Psychology

Despite attending the same classes, interacting with the same teachers and using the same educational materials, men and women end up receiving totally different educations throughout their educational training. At the time they join elementary classes, girls are as bright, performing as excellent as their male counterparts in almost every field of achievement (Marshall  Reihartz, 1997). However, its worrying that at the time of graduation from college or high school, girls usually show poor performance than the boys. A 1992 American Association of women in University report notes that women were having less positive attention from their teachers unlike the males. The report further indicates that the curriculum in place in the education system then, was male oriented and that gender socialization within institutions of learning is enough evidence that girls are usually shortchanged in educational life (Marshal  Reihartz, 1997).

According to Klein (1985), females are from as early as at the elementary level, made to realize that they are not similar (equal) to the males. Experts warn that lining up or grouping students by gender is enough to communicate that there ought to be different treatments as regards to each sex. For example, when a school administrator fails to address a case of female sexual harassment, then heshe is furthering gender biasness and degradation of the females. Research indicates that many schools tolerate some male behaviors and defend this act with the old saying, boys will be boys. It has been noticed of late that girls are performing exemplary well in educational matters than boys yet classroom experience shows that gender socialization is still in favor of gender inequality (Jones et al, 2000). Teachers have been known to initiate girls socialization focusing on to a feminine ideal. That is, being commented on calmness, cleanliness, quietness and neatness and that popularity counts more than ability and educational performance. On another hand, males are trained to be active, speak up and to reason independently. Males are taunted if they behave in manner similar to females and this communicates a message that to be a girl is worse than to be a boy. A permissive attitude towards female harassment acts such as sexual harassment enhances the notion that girls are inferior (Marshall  Reihartz, 1997).  It is true that, classrooms are microcosms of society, mirroring its strengths and ills alike, it follows that the normal socialization patterns of young children that often lead to distorted perceptions of gender roles are reflected in the classrooms (Jones et al, 2000)   Apart from patterns of socialization, gender biasness extends further into lessons, teacher-student interactions and textbooks.