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The goal of this mixed-methods study was to explore the effect of gender on teachers' willingness to refer students to a gifted and talented program. Teachers (N = 28) were provided with one of two profiles (i.e., female or male) describing a gifted student. Results indicated that teachers' decisions for referral to gifted programs were significantly influenced by the student's gender; teachers were much less willing to refer a female student than an identically described male student to gifted programs. Further, qualitative analysis revealed that teachers' descriptions of students and reasons for their referral decisions differed considerably based on the student's gender. Responses illustrated gender bias in teachers' perceptions, expectations, and beliefs about the profiled students. Implications for practice are discussed.
Keywords: gender bias, gifted, girls, teacher referral
Females, as well as gifted and talented females, have historically faced many challenges and inequalities within the educational system. The challenges are complex and can inhibit females from reaching their full potential during their school years and beyond. Among the many barriers that girls face are the biases that teachers' have based on gender (M. Sadker & Sadker, 1 994). Given that one of the most common methods for screening students for gifted identification includes teachers' observations and nominations (Coleman, Gallagher, & Foster, 1994; Hallahan, Kauffman, & Pullen, 2009), teachers' perceptions of students, and teachers' unintended biases, it is critically important that we examine which students teachers nominate for gifted programs and why the students were chosen. In the current study we asked what the effect of students' gender on teachers' nominations is for gifted referrals and what this means for gifted girls. We begin with a brief background on the literature regarding teacher nominations and the effects of teacher bias as well as gender bias, followed by a brief explanation of the current study. We then present the quantitative and qualitative findings followed by discussion and the implications of the current study.
TEACHER REFERRALS
Classroom teachers play a very important role in the initial identification of gifted students. Although methods for identifying gifted and talented students vary widely between states and local school districts, it is frequently teachers' ratings and nominations that form the initial pool of students to be formally tested for identification...