The Importance of Gender as an Aspect of Identity at Key Transition Points in Compulsory Education

Abstract

This article focuses upon the role of gender as a signi cant aspect of self-concept, one that acquires particular salience at times of transition in a person's life. We suggest that transitional phases intensify the sociocultural processes of identity construction, and that gender acquires particular salience as an aspect of identity at these times of transition. Both authors have undertaken studies that focused on gender as an aspect of identity during key transitional phases of the school career, one focused on the rst transition to formal schooling and the other on the transition from primary to secondary schooling. Illustrations will be drawn from both these studies to support the suggestion that the social category of gender functions as a means of providing a schematic principle for 'coping' with transitions. We outline a programme for further empirical research that could be employed to develop and explore this suggestion further.

Gender differences in the role of emotional intelligence during the primary–secondary school transition

“…In contrast to other aspects of EI, it may be wise to exert some caution when teaching stress management because, as the present study suggests, a little bit of Downloaded by [The Library at Queens] at 01:11 10 October 2012 anxiety may actually be beneficial for males with average to above average achievement. The different patterns observed for males and females in this sample are consistent with research on gender salience, which suggests that males and females cope with school transition in different ways (Jackson and Warin 2000). Specifically, during transitions children try to prevent cognitive overload by holding onto what is familiar to them, such as their gender stereotype.…”

Disrupting Hegemonic Masculinity Through Creative Writing

“…Reviewing the critiques of the concept of hegemonic masculinity, Connell counters claims of essentialism by emphasizing that practices are not fixed entities "embedded in the body or personality traits of individuals" [13:836] and that the concept is intended to grasp "a certain dynamic within the social process" [13:841] which results in men and women being positioned through their actions and interactions. In relation to education, this figuring power of gender becomes particularly salient for boys at points of transition in mainstream education [19]. In this qualitative study, boys' reliance on predictable and dominant gendered identities that "other" the feminine is seen as a male reaction to the trauma of the change of context from primary to secondary school.…”

School transfer and the diffraction of learning trajectories

“…One notable exception is the work of Valerie Walkerdine and her colleagues, who broke new ground in the study of gender, mathematics and school transfer (Walden & Walkerdine, 1985;Walkerdine, 1998). More recently Jackson and Warin (2000) have written about the role of gender in mathematics classrooms and in the emerging identities of children following school transfer. Although mathematics was the context for this research, one of the aims being to 'see' the transferring pupils from the secondary subject teachers' narrow perspective, I will not focus here on mathematics curriculum per se but aim rather to examine the overriding impact of social factors on the learning trajectories of (mathematics) learners.…”