The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among teacher gender, student gender, and the referral of students to intervention processes that could potentially lead to special education evaluation for behavioral characteristics of emotional disability (ED) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Male students are disproportionally represented in special education (Bal et al., 2014). Disproportionality in special education is problematic (Chesmore et al., 2016). Research indicates that perceptions of student behavior differ by teacher gender and their years of teaching experience (Alter et al., 2013). Examining the relationship between teacher gender, student gender, and the referral of male students to special education evaluation may assist curriculum development for teacher preparation programs (Sciuchetti, 2017). This study included 31 survey responses from as many as 11 middle schools located centrally in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Data collected, included teacher gender, years of experience, perception of student behavior, and student gender. Relationships between teacher gender, student gender and referral of males to special education were identified using descriptive statistics. The study found that male students were more likely to be referred for intervention processes for behaviors that could lead to special education. The study found that teachers with 10 years of experience or more were more likely to refer students for behaviors to intervention processes that could potentially lead to special education evaluation. It also found that nearly all teachers considered behaviors when referring students to interventions that could potentially lead to special education evaluation. Additonally, more than half of survey participants identified specific ADHD and ED behaviors as problematic and the reason for the referral for interventions that could lead to special education. Finally, certain ADHD behaviors were only selected only by female teachers. Findings suggest a need for social emotional learning to be imbedded in core content instruction. School divisions should train teachers to account for gender differences when designing instruction. School divisions should emphasize training for teachers of the referrals process while making the process uniform. Finally, school divisions should train teachers in interventions for commonly occurring problem behaviors as well as instructional strategies designed to prevent misbehavior. / Doctor of Education / Male Students are almost twice as likely to be identified for special education services than female students (Bal et al., 2014). This is problematic as students with disabilities were often less likely to have high expectations in the educational setting (Hibel et al. 2010). Students with disabilities were also less likely to graduate high school, attend college, and were more likely to be incarcerated (Chesmore et al., 2016). Current research indicated that teacher perceptions of student behavior differ by teacher and student gender (Alter et al., 2013). Teacher perceptions of behavior played a central role in the referral of students to be evaluated for special education services related to behavioral needs (Raines et al., 2012). The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among teacher gender, student gender, and the referral of students to intervention processes that could potentially lead to special education evaluation for behavioral characteristics of emotional disability (ED) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Relationships between variables were examined using an ex post facto survey sent out to 460 middle school teachers across 11 schools. Survey items captured data from teachers who have referred students to interventions for ED and ADHD behavioral characteristics, potentially leading to special education evaluation. Data included teacher gender, years of experience, perception of the severity of student behavior, and the gender of the student referred. Relationships between variables were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings suggest male students were more likely to be referred for intervention processes for behaviors which could lead to special education evaluation for ED and ADHD behaviors. Also, that male and female teachers with10 years of experience or more were more likely to refer students to intervention processes that could lead to special education evaluation behaviors. Nearly all teachers considered behaviors when referring students to interventions that could potentially lead to special education evaluation. More than half of survey participants identified specific ADHD and ED behaviors as problematic and the reason for the referral for interventions that could potentially lead to special education. Finally, certain behaviors were selected only by females when it pertained to ADHD behaviors.

The National Agency for Education (Skolverket) and The Swedish National Curriculum stated that equality between female and male students is important. The present study investigates students in the subject English in Swedish upper secondary school and municipal school for adult education from the perspective of gender dominance in English conversation with a teacher present, with the focus on turn-taking. Two separate observations were made in three classes in adult education and two classes in upper secondary school. The research questions of this investigation are; which gender dominates the on-going conversation in English with a teacher present, how the turns were allocated, given or taken, and if the gender patterns differ between a municipal school for adults and an upper secondary school. The potential impact of the teacher's sex on the patterns of domination is also taken into consideration. Female dominance as well as male dominance is revealed in the result of the investigated classes' gender patterns. The results also reveal that the teacher's sex could have an impact on the patterns of domination.

Reading is an essential skill for academic and workforce success; however, recent data-driven accountability initiatives have led to schools’ overreliance on reading achievement data for tracking and placement purposes. Such limited data do not give a comprehensive representation of the reader, and instructional decisions based on this narrow view can undermine students’ motivation and weaken achievement. Attitude has been associated with achievement, but using reading attitude data could be more useful if the relationship between reading attitude and reading achievement were better understood. This study sought to expand on the reading attitude-reading achievement relationship by exploring specific teacher and student gender related conditions. The study culminated in investigation of the strength of the relationship between reading attitude and reading achievement for girls and boys with gender matched and unmatched teachers. The findings revealed that reading attitude only predicted reading achievement for students with gender matched teachers. The strongest link was for boys taught by male teachers. / Educational Psychology

The National Agency for Education (Skolverket) and The Swedish National Curriculum have stated that equality between female and male students is important. The present study investigates students in the subject English in Swedish upper secondary school and municipal school for adult education from the perspective of gender dominance in English conversation with a teacher present, with the focus on turn-taking. Two separate observations were made in three classes in adult education and two classes in upper secondary school. The research questions of this investigation are; which gender dominates the on-going conversation in English with a teacher present, how the turns were allocated, given or taken, and if the gender patterns differ between a municipal school for adults and an upper secondary school. The potential impact of the teacher’s sex on the patterns of domination is also taken into consideration. Female dominance as well as male dominance is revealed in the result of the investigated classes’ gender patterns. The results also reveal that the teacher’s sex could have an impact on the patterns of domination.

The National Agency for Education (Skolverket) and The Swedish National Curriculum have stated that equality between female and male students is important. The present study investigates students in the subject English in Swedish upper secondary school and municipal school for adult education from the perspective of gender dominance in English conversation with a teacher present, with the focus on turn-taking. Two separate observations were made in three classes in adult education and two classes in upper secondary school. The research questions of this investigation are; which gender dominates the on-going conversation in English with a teacher present, how the turns were allocated, given or taken, and if the gender patterns differ between a municipal school for adults and an upper secondary school. The potential impact of the teacher’s sex on the patterns of domination is also taken into consideration. Female dominance as well as male dominance is revealed in the result of the investigated classes’ gender patterns. The results also reveal that the teacher’s sex could have an impact on the patterns of domination.

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This dissertation explores how women kindergarten teachers in Pakistan understand the concept of gender as evident from their own reflections of their life experiences and from their interaction with their students. Early childhood education and gender equality in education are critical policy issues in Pakistan. Women pre-primary teachers have received little specific attention and little is known about their experiences. Seven women kindergarten teachers from one co-educational, private, English-medium school in the urban city of Karachi, Pakistan were involved in this mixed-method study. Multiple methods were used, namely, life history interviews with the women teachers, classroom observations of their teaching practice and interactions with girls and boys, and document analysis. Data were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. The findings were presented and discussed through the five nested interrelated structures – microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem and chronosystem - of Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model of human development. Study findings reveal that the family and school are critical microsystems that have shaped the women kindergarten teachers’ understanding of gender in terms of possibilities and impossibilities for girls and boys, women and men within the norms of the broader patriarchal macrosystem. Throughout their lives across the chronosystem, they have had to negotiate multiple positions in their patriarchal extended families, schools, and, to some extent, the larger community in response to social change across diverse geographical spaces. Compromise and conformity have formed much of how they have understood their role and position as women in this patriarchal context. As women and as kindergarten teachers, they are doubly disadvantaged. They have been inadequately prepared to take up positions as pre-primary teachers. Nevertheless, their developing knowledge of teaching young children based on their practice and in-service training in a school with a positive outlook towards teaching has led to a more professional perspective of themselves and their careers. They are committed to teaching, but face the challenge of coping with their professional and familial demands. Often times, they draw upon their religion for strength and to make sense of their gendered experiences. Tensions are evident in their understanding of gender, particularly in relation to their own children and their kindergarten students, about following ascribed gender norms or allowing for more change in tradition in a context being rapidly influenced by globalization and socio-economic change. For the most part, their interaction with their students reflected their internalization of dominant patriarchal values and their active role in perpetuating them. Nevertheless, their gendered teaching practice has also presented possibilities for change in their unconscious and, occasionally conscious, attempts to push gender boundaries towards more equitable gender relationships in this patriarchal context. This study is significant for bringing to the fore women kindergarten teachers’ lived experiences to provide a dimension of education which has gone largely unexamined locally and globally, and which, in the context of Pakistan, are critical to consider in light of issues related to quality, access, and gender equity in early childhood education.

This dissertation explores how women kindergarten teachers in Pakistan understand the concept of gender as evident from their own reflections of their life experiences and from their interaction with their students. Early childhood education and gender equality in education are critical policy issues in Pakistan. Women pre-primary teachers have received little specific attention and little is known about their experiences. Seven women kindergarten teachers from one co-educational, private, English-medium school in the urban city of Karachi, Pakistan were involved in this mixed-method study. Multiple methods were used, namely, life history interviews with the women teachers, classroom observations of their teaching practice and interactions with girls and boys, and document analysis. Data were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. The findings were presented and discussed through the five nested interrelated structures – microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem and chronosystem - of Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model of human development. Study findings reveal that the family and school are critical microsystems that have shaped the women kindergarten teachers’ understanding of gender in terms of possibilities and impossibilities for girls and boys, women and men within the norms of the broader patriarchal macrosystem. Throughout their lives across the chronosystem, they have had to negotiate multiple positions in their patriarchal extended families, schools, and, to some extent, the larger community in response to social change across diverse geographical spaces. Compromise and conformity have formed much of how they have understood their role and position as women in this patriarchal context. As women and as kindergarten teachers, they are doubly disadvantaged. They have been inadequately prepared to take up positions as pre-primary teachers. Nevertheless, their developing knowledge of teaching young children based on their practice and in-service training in a school with a positive outlook towards teaching has led to a more professional perspective of themselves and their careers. They are committed to teaching, but face the challenge of coping with their professional and familial demands. Often times, they draw upon their religion for strength and to make sense of their gendered experiences. Tensions are evident in their understanding of gender, particularly in relation to their own children and their kindergarten students, about following ascribed gender norms or allowing for more change in tradition in a context being rapidly influenced by globalization and socio-economic change. For the most part, their interaction with their students reflected their internalization of dominant patriarchal values and their active role in perpetuating them. Nevertheless, their gendered teaching practice has also presented possibilities for change in their unconscious and, occasionally conscious, attempts to push gender boundaries towards more equitable gender relationships in this patriarchal context. This study is significant for bringing to the fore women kindergarten teachers’ lived experiences to provide a dimension of education which has gone largely unexamined locally and globally, and which, in the context of Pakistan, are critical to consider in light of issues related to quality, access, and gender equity in early childhood education.