An observation study of sex differences in pupil-teacher interactions

Abstract

Although it has been thought that the school environment favours girls, this is not supported by research evidence which shows that the ratio of female to male underachievers increases with age until the college years when the proportion of female underachievers exceeds the proportion of male underachievers. It was hypothesised that boys and girls are being treated differently which in some way affects their intellectual development and achievement striving. Four Form One classes (two taught by male teachers and two by female teachers) and four Form Two classes (two taught by male teachers and two taught by female teachers), at two Intermediate Schools, were observed for ten hours each. The observations took place during academic-type classroom activities, mainly mathematics and language, with some Science and Social Studies. All interactions between teacher and pupils that involved evaluative feedback were coded. This included all positive and negative feedback contingent on both intellectual and non-intellectual aspects of school work, and conduct. It was found that both female and male teachers were involved in significantly more evaluative interactions with boys. This included both work-related and conduct feedback. Both boys and girls received the majority of their positive feedback relating directly to their intellectual competence. Girls also received the majority of their negative feedback relating directly to their intellectual competence. Boys on the other hand received their negative feedback for intellectual and non-intellectual aspects of school work and conduct. Although female teachers gave more feedback to boys, they tended to treat boys and girls in a relatively similar manner. Male teachers, however, tended to give significantly less evaluative feedback to girls. As male teachers are involved in significantly less evaluative interactions with their pupils, and they treat boys in a similar manner to the way female teachers treat them, girls have significantly fewer interactions with their male teachers. The implications of these findings were discussed in relation to their effects on achievement striving. Several other side issues which emerged during the study were also discussed.