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Managing Gender Difference Issues within the
Design and Technology Workshop |
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School: Winifred Holtby
School Technology College |
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Fellow: Natalie Griffiths |
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Email: nat.griffiths@lineone.net |
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Final Report |
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Aims: |
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To research gender difference
studies to date and produce an easily
understandable report that identifies
the different ways boys and girls learn
and perform, and why. |
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To research the interaction between
boys, girls and the resources and machinery
they use within the Design and Technology
workshop to identify trends. |
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To devise solutions that can be applied
within the Design and Technology workshop
to overcome gender difference issues. |
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To produce a teacher information pack
that will disseminate findings –
DVD-Rom and paper format. |
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Results: |
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Aim One:
To research gender difference studies to date
and produce an easily understandable report
that identifies the different ways boys and
girls learn and perform, and why. |
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In order to meet this aim I
have read books and papers relating to neurological,
psychological and biological studies regarding
gender difference and have gathered a great
deal of research using libraries, the Internet
and colleagues as sources of information.
I particularly enjoyed this aspect of my project
as gender difference issues have always been
of interest to me due to my own experiences
throughout my education and career of being
a woman in a typically male environment. The
major challenge of this project aim was condensing
the information I found to one page –
I knew that if this entirely theory based
section of my information pack was much longer
it may not be read at all. I produced many
drafts and experimented with different formats
before producing a document that I thought
would meet my needs. I wanted some feedback
on the content and format of the document
and, fortunately, a fellow also undertaking
a gender based project was delivering some
inset at her school and wanted some basic
theory regarding the reasons why boys and
girls learn differently. I e-mailed my documentation
and some feedback sheets to her and got some
very useful feedback that, along with that
obtained from my school, enabled me to feel
confident that the format and content I was
using met the needs of this aim. |
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Aims Two & Three: To
research the interaction between boys, girls
and the resources and machinery they use within
the Design and Technology workshop to identify
trends; To devise solutions that can be applied
within the Design and Technology workshop
to overcome gender difference issues. |
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I have fulfilled this aim through
the use of pupil questionnaires, staff discussion
and the filming and observation of classes.
My plans regarding the filming of classes
had to change considerably due to a change
of school and Ofsted inspection – a
lot of my time had to be channelled into preparation
for the inspection and I was teaching a timetable
that did not compliment my plans for the filming
of my own classes. I did, however, manage
to obtain a sufficient amount of research
to enable me to successfully fulfil this aim.
I used pupil questionnaires to ascertain the
extent of issues I suspected gender differences
could cause within the DT workshop and used
my observation of classes and the filming
of one class to support this, which was successful.
An unexpected outcome was the discovery that
it is not just girls who can be seen to lose
out when it comes to domination of workshop
space, resources and machinery, many boys
who lack confidence also have these issues,
a situation that seems obvious now but that
I had not previously considered. Strategies
to overcome the issues foreseen were discussed
with staff and, to verify that the implementation
of these does make a difference, the same
class that had been previously filmed were
filmed once again with strategies applied
and comparisons made. Those strategies employed
included a better classroom environment –
the workshop was clean, tidy and well organised
with stimulating display, ensuring that boys
and girls were grouped together around work
benches rather than working in self sex friendship
groups, and applying a ‘chit’
system to ensure fair access to and use of
machinery. Analysis of the resulting film
from this class showed that there was better
use of classroom space by all pupils, overall
classroom management was improved and that
machinery was used fairly by all. Time spent
on tasks that boys and girls chose to work
on from the first film was analysed against
time taken on tasks in the second film which
provided further evidence that the strategies
applied had a positive affect in ensuring
that gender difference issues were reduced. |
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Aim Four: To produce a
teacher information pack that will disseminate
findings – CD-Rom and paper format. |
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At the interim stage of my
project I had changed plans for the outcomes
of my project but, due to issues that have
arisen, the original intended outcomes have
now become more suitable. The information
pack will contain paper-based information
and advice, including ready printed ‘chit’
slips, and a CD-Rom with copies of all information
for easy dissemination. A webpage will also
be produced to further disseminate project
findings and strategies. At the interim stage
I had anticipated substituting the CD-Rom
for a DVD-Rom containing video footage but,
unfortunately, I could not obtain permission
from all of the pupils filmed to enable this
to happen. The anticipated date for distribution
of my information pack has been moved forward
now, however, to the end of July. The pack
will be introduced to Heads of Department
within my local authority for feedback early
July and, following any amendment, can then
be distributed to LEA advisors for consideration.
The information pack will then be distributed
to as many Design and Technology departments
as funding will allow. |
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Unexpected Outcomes: |
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application
of the strategies within my information
pack not only address gender difference
issues but also assist general classroom
management and those pupils lacking
confidence, regardless of gender. |
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the testing of and familiarisation
with equipment provided by Gatsby involved
me filming my classes at Cottingham
High School. When an Ofsted visit was
confirmed this footage was used for
analysis during faculty inset sessions
and became a valuable resource –
never before had we been able to analyse
DT specific lessons and the teaching
styles and methods involved. I plan
to film further scenarios and have found
this unexpected off shoot from my project
enlightening and rewarding. I feel that
a full project such as this could benefit
many other DT departments. |
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