Final answer:
Denise, a grade school teacher, is much more likely to call on boys than girls for answers to questions. This is an example of gender bias. It reflects a pattern of unequal treatment in educational settings, influenced by traditional gender roles and stereotypes that can contribute to different academic and career choices for boys and girls.
Step-by-step explanation:
Denise, a grade school teacher, is much more likely to call on boys than girls for answers to questions. This is an example of gender bias. Gender bias encompasses various behaviors, including the differential treatment of students based on their gender, which often leads to unequal educational opportunities.
Schools have traditionally conveyed messages that reinforce gender roles and stereotypes, both in academic settings and through social interactions. Studies, such as those by Sadker and Sadker (1994) and Thorne (1993), demonstrate that teachers often praised male students more, interrupted girls more often, and allowed boys more freedom to express themselves or even break rules. Girls, in contrast, received less encouragement, were interrupted more, and were expected to be more obedient.
These practices can influence academic choices and career paths later in life, channeling girls and boys into traditionally female and male-dominated fields, affecting human capital outcomes and leading to labor market disparities. Ultimately, gender biases in education can have profound implications on students' learning experiences and future opportunities.