Teach Fairly

A Project for Changing the Gender Biases in Teaching


"There was a classic experiment performed in the 1960s when interactions were observed between adults and a baby, at times dressed in pink and called Jane and at other times dressed in blue and called John. Adults attempted to soothe baby Jane if she cried because she was ‘upset.’ Baby John, on the other hand, received more stimulating or rough-and-tumble play and if he cried, he was ‘angry.’ " (Scott, 2014)

Please let me know what that made such a big difference in their attitudes was!


Besides investigating the effects of individual learning differences on EFL/ESL learning as a researcher, I have been keen on the different learning styles preferred by the boys and girls since my seven years old kid started preferring particular learning strategies that differ from mine at the same age. Also, the literature suggests that we often discriminate between the boys and girls while using the 'common' teaching strategies in schools and home.

This project titled “Teach Fairly" has been designed as a 'project for change' consisting a few sections containing particular details of the features of boys' and girls' learning differences. It is a spontaneous reproduction of an educator’s learning and understanding of the ways boys and girls are discriminated as learners both in schools and home. Being a mother and a teacher, I have passionately worked to develop the site to expose the gender-biased differentiations and discriminations done by the parents and teachers. Thus, it is no more limited to a course project. Instead, it turns out to be an educational website exhibiting the author's ideologies, attachment and philosophies regarding gender equity in a classroom. My life-long learning and lived experiences as a minor gender inspired me to work for ensuring both equality and equity in the school settings. I believe sharing my new knowledge and research with my colleagues, friends, and students will help them to practice it too.

The project aims to explore:

  • What makes the differences between boys' and girls' learning?
  • How are boys and girls discriminated in different learning contexts?
  • What can we do to minimize the differences and maximize the equity?

Mili Saha


An Applied Linguist committed to improving quality and equity in higher education instructions.
Assistant Professor, Department of English, Jagannath University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.milisahadoll@gmail.com