Sex Role Stereotypes in Education Another institution that was influenced by this pressure to overcome traditional sex role stereotypes was education. Efforts were made to change educational practices so that male and female students would no longer be limited to stereotypic roles. As a result, curriculum offerings were expanded so that courses such as home economics and industrial arts which once segregated male and female students have now been opened to all students. Textbooks also began to reflect broader perspectives and more realistic social trends as publishers adopted nonsexist guidelines and standards. The effect that teachers have in perpetuating sex role stereotypes was also focused upon. A recent study by Jacko, Karmos and Karmos (1980) noted that: The primary responsibility for effecting change in the attitudes and behaviors of young people lies with classroom teachers them selves. Until the classroom teachers have developed nonsexist attitudes and awarenesses, chances of creating an atmosphere of equality for both male and female students are limited (p. 43). Jacko, Karmos and Karmos (1980) surveyed eighty-six teachers in two southern Illinois school districts and found that while these teachers were aware of stereotyping in society, this sensitivity to the problem did not extend into the classroom. The researchers concluded that "awareness alone is not sufficient for change. Genuine changes in attitudes precede substantive changes in teaching behaviors" (p. 48). The need to change teacher attitudes and behaviors so that a more nonsexist orientation is prevalent becomes even more imperative after 3 consideration of the effects that such attitudes and behaviors have upon students. Research conducted during the 1960s and 1970s revealed that male and female students were treated differently by their teachers. Several summaries of this research in various literature reviews illustrated this differential treatment. Brophy and Good's book Teacher-Student Relationships: Causes and Consequences (1974) outlined the results of many studies and concluded that sex differences were apparent in the way students were treated and the way they achieved. For instance, they contended that teachers were more likely to hold negative attitudes toward boys because of expected behavior problems. Teachers were also prone to underestimate male intelligence and achievement which some times resulted in lower grades for male students. A 1977 review of research conducted by the Cornell University Community Services Department contended that teachers were the key to helping students expand roles, but that teachers often tended to ascribe sex stereotyped characteristics to typical boys and girls. These findings indicated that numerous studies have further documented the reading and behavior problems associated with males, have shown teacher-student interaction patterns to favor males, have noted differential treatment in male-female career counseling and have substantiated the decline in female achievement and confidence that occu...
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