Author: GLE Team | Published on 1 October 2023
It is important to understand that we all have biases and many of them are unconscious. The interactions that happen in our classroom reflect these biases whether we want them to or not. This tip will help you reflect on the interactions you may have in your classroom with learners in order to take action if necessary, to help make your learning environment more gender responsive.
Stage 1: Identify the interactions that occur
First reflect on what types of interactions take place between you and your learners. How do you invite learners of different genders to respond or discuss in your classroom? How often? Who speaks the most and the least? Are your interactions and expectations consistent across all learners regardless of their gender? Do you have learners in the room that need a lot of encouragement to interact with you? Which voice or voices dominate the classroom? Where is the attention of the learners drawn to the most? All of these questions can help you identify the interactions that occur in the room during your lessons. Look at your lesson plans and try to identify when the reactions take place, how and with who.
Stage 2: Peer Observation
To support you in identifying the key interactions in your classroom, ask a colleague to observe a lesson or part of a lesson and help you to answer some of the questions in stage 1 of this teaching tip. You may also want them to answer some other questions like the one below or create some more of your own:
- What is communicated nonverbally through interactions?
- Are any learners dominating the interactions? Who is dominating? Is the domination linked to their gender?
- How are reluctant learners encouraged to interact?
- Who receives feedback and how?
- What is the level of eye contact in interactions?
- Who is invited to give examples or ideas?
Stage 3: Reflect and Respond
You can choose to reflect on the answers to the questions and observations alone or with the colleague who observed you. Identify any issues and gendered patterns highlighted in this process and plan next steps to help you address them. Also celebrate the successes identified about your interactions and think about how you can maintain and build on these.
- All learners should be called on to ensure a balance of voices from all genders.
- Questions should be asked evenly to learners of all genders.
- Classroom support and feedback should be provided fairly to learners of all genders.
- Learners of all genders should be invited to present, share and offer ideas.
- Educators should carefully and inclusively respond to and explore gender beliefs, biases and norms with all learners.
- Ensure equal and fair participation of all learners.
"Mwandishi: G.L.E. Team: ""Ni muhimu kuelewa kwamba sisi sote tuna upendeleo na wengi wao ni unconscious." Maingiliano yanayotokea darasani huonyesha upendeleo huu, iwe tunataka au la. Hizi vidokezo zitakusaidia kufikiria mwingiliano unaoweza kuwa nao katika darasa lako na wanafunzi ili kuchukua hatua ikiwa ni lazima, kusaidia kufanya mazingira yako ya kujifunza ya jinsia zaidi. Hatua ya kwanza: Kuamua aina ya mwingiliano unaotokea kati yako na wanafunzi wako. Jinsi gani unaweza kuwaalika wanafunzi wa jinsia tofauti kujibu au kujadili katika darasa lako? Ni mara ngapi? Ni nani anayesema mengi na nani asiyesema mengi? Je, mwingiliano wako na matarajio ni sawa kwa wanafunzi wote bila kujali jinsia yao? Je, kuna wanafunzi katika chumba wanaohitaji msukumo mwingi ili kuingiliana na wewe? Ni sauti gani inayodhibiti darasa? Ni nini kinachovutia zaidi wanafunzi? Maswali haya yote yanaweza kukusaidia kutambua mwingiliano unaotokea katika chumba wakati wa masomo yako. Angalia mipango yako ya masomo na jaribu kutambua wakati athari hufanyika, jinsi na na nani. Hatua ya 2: Kuangalia wenzao Ili kukusaidia kutambua mwingiliano muhimu katika darasa lako, mwombe mwenzako kuchunguza somo au sehemu ya somo na kukusaidia kujibu maswali fulani katika hatua ya kwanza ya ushauri huu wa ufundishaji. Unaweza pia kuwa na maswali mengine kama vile ya hapa chini au kuunda maswali mengine yako mwenyewe: - Ni nini kinachohusiana bila maneno kupitia mwingiliano? - Je, kuna wanafunzi wanaotawala mwingiliano huo? Ni nani anayetawala? Je, kutawala kunahusiana na jinsia yao? - Jinsi gani wanafunzi wanaokataa kuchochewa kuingiliana? - Ni nani anayepokea maoni na jinsi gani? - Kiwango cha mawasiliano ya macho katika maingiliano ni nini? - Ni nani anayealikwa kutoa mifano au mawazo? Hatua ya 3 - Fikiria na Jibu: Unaweza kuchagua kutafakari juu ya majibu ya maswali na uchunguzi peke yako au na mwenzako ambaye amekutazama. Kutambua masuala yoyote na mifumo ya jinsia iliyoangaziwa katika mchakato huu na kupanga hatua zifuatazo kukusaidia kuzitatua. Pia kusherehekea mafanikio kutambuliwa kuhusu maingiliano yako na kufikiri kuhusu jinsi unaweza kudumisha na kujenga juu ya haya. - Wanafunzi wote wanapaswa kuitwa kuhakikisha usawa wa sauti kutoka kwa jinsia zote. - Maswali yanapaswa kuulizwa kwa usawa kwa wanafunzi wa jinsia zote. - Msaada wa darasani na maoni yanapaswa kutolewa kwa usawa kwa wanafunzi wa jinsia zote. - Wanafunzi wa jinsia zote wanapaswa kualikwa kuwasilisha, kushiriki na kutoa mawazo. - Waalimu wanapaswa kwa uangalifu na kwa ujumuishaji kujibu na kuchunguza imani za jinsia, upendeleo na kanuni na wanafunzi wote. - Kuhakikisha ushiriki sawa na wa haki wa wanafunzi wote.