Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 4 — Narrative / commentaryPeer-reviewed

Gender never defines me: A study on preschool teachers' do and don't about gender

Jianing Li

Social Sciences & Humanities Open · 2023

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Summary

This narrative review examines how preschool teachers' gender attitudes and stereotypes are transferred to children and examines their potential to constrain academic development, career aspirations, and social wellbeing. Drawing on a decade of prior research, the authors argue that gender-binary school cultures amplify bullying and reduce students' openness to diversity, and propose three typical classroom scenarios where teacher gender attitudes prove particularly influential. The paper concludes with pedagogical recommendations for fostering gender-neutral teaching practices.

UK applicability

The findings are broadly relevant to UK early-years and primary education policy, particularly given current guidance on inclusive, gender-balanced pedagogy in schools. However, the abstract does not specify whether the literature reviewed included UK studies or how cultural context shapes implementation of gender-neutral approaches.

Key measures

Qualitative analysis of teacher gender attitudes; identification of pedagogical scenarios; synthesis of prior 10-year research on teacher stereotypes, student self-esteem, academic performance, and bullying behaviour

Outcomes reported

The study identifies three typical scenarios where teachers' gender attitudes influence student learning quality and provides pedagogical recommendations to avoid gender-stereotype concepts in classrooms. The research synthesises evidence on how gender-binary school cultures correlate with increased bullying and reduced openness to diversity in student relationships.

Theme
Policy, governance & rights
Subject
Other / interdisciplinary
Study type
Narrative Review
Study design
Narrative review
Source type
Peer-reviewed study
Status
Published
System type
Other
DOI
10.1016/j.ssaho.2023.100397
Catalogue ID
SNmojbii8u-j4anpk

Topic tags

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