Reading is for girls!? The negative impact of preschool teachers' traditional gender role attitudes on boys' reading related motivation and skills

Abstract

According to gender stereotypes, reading is for girls. In this study, we investigated the role of preschool teachers in transmitting such gendered expectations. We suggest that boys are less motivated to read in preschool, and less competent in reading 1 year later in primary school, if their preschool teacher holds a traditional gender role attitude than if the teacher has egalitarian beliefs. In 135 independent dyads of a female preschool teacher (N = 135) and one boy (n = 65) or one girl (n = 70) we measured teacher's gender role attitude, child's reading related motivation as well as precursors of reading skills in preschool, and child's reading skills at the end of first grade in primary school. As expected, the more traditional preschool teachers' gender role attitude was, the weaker was boys' motivation to (learn to) read while girls' motivation was unrelated to teachers' gender role attitude. In either gender, motivation in preschool predicted reading skills at the end of first grade.

Factors that bias teacher expectations: Findings from Chile

“…By contrast, regarding reading skills in the Netherlands, Boerma et al (2015) found that teachers tend to perceive girls to be better at reading than boys. These results confirmed earlier findings in Germany by Wolter, Braun, and Hannover (2015), who also found a gender bias in teacher expectations of reading abilities: more positive expectations for girls than for boys. In summary, these findings suggest that teacher expectations are biased by gender; girls are identified as being better than boys in areas to do with "letters", and the reverse is true in areas involving "maths" or "sciences".…”

Explaining academic‐track boys’ underachievement in language grades: Not a lack of aptitude but students’ motivational beliefs and parents’ perceptions?

“…However, the influence of another important socializer was not included in our study. Teachers have been found to hold negative stereotypes regarding boys’ reading competencies that impact on boys’ reading self‐concept and skills (Retelsdorf et al ., ; Wolter, Braun, & Hannover, ). The influence of teachers’ beliefs on students’ achievement is further not limited to their impact on students’ motivation and actual skills acquired, but additionally impacts on students’ grades (Jussim & Eccles, ).…”

Student and school SES, gender, strategy use, and achievement

“…Differences in achievement across gender are often attributed to gender stereotypes (Wolter, Braun, & Hannover, ), biological or neurological differences across gender (Naour, ), as well as interests or motivation (Atkinson, ). Research suggests that academic enablers, such as motivation, self‐regulated learning, and academic strategies, are related to achievement in a variety of academic domains (De Corte, Mason, Depaepe, & Verschaffel, ; Schunk & Zimmerman, ).…”