Do stereotypes strike twice? Giftedness and gender stereotypes in pre-service teachers’ beliefs about student characteristics in Australia

Abstract

Stereotypes influence teachers' perception of and behaviour towards students, thus shaping students' learning opportunities. The present study investigated how 315 Australian pre-service teachers' stereotypes about giftedness and gender are related to their perception of students' intellectual ability, adjustment, and social-emotional ability, using an experimental vignette approach and controlling for social desirability in pre-service teachers' responses. Repeated-measures ANOVA showed that pre-service teachers associated giftedness with higher intellectual ability, but with less adjustment compared to average-ability students. Furthermore, pre-service teachers perceived male students as less socially and emotionally competent and less adjusted than female students. Additionally, pre-service teachers seemed to perceive female average-ability students' adjustment as most favourable compared to male average-ability students and gifted students. Findings point to discrepancies between actual characteristics of gifted female and male students and stereotypes in teachers' beliefs. Consequences of stereotyping and implications for teacher education are discussed. ARTICLE HISTORY

Atender las Altas Capacidades en Chile: facilitadores y barreras del contexto escolar

“…Sin embargo, también se aprecia una visión restringida sobre la AC, la cual pone mayor énfasis en el rendimiento, sin necesariamente considerar otros elementos propios de su expresión, como por ejemplo la creatividad. Por lo demás, algunas de las conceptualizaciones de los participantes sobre la AC están teñidas por aspectos socioemocionales negativos, tales como la presencia de conductas disruptivas en el aula (Al Zoubi, 2018;Matheis et al, 2019;Oswald & De Villiers, 2013). Dichas conductas tienden a opacar la percepción que tienen los directivos respecto de estos estudiantes, no necesariamente entendiéndolas como efectos de la desatención educativa a la cual están expuestos, si no como una característica propia de la AC.…”

“…Por su parte, Matheis et al (2019), mencionan que los profesores asociaban la AC a estudiantes con una inteligencia superior, y a la vez los percibían con bajos niveles de ajuste conductual y social en comparación con sus pares no talentosos. Algunos hallazgos apuntan a la existencia de una serie de mitos y estereotipos predominantes, tales como que los estudiantes con AC no necesitan apoyos especiales y que lograrán el éxito por sí solos ( Hafenstein et al, 2017).…”

Investigating Lebanese primary school teachers’ perceptions of gifted and highly able students

“…Teachers' perspectives appeared to be due to a range of factors including giftedness not being covered in initial teacher education and a lack of professional development for teachers related to giftedness within the Lebanese education system. Matheis et al (2019) also found limited teacher education affected teacher beliefs, self-efficacy about providing effective educational provision for gifted students. Plunkett and Kronborg found that professional learning for pre-service teachers (Plunkett & Kronborg, 2011; can significantly change teacher attitudes and beliefs about teaching gifted students with one semester of teaching and reading for assessment of evidence-based gifted education literature.…”

“…An interwoven relationship is argued to exist between beliefs and attitudes, as a person's perceptions and attitudes are shaped by their beliefs (Ajzen, 2012;Maio & Haddock, 2010;Matheis et al, 2017;Matheis et al, 2019;Plunkett, 2000). Stern and Keislar (1975) maintain that teachers' construction of attitudes is acquired from cultural knowledge, which is based on their beliefs about their students, and includes a predisposition to perform or respond to particular situations in their classrooms.…”

Exploración De Las Decisiones Académicas en Estudiantes Con Alta Capacidad

“…Thus, the development of interest in STEM areas for women may be negatively influenced by the overlap of stereotypes regarding gender, HA, and scientists (e.g., male, lonely, working indoors, etc. ), as these students are socialised by parents and teachers, throughout their adolescence (MATHEIS et al, 2019). However, these effects can be moderated precisely by the family and school (MURATORI;SMITH, 2015;TWEEDALE;KRONBORG, 2015;WATTERS, 2010).…”