Appendix C - Cross-Curricular Outlines

Gender Equity

Gender equitable education involves the inclusion of the experiences, perceptions, and perspectives of girls and women, as well as boys and men, in all aspects of education. It will initially focus on girls in order to redress historical inequities. Generally, the inclusive strategies, which promote the participation of girls, also reach males who are excluded by more traditional teaching styles and curriculum content.

Principles of gender equity in education are:

• all students have the right to a learning environment that is gender equitable
  
• all education programs and career decisions should be based on a student's interest and ability, regardless of gender
  
• gender equity incorporates a consideration of social class, culture, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and age
  
• gender equity requires sensitivity, determination, commitment, and vigilance over time
  
• the foundation of gender equity is co-operation and collaboration among students, educators, education organizations, families, and members of communities

Research suggests the following general strategies for gender equitable teaching:

• be committed to learning about and practising equitable teaching
  
• create a supportive environment for all students, regardless of factors such as gender, abilities, or cultural background
  
• highlight the social aspects and usefulness of activities, skills, and knowledge
  
• model non-biased behaviour - use inclusive, parallel, or gender sensitive language
  
• teach male and female students strategies to recognize and eliminate the inequities they observe
  
• move around the classroom, create mixed seating plans, and/or group the desks in a variety of ways - this will provide more opportunity to focus on quiet students
  
• ensure that all resources in the classroom are free of gender bias
  
• observe your questioning techniques - On whom do you call most often and why? Do you commonly ask leading or probing questions of both boys and girls?
  
• provide specific strategies, special opportunities, and resources to encourage students to excel in areas of study in which they are typically under-represented
  
• modify content, teaching style, and assessment practices to make non-traditional subjects more relevant and interesting for boys and girls
  
• be aware of accepted gender bias practices in physical activity - team sport, funding for athletes, and choices in physical education programs
  
• ensure consistent standards of achievement, courtesy, behaviour, and dress
  
• design lessons to explore many perspectives and to use different sources of information - refer to female and male "experts"
  
• allow more time for students to respond to questions - faster pace typically favours males, who are more likely to jump into classroom discussions
  
• share information and build a network of colleagues with a strong commitment to equity
  
• have colleagues observe your teaching and discuss any bias they may observe
  
• be consistent over time

This summary is from the preliminary Report of the Gender Equity Advisory Committee, received by the Ministry of Education in February 1994, and from a review of related material.

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Curriculum Branch © 1995 Copyright

Maintained by: Fine Arts Coordinator

Revised: November 8, 1995

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