Simulation Workshops on Gender-Sensitive Pedagogy in Applied Mathematics for 400 Middle School Mathematics Teachers of High-Ability Groups
The 2022 results of the PISA test in mathematics revealed a decline of 32% in the number of excelling female students in Israel (in comparison to an 11% increase among male students). This downturn among Israeli female students correlates with similar trends in other Western countries following the COVID-19 pandemic. We assume this decline is related to the higher rates of anxiousness and difficulty of managing self-regulated independent learning processes, as reported by female students in Israel during school lockdowns.
We could have expected an immediate recovery after the pandemic. However, due to the outbreak of the war, we fear further impediments to the learning of female students. Recent surveys among middle school students show that female students are concerned about the prospects of entering the five-unit mathematics track in high school. In parallel, a study by the Aaron Institute for Economic Policy explains that teachers unintentionally tend to sideline their female students and prefer pushing the boys into the five-unit track.
To address this unconscious gender-based bias among teachers, we turned to the Educational Simulations Lab at Bar-Ilan University. The simulations lab is a veteran partner of the foundation, specializing in conducting workshops for teachers in which they experience hands-on simulations of classroom teaching. By using scripts and actors, the lab trains 4,000 teachers every year, with ongoing operating budget support from the Ministry of Education.
Bar-Ilan proposes to develop 6-8 script scenarios, to uncover and address gender bias among mathematics teachers in the classroom. Over three years, 400 mathematics teachers of high-ability groups, who were already trained to use the applied PISA tasks, will participate in 30 workshops, during which they will rehearse and practice using tools to enhance their gender sensitivity. Workshop topics will include strategies for managing the tendency of boys to be assertive and of girls to be quiet in the classroom, as well as fostering self-efficacy, confidence and motivation among female students.
* The text above shows the grant as approved by the Foundation’s Board of Directors / Grant 574