education

Overview

Addresses education related issues related to gender equity.

Key Concepts

  • educational attainment
  • wage earnings
  • career choices
  • educational achievement

Graded Tasks

  • contribute to the LMS forums

Improving the Educational Experience of Boys and Girls

Page 185 of the textbook reading briefly explores gender differences in educational attainment, wage earnings, and choice of professional careers. In two of these respects - wage earnings and choice of professional careers - women and girls face more barriers than men and boys.
📌 As the chart on the "Educational Equity" topic page shows, girls tend to do better than boys in terms of educational attainment, although that success generally does not translate into higher wage earnings.

Wage Equity

Watch the video below in which pairs of boys and girls learn first-hand about gender equity in terms of 'equal pay for equal work':

Educational Equity

When it comes to educational achievement in schools, it is girls who generally experience more success than than boys, especially when it comes to reading and writing. (♾)

Browse "The Gender Imbalance" report from The Hamilton Spectator newspaper which explores this issue.

Improving Educational Equity in Schools

Log into the LMS and answer the following forum question which is a graded task:
Q9.2: In your view, which one of the following strategies should be prioritized in order to improve the educational experiences of boys and/or girls in schools: 1) requiring all teachers to take part in professional development workshops related to this topic; 2) employing more female science teachers who can serve as career role models for girls; 3) allowing boys to read comic books and video game-related media in schools instead of traditional books; 4) moving to same-sex classes in which boys and girls are taught separately; or 5) another educational strategy you would like to suggest? Give reasons for your answer. (Actions: Post (Mon-Thu) and Respond (Fri-Sun) | 150 - 200 words total)
LMS Forum Question
📌 This topic page addresses 'gender' in a binary manner (I.e., 'boys' and 'girls') that neglects to take into account a range of gender diversities. Students (and teachers) identify as a variety of gender identities. (♾) It is important for teachers to respect and honour each student's gender identity, both in their instructional planning and also in the ways in which they communicate with students (including respecting their personal pronoun preferences).