Student and Teacher Culture and Composition and the Development of Gender Role Attitudes among Young Adolescents

Abstract

Research has shown that gender role attitudes develop during adolescence; however, the relevant predictors remain a matter of debate. In adolescence, the school environment gains in importance. Thus, the present study investigates how students’ and especially teachers’ culture and composition predict the development of gender role attitudes in young adolescents. The study addresses this question using a sample of 7360 Flemish students (44.8% girls), who were surveyed three times after entering secondary education between 2012 (Mage = 13.14, SD = 0.56) and 2014. Latent change models reveal that boys’ initial gender role attitudes are associated with the students’ gender role culture; however, boys with more traditional gender role attitudes do not develop in an even more traditional direction at the beginning of secondary education. In contexts with a more privileged student SES composition, boys develop less traditional attitudes, while a traditional gender role culture among teachers supports the development of more traditional gender role attitudes among boys. Girls with more traditional gender role attitudes find themselves within student contexts with a more traditional culture. However, the development does not vary with the students’ gender role culture. Overall, boys seem more susceptible to students’ cultural and compositional characteristics.

When the context withholds girls from gender a‐typical conduct: Schools' gender role culture and disruptive school behaviour of boys and girls

“…It might be fruitful to account for the homogeneity of teachers' gender role attitudes when studying students' behaviour in future research and to examine the role teachers' gender role attitudes might play regarding students' gender stereotypical beliefs and actions (cf. Ullrich et al, 2022).…”

“…If teachers are interested in gender‐typical hobbies or if they teach gender‐typical subjects, this can have an impact on students' gender perceptions. Teachers' gender role attitudes can also be transmitted through teachers' gender‐related expectations of students (Ullrich et al., 2022). The stronger teachers' gender‐related assumptions are, the more likely they are to treat students differently.…”

“…Boys are shown to develop more traditional gender role attitudes in schools with a more traditional teacher gender role culture. Teachers consciously or unconsciously transmit their gendered expectations, especially to male students (Ullrich et al., 2022). It can be assumed that this also relates to the extent to which students' gender‐stereotypical behaviour is accepted, tolerated and displayed in schools.…”