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To most people it’s no surprise to hear there is a gender bias in the fields of science and in science education. Gender bias begins long before high school students enter my classroom. Gender bias affects girls in science classes because they feel an additional burden from a stereotype threat against them. This threat adds to their workload and can influence their performance in science because there is the need to prove their work and accomplishments have value because of their identity. A common goal we should strive to achieving is to reduce or even eliminate gender bias to give all students an equal opportunity to succeed.
Is gender bias real?
On the first day of physical science class I present the following riddle to my students. See if you can come up with the correct answer.
A man and his son were rock climbing on a particularly dangerous mountain when they slipped and fell. The man was killed, but the son lived and was rushed to a hospital. The old surgeon looked at the young man and declared, "I can't operate on this boy: he is my son." How can this be?
On average less than half of my students come up with the correct answer to this question. It also takes many of the students quite some time to realize that the old surgeon is the boy’s mother. This is just one example of a gender bias but there are many more. In fact, when students are aware of a gender bias, the stereotype threat that the girls experience causes them to under perform on tests and quizzes and other assessments.
Take a few minutes to watch the following videos to see how early gender bias takes hold of our young children.
Inspiring the Future - Redraw the Balance
Pink and Blue: Communicating Gender to Children
Where does gender bias come from?
There is not one source responsible for gender bias and its negative effects but it begins very early on when children are shaping their identities. Some evidence suggests it starts with how children view ownership of property and then translate that ownership to themselves. In a simplified example, a boy may see another boy playing with a truck and assign ownership of that truck to the boy. They boy may then realize that he is also a boy and should own a truck too. He may also see a girl playing with a doll and assign ownership of the doll to the girl. Since he is not a girl he should not own the doll. Children may also repeat this with their observed behavior of adults and their roles as women and men.
It’s easy to find the girls toy aisle in the store because it’s usually colored with pink and purple packages. This alone is not an issue and it’s fine that boys and girls can have different interests but the type of toys marketed to boys and girls are different. For example, both boys and girls play with dolls but the dolls marketed to boys are called action figures. Action figures perform some action and manipulate other items. Many dolls are marketed to change their appearance and generally do not perform an action.
Although a bit better now, science textbooks have helped to shape gender bias by containing examples, figures and pictures that appeal more to boys than girls. Some science textbooks contain an unequal distribution of examples that appeal more to boys than girls.
Teachers, being either female or male, have not been immune to the societal influences of gender bias and may unintentionally contribute to the stereotype threat in the classroom. Some teachers call on boys more than girls or give less time for the girls to think about their answers before giving it to them. Interactions like these may influence how students interpret the teacher’s expectations of them.
An unfortunate source of gender bias may come from the fact that there are less women in the fields of science and engineering so many girls choose not to follow those career paths. Ironically, this is exactly the reason why we want to have more women in these fields but people tend to gravitate to groups that have similar attributes. You can easily see this in a crowded school cafeteria where students with similar interests and values congregate together.
The cumulative effect of the gender bias sources can have an impact on student performances in science classes. The sources of gender bias listed above are only a few examples of a much greater list. Is all hope lost? Is there anything that can be done to reduce the effects of the stereotype threat that half of our students feel?
What can we do?
The first step in combating gender bias and stereotype threats is to be aware of its existences and potential causes. This awareness will make people consider how they communicate with boys and girls and to eliminate negative phrases during conversations.
Teachers and parents can give equal opportunities to both girls and boys. Allow both genders adequate time to find the correct answer without offering an explanation too soon. Use examples that are gender neutral or find a balance between male and female examples.
We can create a biased free zone both in the classroom and at home. Have students make a list of where they see gender bias and then have a discussion about how this can be changed. Then we need to make the changes.
Finding examples of notable women accomplishments can show that both women and men can equally succeed in any field of their choice.
Knowing that a test or quiz or other assessment is gender neutral can have a positive effect on the outcome. A simple statement or reminder that both girls and boys perform equally well on each test can help to reduce the stereotype threat and increase performance.
Using a simple affirmation strategy can help reinforce what values are important to you and how they shape your personal identity. This can create a buffer between how you feel others think you should perform and how you feel you should perform. Here is a simple example of this strategy.
What other ways can we help to reduce or eliminate gender bias so that all our students have an equal chance to succeed? Let's continue the conversation.
Notable Women Scientists
Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, Birute Galdikas
10 Inspiring Scientists You Should Have Heard About, but Probably Haven't
5 Groundbreaking Women in Engineering
Other Resources
5 Strategies to Reduce Gender Bias Against Girls as Leaders
Reducing Gender Bias in School
Teaching Strategies for a Gender Equitable Classroom
Tips for Reducing Stereotype Threats
Key Terms
Stereotype Threat - The risk of underperforming on tasks based on the belief that you should conform to a negative stereotype of a social group. When others feel your social group should underperform you may, in fact, underperform on specific tasks because of the social group to which you belong. Stereotype threat posits that your performance is based, not on your individual abilities, but rather on how others feel your social group should perform.
Gender Bias - When the treatment of men or women is not equal based solely on their gender.
Social Identity - A person's sense of who they are and how they should act or perform based on their group membership, such as race, gender, ethnicity or religion.
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