Case Studies Case Study 4: Not `just the boys' - a focus on gender in Year 8 ]
The school is a large secondary school situated in a suburban area of a State capital city. The community is generally quite affluent. One of the features of the school is a performing arts and recreation centre built on site and used by community groups. The program described in this case study evolved over a three year period and is ongoing.
Needs analysis was based on:
Exploring issues through literature
One of the teachers in the English department had been interested in education of girls issues for some time and had worked to improve girls' confidence levels and profiles. As a literature teacher she was able, as part of the curriculum, to critically examine many issues involving students' thoughts and feelings about life experiences, interpersonal relationships and sexuality. This led to students confiding in her and reporting behaviours and aspects about school that concerned them.
There was some very strong feedback on the way girls and boys respond to bullying and harassment ...
Another English teacher administered a survey of Years 8, 9 and 10 students which highlighted a need for the school to look at harassment and bullying in particular. It provided information about how boys and girls responded to these behaviours and how bullying by girls and boys often took different forms. Greater numbers of boys saw bullying as natural, something to be put up with. A survey of staff also identified this attitude was prevalent.
A nucleus of concerned staff
Initially, the literature teacher had felt quite isolated in her concerns with gender issues. However, when the other English and performing arts teachers expressed interest in, and concerns about, gender dynamics a great deal of support and discussion occurred. This, together with a principal who listened to their ideas and shared many of their observations, provided a nucleus of high profile staff who were able to have an influence on the attitudes of the whole staff and on program development.
Teachers' observations - a rich source of data
The teachers identified issues largely through their own acute observations of student language, behaviours, attitudes and group dynamics. They found student writing to be a readily available source of information. Students' perceptions and attitudes were also well illustrated within activities in performing arts, particularly when they had to role play male and female parts which tended to be very stereotypical.
The teachers reflected on the impact of the education of girls movement and on the barriers that still remained. They saw boys' behaviours, particularly group behaviours, as being problematic both to girls and to themselves and masking true feelings, sensitivities and academic potential. Their `gut feelings' were supported by reading about, and discussing, the influence of gender on boys' and girls' behaviours. Sexism, harassment and bullying were some of the issues targeted by the staff as requiring greater attention.
A program was developed for Year 8
The two male teachers attended a boys' education conference which provided a catalyst for them proposing a program to reach all Year 8 students. This proposal advocated the use of both single sex and co-education groupings. Education Department funding was obtained as part of an action research program which involved other schools. Journals were purchased for student use and some classroom resources were purchased or borrowed from the Education Department.
The male English teacher worked with the boys' groups, brainstorming and discussing the issues, with the performing arts teacher following up with dramatisation. The girls followed a similar program with the female teachers but the dramatisation session was replaced with activities to develop assertiveness. Although the program worked in single sex groups the teachers consciously worked within a framework which recognised that issues for girls and for boys were inter-related and were best worked on in a complementary way. Sharing information between the groups from the brainstorming activities was an important factor in ensuring both female and male viewpoints were understood and valued.
Journals were used to record their observations and to reflect on progress
The students' journal writing, brainstorming around selected topics, as well as dance and drama activities provided more data for the teachers about students' attitudes and perceptions. This enabled them to develop programs around specific areas to change negative behaviours, to develop understandings of how gender is constructed, to understand and accept the concept of `multiple masculinities' and to encourage more positive gender relationships.
A journal kept jointly by two of the teachers became a record of valuable observations, reflections, dilemmas and targeted directions. As the program developed, issues and data were presented and discussed at staff meetings. A great deal of informed discussion and reflection took place among the project teachers and other staff interested in the issues.
The project teachers discovered or reinforced their beliefs about the benefits and pitfalls in group work, single sex groupings and single sex dance and drama classes. For instance, although single sex group work allowed a freedom in discussing issues and provided opportunities to explore some ideas and personal feelings in greater depth, there was a constant concern by the teachers that girls and boys needed to be hearing and sharing each others' points of views. The teacher with the boys group, in particular, was also concerned about not allowing the boys to weld into an even more powerful block which was likely to be set in opposition to the girls. In planning the program the intention had always been to work in single sex groups and then to have co-educational groups to follow. Timetabling restraints did not allow this to happen as frequently as was intended.
Staff meetings and workshops were held
Bullying and harassment were recognised and named by the students and the reporting of incidents initially increased markedly within the Year 8 population. The extent of these behaviours was acknowledged by the staff. Staff meetings and professional development workshops were used to address these issues. A school bullying and harassment policy subsequently evolved as a working document.
The staff increasingly supported the program as their knowledge and interest in it developed. The principal valued the leadership of the English and Drama Departments in their initiatives and resources were allocated to continue the Year 8 program in the following year.
