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Designing the Future of Girls’ Education(2024) 2024Designing the Future of Girls’ Education , a GDST Insight Report and Framework, provides a critical resource to review any structural gender imbalances and stereotypes in the classroom, enabling the full potential of girls whatever school they attend. This report offers expertise and practical steps, in the form of a framework that will help shape and influence the education of girls. Through conversations with a range of contributors, we have focused on three core principles for educating girls— classroom practice, curriculum and (school) culture —that can be applied in almost every educational context to enable future female leaders to achieve their full potential, in whatever way they choose to define leadership and success. We hope the insights from academic experts, researchers, teachers, students, and campaigners will inspire reflections on how these principles can help girls cultivate the skills they need to lead happy and fulfilling lives. -
Developing Agency and Leadership in Year 12 Peer Mentor Girls Through the Co-Designing and Implementation of a Social Media WorkshopLaurie Garland (2025) 2025Girls in the 21st Century often aspire to be leaders, and we need to help develop their agency and leadership skills in our education setting, to give them the tools and skills to continue into the future. At Wycombe High School, I recruited our new cohort of 20 peer mentors and met with them for 12 weeks. During this time, we discussed different themes each week to help develop the students’ leadership skills as they planned and created a social media workshop to deliver to a Year 7 class. During this process, I implemented a mixed-methods approach to collect data, including questionnaires, interviews, journals, and video recordings, and identified the themes through my analysis. The findings indicate that the peer mentors’ confidence increased when co-designing and delivering the social media workshops. The peer mentors had full autonomy and independence over the project, which strengthened their agency. The peer mentors also became more aware of their own social media practices, and the relationship between the different year groups developed, which created a sense of connectedness. The Year 12 students were able to develop a sense of agency, thereby providing them with the opportunity to strengthen their leadership skills. To further advance this study, it would be necessary to create additional opportunities within the school for peer mentors and other student leaders to exercise greater agency in their educational and school-related experiences. Listen to Laurie's podcast ( or find it on our streaming channel ): Your browser does not support the audio element. -
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Developing Self-Efficacy Through Collaboration: Building Math Confidence in Grade 6 Girls Through Academic Discussion SkillsDuncan Flaherty (2025) 2025This action research study examined the impact of academic discussion skills on developing discipline-specific self-efficacy in two Grade 6 girls’ math classes using the R.E.A.L.® discussion framework. This intervention addressed the gender confidence gap in mathematics learning, whereby girls report lower levels of math confidence than boys in their peer group (Zander et al., 2020). Research shows that cooperative learning is an effective tool for teaching mathematical problem-solving in a whole class context (Klang et al., 2021), and that combining scaffolding for discussion skills and math content can increase conceptual understanding (Kazak et al., 2015). I contended that math discussion skills provide a mechanism to increase math self-efficacy through their capacity to enable mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, social persuasion, and positive emotional states, which are the primary sources of self-efficacy (Bandura, 1997). A math-specific version of the R.E.A.L.® discussion framework, initially developed for use in humanities classes, was generated in a collaboration between R.E.A.L.® and me and piloted during the six-week action research period. The research was conducted at Nashoba Brooks School in Concord, Massachusetts, USA. The project began with a student orientation to the R.E.A.L.® discussion framework, where students learned the primary tools (relate, evidence, ask, and listen) they would use during discussions, as well as how to prepare notes for discussions and write post-discussion reflections. Collected data were primarily 2 qualitative in discussion question preparation notes, reflection notes, student journal entries, field note observations, and video recordings of discussions. Quantitative data were collected through Likert scale surveys administered throughout the intervention to measure self-reported math self-efficacy. Data were analyzed through organization, description, and interpretation using a coding process that grouped data into frequently recurring themes (Mertler, 2020). This action research study found that math-specific academic discussion skills using the R.E.A.L.® framework increased student confidence when discussing and understanding math material. Specifically, the R.E.A.L.® discussions generated evidence of growth in all four areas of self-efficacy development as outlined by Bandura (1997). The findings are significant for math educators and leaders in girls’ schools as they suggest that math-specific academic discussion skills are effective in closing the gender confidence gap in mathematics learning. Future practice should incorporate explicit teaching of discussion skills alongside other constructivist modes of instruction to maximize self-efficacy development opportunities in math classes. -
Empowering Environmental Guardians: Using Collaborative Systems Thinking to Solve Real-World Problems in a Year 10 Girls’ Science ClassroomAlex van der Loos 2024This action research study delves into the intersection of systems thinking, collaborative skills, and the empowerment of 14–15-year-old girls in a Year 10 Science classroom as kaitiaki (environmental guardians). The project aimed to enhance the confidence and collaborative capabilities of the girls through the implementation of systems thinking techniques within the context of an environmental awareness campaign centred around a local waterway, Wairau Creek. In teacher-selected teams of 4-6 students, the girls were granted autonomy in structuring their collaborative groups, with no predefined roles or instructions provided. Emphasising the interconnectedness of environmental systems, the curriculum guided students through the exploration of a nearby creek, conducting water health assessments and engaging with community experts to gain insights into the challenges facing the waterway. This study builds on existing literature regarding systems thinking, extending its application to address a notable gap – the impact on, and implications for, girls' collaborative skills. By allowing students the freedom to apply systems thinking as they deemed appropriate, this research uncovered how such an approach influences the development of teamwork, relationships, communication, and leadership skills among girls, with an aim to be shared with different departments across the school and to be easily implemented at any year level by educators across the globe. -
Encouraging Risk-Taking in Year 12 Girls Through a Collaborative Approach to Solving Non-Routine Questions in Higher Level MathematicsJanet Hunter (2023) 2023Maximising examination readiness for Year 12 students between the internal “trial” examinations and the final state matriculation examinations six school weeks later is always a challenge, especially in the higher levels of Mathematics. Traditionally girls complete a practice paper each week, correct their mistakes, then move onto the next one. They do not necessarily master the techniques they were unable to do or got wrong in the practice papers, leaving them open to the same errors in the final examination. This research project addresses this preparation loophole for a group of ten pre-matriculation girls studying the elite course, Mathematics Extension 2 in New South Wales, Australia. Three elements for girls’ success were identified and implemented as the action of this action research project: first, facilitating Year 12 girls to work collaboratively on mathematical problems to increase confidence; second, working on difficult, non-routine mathematical problems; and third, not providing solutions to mathematical problems. The results are encouraging and suggest that confidence increases by working collaboratively to the point where girls are fearless and ready to attempt questions individually; the skill required for success in the final external matriculation examination. -
Examining the impact of a project based learning approach to teaching French how does it encourage confidence and self efficacy in girls independent problem solvingJo Orgill (2021) 2021Over the course of 15 lessons from September to November 2021, I undertook a project-based learning (PBL) approach to teaching French with 15 Year 8 girls. They worked independently to produce a video tour of their school for our partner school in France. In a mixed-methods research design, I examined the impact of this student-centered approach to language learning on the girls’ self-efficacy, confidence, and independent problem-solving skills. The PBL approach resulted in high pupil engagement, increased self-efficacy over time, as well as enhanced attainment and ability to problem-solve independently. The results led me to reflect on the importance of collaboration for girls in my setting as well as my use of pupil voice in my practice. This study contributes to the literature on self-efficacy in language-learning, with a particular focus on the benefits of a PBL approach for girls. -
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Exploring positive leadership development strategies for adolescent girlsEva et al. 2021Most leaders experience their first exposure to “formal development training in adolescence” (Eva et al., 2021, p. 1). Despite many intervention programmes across many environments, a leadership gender gap still persists. In an effort to address this gap, researchers from Monash University, the University of Edinburgh and the University of Sydney have been considering research about adolescent girls’ leadership development. To date, this research has occurred across a range of disciplines and has become fragmented with a variety of theories and approaches. The authors have brought together a comprehensive review of 108 papers on this topic, published from 2000 to 2019. Through this review, they have identified five themes that “hold important implications for the leader development of adolescent girls” (Eva et al., 2021, p. 1). This is an important topic for educators in girls’ schools across Australasia. Many programmes exist to encourage leadership development in adolescent girls, yet the leadership gender gap persists in numerous industries. The outcomes of this research are important for educators as it brings together important perspectives on this topic that can influence how girls interact with leadership development opportunities at this crucial age. Adolescence is a “critical time to examine leader development” (Eva et al., 2021, p. 1) This is particularly important when considering how adolescent girls view “ who is a leader and what leadership looks like” (Eva et al., 2021, p. 1). The researchers consulted existing published literature and developed two advisory groups to give input into the project. Participants in these groups included board members from a secondary girls’ school and researchers from a range of fields. The project identified five broad themes about adolescent girls’ leader development: “(1) Leader emergency, motivation and identity; (2) Relationships with peers and adults; (3) Varieties of leader development opportunities; (4) Exercising agency in leader development programs; and (5) Integration of leader development into the school curriculum” (Eva et al., 2021, p. 4). Adolescent girls’ leader emergence, motivation, and identity was one of the “most prominent themes” observed. There was clearly an emphasis on conceptualising leader emergence as “a combination of self, other, and role attainment” (Eva et al., 2021, p. 4). The literature exhibited examples of single-sex educational environments where girls cited feelings of freedom from “gender-based leader stereotypes” (Eva et al., 2021, p. 6). Girls’ motivations to lead reflected a focus on affect, with girls perceiving leadership roles “as an opportunity to make meaningful change… rather than just doing (social normative) jobs for teachers” (Eva et al., 2021, p. 6). When girls see positive outcomes as a result of their leadership actions, they are also more likely to continue or seek leadership positions. Two key themes about leadership identity emerged during the project. The first suggested that girls view leadership as an inherently gendered role. The second instead suggested an absence of this stereotype, where leadership is instead viewed as a “relatively stable set of meanings associated with a particular role” (Eva et al., 2021, p. 6). This poses important considerations for girls who do not consider themselves to be “leadership material”, especially if they are facing barriers to their leadership aspirations. Interpersonal relationships can have a significant influence on girls’ leadership aspirations, especially if these relationships encourage gendered behavioural cues. The research surveyed showed that girls consider whether or not peers offer encouragement in relation to leadership roles, thereby showing the benefit of “positive relationships with each other” (Eva et al., 2021, p. 7). Other relationships of critical importance are those “between adolescent girls and adult figures such as teachers, parents, mentors and program leaders” (Eva et al., 2021, p. 7). In particular, relationships with a mentoring component have been shown to help “deconstruct gender stereotyping” through networking, mentoring, and opportunities to use their own voice and leadership skills (Eva et al., 2021, p. 7). This means mentors and educators must remain acutely aware of “implicit assumptions and gender bias regarding leadership” when engaging with adolescent girls (Eva et al., 2021, p. 7). A significant amount of research has been devoted to the range of leadership development opportunities available to girls. This includes opportunities where girls are required to combine multiple skills in their leadership positions, and those that are instead focussed on “a specific content area” (Eva et al., 2021, p. 8). The authors particularly observed that in some areas, participation alone is not sufficient for engender the development of leadership skills. Rather, these skills must still be “intentionally taught or learned” (Ev
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Facilitating Ownership in Social-Emotional Learning: Grade 3 Girls’ Co-Created Mindful Routines Foster Self-Regulation and Resiliency SkillsAnnMarie Zigrossi (2023) 2023This action research project explores how 7-8 year-old girls co-created mindful routines as a strategy to foster self-regulation and resiliency. This research was conducted with a group of 14 Grade 3 students at an all-girls independent school in Toronto, Canada. The project examined how students could more independently access taught mindfulness strategies when faced with challenges throughout their day. While most research in this area focuses on the beneficial outcomes of participating in mindfulness practices and the long-term positive effects on academics and social interactions, there is less information on how students can more independently access these practices in their daily lives. In this project, the girls created a well-structured mindful routine that they practised each morning and had access to throughout their day. Students exhibited a sense of ownership in creating their unique mindful routine, which led to high levels of engagement and autonomy. The students used critical thinking skills to research various mindful practices and experimented, tested, and self-reflected to discern the practices that best suited them. Data were collected while the girls participated in their individual mindful routine each morning over a six-week period. Data collected were qualitative in nature and captured by questionnaires, interviews, observations and student journals. The results indicated that the students independently accessed this tool to support them through regular daily challenges, such as working through feeling frustrated or overwhelmed, resolving conflicts with peers at recess, and managing anxiety at competitive sporting events. The girls articulated the positive impact of using their mindful routine and how they plan to use this tool in the future. These mindful routines were used as a tool for self-regulation and demonstrated the development of resiliency skills that students can access throughout their lives to enhance their well-being. Facilitating young students’ creation of mindful routines to develop these skills and recognize their immediate positive impact will be key in the school’s future planning of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). By AnnMarie Zigrossi -
Feedback Conversations to Motivate Adolescent Girls’ Learning: Using Conversations to Progress Learning, Resilience, and ConfidenceKaren Lewis (2020) 2020There is often a disconnect between the feedback teachers give and their students’ willingness or ability to apply that feedback to their own writing. Teachers understand, though, that the way they give feedback can impact student confidence and resilience. For girls as social learners who value relationships, some form of dialogue can help to facilitate uptake of feedback and potentially support confidence and resilience. There is not an extensive body of research, however, that explores the experiences of feedback specifically for adolescent girls. In response to this, action research on student engagement with feedback was undertaken in a large all-girls’ school in Brisbane, Australia. A group of thirty-six Year 11 English Literature students engaged in feedback conversations to encourage clarification of feedback and self-evaluation of their work. Feedback conversation transcripts, student surveys, focus group discussions, and student grades were used to find the impact of such conversations on student confidence, uptake of feedback, and improvement to their writing. Those students who engaged with feedback conversations reported feeling positive about their own learning, having improved confidence towards their potential exam performance, being more receptive to feedback, and had an increase in overall grades under exam conditions. Further research on the impact of prolonged use of feedback conversations is warranted, especially related to student confidence, resilience, and writing performance. -
Fostering Engagement in a Year 10 Girls’ Biology Classroom through Development of a Collaborative CultureClaire Saxon (2024) 2024Whilst girls demonstrate a propensity for social learning, classroom collaboration does not always lead to positive outcomes. Working together can lead to dissatisfaction, a reduction in engagement and a reliance on formulaic presentations rather than embracing a love of learning in a Year 10 Biology classroom. Girls at my school have been observed to collaborate effectively in Drama or Physical Education lessons but unable to transfer this skill to Biology. The aim of this action research project was to enable girls to change the perception of success in Biology and gather evidence of any change. This was the inspiration for an examination of re-addressing the balance in a more teacher-led classroom by adapting Ritchhart and Church’s (2020) routines in The power of making thinking visible. Girls in a Year 10 Biology class at Wycombe High School were participants in a study where deliberate routines were planned and delivered in a sequence of Biology lessons to engage students in learning and working together to achieve a common goal. Data were collected as part of a mixed methods approach. Data analysis suggested an increase in feelings of belonging and inclusion. Themes of academic trust, and the ability of students to use and organically apply the skills they learned during the collaborative learning activities were identified. Initial evidence also suggests that anxiety decreased as students were able to build critical relationships and trust with their peers whilst exploring more abstract ideas. The findings also indicate that girls were more likely to participate in robust learning conversations after the action. The intended outcomes served to challenge the apparent predominant pedagogy in different contexts which had been observed in a high-achieving, single-sex girls’ school and to foster a collaborative culture in areas where this is not usually expected. To develop this study further, there is a need to explore the relationship between collaboration, academic trust, and metacognition. -
Fostering Grade 9 Girls’ Sense of Belonging Through the Use of Collaborative Lab Practicums as Authentic Assessments in ScienceAruna Chavali (2024) 2024In 2023, the gender gap in STEM remains significant, with women making up only 28% of the STEM workforce (UNESCO, 2023). Research suggests that fostering a sense of belonging in secondary Science classes is an effective strategy for increasing and sustaining the participation of girls in the STEM pipeline (Hansen,2023). The three guiding principles for a student to have a sense of academic belonging are interpersonal relationships, disciple identity, and a growth mindset (CELT Teaching Briefs). This action research project investigated how collaborative lab practicums, as authentic assessments, cultivated discipline identity, and promoted a growth mindset, to foster a sense of belonging for girls in a Grade 9 Physics classroom. The research, conducted at The Spence School, an all-girls K-12 institution, employed a mixed-methods approach, combining Likert-scale surveys, field observations, video recordings, and interviews. Twenty-nine Grade 9 students participated in this study. Findings indicate that collaborative lab practicums deepened students' understanding, and promoted collaborative learning. Students valued the hands-on, real-world application of theoretical knowledge, which facilitates a deeper connection to science. Additionally, the collaborative nature of the assessments encouraged teamwork and enhanced communication skills. The majority of students exhibited a growth mindset, emphasizing the importance of redoing and revising calculations as part of the learning process. While challenges, such as the fast-paced nature of practicums, were noted, overall, students expressed a preference for this collaborative, authentic learning approach. This study contributes valuable insights into fostering a positive sense of belonging in the Science classroom which could ultimately increase the participation of girls in the STEM pipeline. -
Fostering Resilience Through Quality Feedback in One-on-One MentoringNúria Tapias Nadales (2020) 2020La Vall is a girls’ school located in Bellaterra (near Barcelona) with approximately 1,500 students between 1 and 18 years old, and belonging to Institució Familiar d'Educació , an educational institution with 13 schools in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. The school’s main objective is to offer a personalized education model, based on the five dimensions of the person (physical, affective, social, rational, transcendental) that are described in the Integral Human Development theory. This study aimed to explore through surveys, interviews, and self-reflection how feedback in one-on-one mentoring is beneficial to secondary female students’ (13-16 years old) personal and academic progress, considering the five dimensions of the person mentioned above, and how appropriate feedback may enhance self-confidence and growth, and thus resilience. The outcomes of this action research suggest mentoring is an effective tool in resilience development when there is a trusting relationship between student and mentor, and when goals and action plans are student-initiated. Adequate training and time allocation seem necessary tools to ensure effective mentoring that promotes the development of protective factors that result in resilience and balanced growth. -
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From AI Consumption to Co-Thinking: How Structured Evaluation Enhances Year 9 Girls’ Critical Thinking in Science InquiryJo Oreo 2026This action research examines how structured evaluation of AI-generated outputs shapes girls’ critical thinking. This study was motivated by concerns that generative artificial intelligence (GAI) may encourage surface-level learning and cognitive offloading when girls use it primarily for quick responses, particularly in the absence of explicit scaffolding for critical and ethical engagement. A purpose-designed co-thinking framework was implemented within a Year 9 Science inquiry unit in an independent girls’ school to support girls to “co-think” with AI while maintaining ownership of their ideas. Data from student portfolios, surveys, classroom observations, and interviews indicated a shift from using AI for quick answers toward more deliberate co-thinking, with greater attention to accuracy, bias, and limitations, alongside increased cross-checking, prompt revision, and clearer differentiation between students’ ideas and AI contributions. Overall, the findings indicate that the impact of GAI depends less on the technology itself and more on pedagogical design. When evaluation is explicitly scaffolded, students engage more critically with AI, using it to test and refine ideas rather than accept outputs at face value. Student feedback from this research informed the refinement of this framework, now supporting broader whole-school approaches to critical thinking and ethical engagement with GAI. -
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Fundraising and Alumnae Relations in Australasian Girls’ SchoolsAskRight 2023This is the fourth survey by fundraising consultants, AskRight, on the important areas of philanthropy, fundraising and community relations in girls’ schools. The survey was completed by girls’ schools in Australia and New Zealand in 2023 based on their school’s 2022 activities. -
Gender atypical subject selection(2024) 2024In Dame Athene Donald's inaugural address as President of the British Science Association in 2015 she stated that " the problems of how we introduce gender stereotyping for our children start incredibly early ". She asks, if girls "have never had the opportunity to take things to pieces and build them up again; if they have always just played with dolls .... in a stereotypically female situation such as worrying about hair style or making tea, then how can they imagine themselves as engineers or chemists?" Dame Donald, Professor of Experimental Physics at Cambridge University, says that she is "astonished by how many people tell me a girl they know has been told that maths isn't for them, or that girls are no good at maths or even that they do maths like a boy". She believes that even though girls' exam results in maths and physics are as good if not better than boys, these negative messages "sink in subliminally" and girls are discouraged from pursuing maths and science as careers. Professor Donald's comments are backed up by recent research in this area. • Justman and Méndez (2018, abstract) examined data for Victorian students, finding that there is gendered streaming of STEM subjects in secondary schools, with boys more likely to take physics, information technology and advanced mathematics and girls more likely to take life sciences like biology, but that there is “significantly less gender streaming in STEM subjects among female students in all-girls schools than in co-educational schools” . Girls in Australian single-sex schools are more likely than girls in co-educational schools to take physics, advanced maths and chemistry (p. 290). • A 2018 German study has found that single-sex programs in computer science and mechanical engineering held since 2001 have led to a decrease in the number of female students dropping out of STEM disciplines at German universities. As a result, these programs have helped lead to an increase in the number of females in traditionally male-dominated STEM fields (Busolt, Ludewig & Schmidt, 2018, p. 251). • A 2017 Taiwanese study has found that single-sex schools are advantageous for women’s pursuit of careers in the technology fields . Twenty of the 28 research participants were from single-sex schools. In single-sex schools, participants reported less gender stereotyping and discrimination which enabled them the freedom to choose subjects that were not stereotypically for women. Single-sex schools were reported to provide girls with female role models who further encouraged their involvement in technology. Many participants reported feeling encouraged or inspired by their female teachers. This led the author to suggest that gender discrimination and stereotyping can threatens girls’ potentiality in technology (Wang, 2017, pp. 156-157). • A 2015 study by Kester Lee and Judy Anderson from the University of Sydney found that girls in single-sex schools have the most positive attitudes to maths and girls in co-educational schools have the least positive attitudes (p. 357). In fact, girls in single-sex schools were the most positive of all students, followed by boys in single-sex schools, then co-educational boys and finally co-educational girls (p. 361). Lee and Anderson concluded that, for girls, “single-sex settings resulted in much more favourable attitudes towards mathematics than those in coeducational settings” (p. 363). • Similarly, a 2016 report by Dr Chris Ryan of the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research confirms that, by Year 8, girls in single-sex schools are more likely to enjoy and be confident in maths than girls in co-educational schools. Ryan concluded that "boys tend to favour mathematics in terms of their confidence and how much they value the subject, while girls' attitudes to science are relatively stronger". However: "The exception to this statement is that girls in single-sex schools have stronger attitudes towards mathematics than science compared with boys, unlike in co-educational schools" (p. 23). • Gandara and Silva (2015, pp. 7, 11) found that despite equal numbers of female and male high school students in Chile sitting the biology, chemistry and physics pre-admission tests for entry into science-based university degrees, and despite female students achieving a higher Grade Point Average (GPA) at high school than male students, on average males outperformed female students in the three science admission tests, even after controlling for socioeconomic status (SES) and school type. They also found that girls attending single-sex schools in Chile were more likely to sit the chemistry and physics tests than girls from co-ed schools (pp. 7-8) and that they achieved higher scores that their co-ed counterparts on all three tests (biology, chemistry and physics) (p. 11). • A 2015 report by the Institute of Physics (UK) found that co-ed schools need to do more to tackle sexist banter and attitudes that discourage
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Gender bias in Australia’s senior science curriculumRoss et al. (2023) 2023Australian researchers have considered the challenge of engaging girls in STEM by analysing the role of gender bias in four senior secondary Australian science courses. The under-representation of girls and women in STEM is a well-recognised issue. Girls’ school educators regularly find themselves on the frontline of this issue as they implement initiatives and opportunities to combat the negative effect of gender interest stereotypes and a lack of positive female role models (Alliance of Girls Schools Australasia [AGSA], 2022a; 2022b; 2022c; Australian Government Department of Industry, Science and Resources, 2022). The researchers who developed this paper have discussed some possible interventions to reduce gender bias in Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science and Physics classes and improve engagement rates for girls. This provides useful strategies that can be considered when delivering STEM content in girls’ schools. The authors assessed the latest curriculum offered for senior secondary science courses across Australia. Only courses that were “common across all curricula and [were] part of the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR)” were included (Ross et al., 2023, p. 4). Ross et al. (2023) considered the representation of women both through mentions of scientist names and mentions of scientific concepts (and how these were linked to gender). The project also considered the presence of a Eurocentric focus in the courses, although this was considered separately to the presence of gender bias. The initial outcomes of this research were interesting, if not unsurprising given the gender bias present more broadly in STEM. In the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia curricula there were no female scientists mentioned (Ross et al., 2023, p. 7). Only 1.4 percent of mentions in the Queensland curriculum were female scientists, and 1.5 percent in the South Australia/Northern Territory courses (these were considered in combination as both use the same curriculum content) (Ross et al., 2023, p. 7). A national trend across all curricula was clear that in the majority of cases, students were exposed to scientists in these courses “via relevant discovering being named after the scientist who discovered them” (Ross et al., 2023, p. 13). This is problematic given that these naming conventions historically excluded women, and female achievements were regularly miscredited to men (Ross et al., 2023, p. 13). This has created a narrative of a “lone male genius” (Ross et al., 2023, p. 13). The researchers have suggested that this can reduce girls’ ability to perceive where they may fit in scientific fields and can decrease their performance in the classroom (Ross et al., 2023, p. 13). The concept of the “lone male genius” is highly problematic. There have been attempts to improve this approach in these courses by encouraging students to “investigate the ‘multiple individuals’ who contributed to a specific scientific discovery” (Ross et al., 2023, p. 14). While this can inadvertently minimise the work of women in STEM, it nonetheless provides educators with an opportunity to include a focus on significant female achievements in the field. It can also encourage a “student-driven approach to investigating the contributing scientists” (Ross et al., 2023, p. 14). Importantly, the authors note that while some Australian states are making an effort to shift away from this narrative, New South Wales “is the only state that actively reinforces this ‘lone male genius’ narrative” (Ross et al., 2023, p. 14). This holds significant implications for girls well beyond a presence of female scientists in the curricula of senior science courses. The researchers’ consideration of Eurocentrism within the curricula also highlighted further implications for girls who do not identify with Anglo-Australian backgrounds. The absence of scientists from culturally and linguistically diverse communities and female scientists in these courses “poses a significant hindrance” to girls including those with diverse backgrounds (Ross et al., 2023, p. 15). It can also inhibit their ability to develop a relatability towards positive role models. The researchers who developed this review of senior science courses have discussed a range of strategies. This includes the need to ensure significant female figures are actively integrated into the curricula for these courses. Ross et al. (2023) do note that including the names of female scientists alone is not a complete solution, as this would be a tokenistic measure. It would not address the true gender bias present in the curricula for these courses. The authors also believe that the barriers faced by female scientists should be studied so that girls can be fully aware of the significance of their achievements. Their research suggests that “without the historical and contextual backgrounds of women in STEM, it runs the risk of [once again] becoming
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Gender differences in early childhood mathematics: boys’ and girls’ responses to changing pattern task difficultyIris Schreiber (2025) 2025The study by Iris Schreiber (2025) investigates gender differences in how kindergarten children solve repeating pattern tasks, particularly when task difficulty increases through the inclusion of surplus shapes and colors. Conducted with 206 Israeli children aged 4–6, the research found no gender differences when only necessary items were provided—both boys and girls performed equally well. However, when surplus items were added, performance declined overall, with girls outperforming boys. Girls were more likely to solve the tasks correctly or declare the task unsolvable, while boys more often produced random or alternate repeating patterns. These findings suggest that girls may be more adept at filtering out irrelevant information or more cautious in uncertain situations, possibly due to lower self-confidence in math tasks. Conversely, boys appeared more easily distracted by extraneous elements and were more prone to guessing. The study emphasizes the importance of teaching strategies that foster pattern recognition and generalization, rather than procedural repetition, and advocates for differentiated instructional approaches that support both genders in early math learning. -
Gender Essentialism Leads to Biased Learning Opportunities That Shape Women’s Career InterestsKatherine R. Christensen, Andrei Cimpian, Sapna Cheryan (2025) 2025This study examines how beliefs about innate gender differences—known as gender essentialism—can unintentionally shape women’s career interests by influencing the learning opportunities they receive. Across three experiments, the researchers found that when people assume gender differences are biological, they are more likely to assign women and men stereotypical tasks (e.g., women to empathizing roles, men to systemizing roles). Over time, these biased experiences reinforce traditional gendered career interests, even when the original intentions were neutral. The findings highlight how subtle beliefs about gender can limit agency and opportunity, and suggest that fostering a more contextual understanding of gender differences is key to supporting equitable career pathways for all students. Reference Christensen, K. R., Cimpian, A., & Cheryan, S. (2025). Gender essentialism leads to biased learning opportunities that shape women’s career interests. Psychological Science , 36(7), 1195–1209. https://doi.org/10.1177/09567976251353753 -
Gender norms and traditional cultural understandings: Gender in the early childhood classroomGelir (2022) 2022The question of gender within the early childhood education space is one of topical importance for girls’ schools in Australia (Chapman, 2022). Australia also has an increasingly and rapidly growing body of ethnically diverse families and students, including ethnic minorities, voluntary migrants and refugees (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021; Australian Human Right Commission; 2014). As the author of the article notes, this research raises a number of considerations surrounding traditional gender norms, ethnic minorities and language. While the case study may have been based in a minority community in Turkey that has been subject to conflict, it does reveal the need for ongoing sensitivity to students’ ethnic backgrounds and cultural beliefs. This is particularly so in situations where ethnicity, language or other cultural beliefs do not receive formal recognition, and further highlights the ongoing impact this can have on children and families even after many years of resettlement in Australia (Stroja, 2022). The article by Iksender Gelir from the Preschool Education Department at Siirt University, Turkey, considers how Kurdish preschool children construct gender roles by drawing on household and community knowledge. Gelir’s main finding is that “children position their gender roles according to the values and expectations of their minority community” (2022, p. 302). The author identifies the development of gender roles as social constructs, noting that these gender constructs are performative, not biological. Ultimately, Gelir (2022, p. 303) highlighted the recognition that “preschool teachers need to be aware of young children[‘s] gender constructions and to challenge children[‘s] traditional gender roles by expanding definition[s] of gender roles”. The article was based on “participant observations [of two children], audio and video recordings of interactions between the teacher and children in the nursery” (Gelir, 2022, p. 302). Both children were five years of age, and experienced different languages and cultures at home compared to the preschool environment Gelir (2022). The author has based this analysis on Vygotsky’s earlier research that suggested language and the mastering of language affects children’s development of thought and intellectual growth within the context of social context and its impacts on cognition development (Vygotsky, 1978, 1986). This included the assumption that learning is both intrapersonal (i.e. cognitive) and interpersonal (i.e. social). The research for this article was conducted in Turkey, where community environments include ethnic and religious minorities. Participants in the study live in a Kurdish community located in east Turkey, and speak the Kurmanji dialect of Kurdish. The preschool was also located in the Kurdish community. This community was typically characterised by mothers undertaking housework, with fathers fulfilling “head of family” roles, and undertaking seasonal worker tasks in various Turkish cities. The region that was the focus of the study also has a higher illiteracy rate than other parts of the city. Preschool is the “first formal level of education” in Turkey, but at the time of writing is not compulsory. Children can be aged between three and five to attend preschool, which has its own dedicated curriculum. The language within preschools is Turkish, as Kurmanji is not an officially recognised language. The teacher of the preschool in the case study identified as Kurdish, and could speak (but not write) Kurmanji. There exists a perception that children of identified minority groups have a “lack of knowledge”, however, children within this demographic can indeed possess important knowledge that can facilitate learning (Gelir, 2022, p. 303). In fact, their home environments can be rich in terms of knowledge. This is important because children can transfer aspects of the home to the classroom, and the classroom to the home. This means educators need to consider the experiences of children outside of the school environment as an inherent part of the learning process. In particular, this includes a consideration of what this can contribute to the child’s experience in the classroom environment, and how their “household” knowledge is reflected within the classroom (Gelir, 2022, p. 303). The author particularly noted in the article that children can draw on their home environment to construct gender roles, but can also draw on language as part of this process. This reflects the understanding that cultural resources and household environments can “contribute to traditional gender constructions” (Gelir, 2022, p. 303). It is an “inclusive pedagogical approach” to allow students to draw on their pre-existing knowledge in learning environments, however, this simultaneously highlights the need for teachers to be aware that children’s prior experience can influence their understanding of gender constructs. In particular, Gelir (2022) observed that t