Diversity and inclusivity are major concerns in the globalization era. From cultural diversity, political and education diversity to workplace diversity and gender diversity, institutions and organizations are striving to be most diverse so as to attract and interact with a wider range of individuals and customers. Schools and educational institutions are among the major organizations taking up gender equality seriously and striving to educate students on the significance of diversity in today's world. Genderdiversity.org (2017) advances that teaching and promoting gender diversity in schools and classrooms can help provide a supportive, non-discriminatory environment for learning and encourage gender diverse learners who are tolerant of all diversities related to gender including transgender and the LGBTQ communities. Some of the common teaching practices relating to gender diversity include: Using gender-neutral language, being inclusive and encouraging equal participation of all students, and having equal academic and behavioral expectations and standards for all learners.
Using Gender-Neutral Language - Bryant and Dierking (2017) highlight a common practice to include the use of male pronouns when referring to a group during teaching or conversation. Such instances often make female and transgender students feel left out and perpetuate gender intolerance. Adoption of gender-neutral language such as 'everyone' rather than 'guys' when referring to a group enhances the inclusivity of all genders and significantly promotes gender diversity in learning and interaction.
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Inclusivity and encouraging equal participation in teaching environments and classrooms are often partial and bias towards boys. Teachers tend to pick on boys to answer questions supporting more of their engagement compared to other genders. Even seating positions are often segregated between boys and girls. Being deliberately inclusive as a teacher, for instance, picking on both boys and girls helps to teach and encourage gender diversity. Johnson (2021) highlights that teachers can be deliberately inclusive and encourages equal participation through using project-based teaching that groups students into teams to work together. Choosing and developing seating arrangements for such teams can also be done deliberately to enhance highly diverse groups within the classroom.
Setting equal academic and behavioral standards and expectations for all genders – Often teachers unknowingly or knowingly attempt to make learning easier for one gender at the expense of the other (Bryant and Dierking, 2017). This creates a perception that some students are not smart which contributes to a wide array of problems including gender intolerance. Setting similar academic and behavioral standards and expectations for all students enhances a teacher's diversity while teaching and eliminates involuntary or voluntary bias.
Ultimately gender diversity is a significant tenet of contemporary society and recognizing gender diversity is not only necessary as a right but as a contributor to continued learning. Students need to feel comfortable and accepted within learning institutions regardless of their gender orientation and incorporating gender diversity into teaching practices is the baseline of learning and promoting gender diversity and tolerance. In addition to being inclusive through using gender-neutral language, encouraging equal performance, and setting equal standards and expectations for all genders, teachers can also set rules for gender equality and diversity, use appropriate body language and provide equal waiting time for all students regardless of gender.
References
Bryant, A., & Dierking, P. (2017). Addressing Gender Equality with Teaching Strategies. Retrieved 21 May 2021, from www.learningenglish.voanews.com/a/promoting-gender-equality-with-teaching-strategies/3986846.html
Genderdiversity.org. (2017). Best Practices for Schools - Gender Diversity. Retrieved 21 May 2021, from www.genderdiversity.org/best-practices-schools/
Johnson, J. (2021). 6 Ways You Can Promote Gender Equality in Your Classroom | TeachThought. Retrieved 21 May 2021, from www.teachthought.com/education/6-ways-can-promote-gender-equality-classroom/
