Gender Bias in Elementary Education: A Professional Development Curriculum Aimed at Creating Gender Equity in a K-6 Classroom

In light of the research findings on gender differences in education, the purpose of this project is to develop curriculum for a professional development course for teachers on how to examine and enhance the way they differentiate their approach to boys and girls in their classrooms. It will look at how teachers react to students of different genders in the areas of math, science, and language arts as well as how teachers approach resolution with regard to behavior problems in their classrooms. This professional development will include strategies that teachers might use when planning instruction based on what they know about the development of boys and girls in various subject areas. It will also promote reflection on how they approach behavior of boys and girls in their classroom to build a classroom community that addresses the needs of both male and female students based on the way current research shows how each group learns.