Reading is for girls!? The negative impact of preschool teachers' traditional gender role attitudes on boys' reading related motivation and skills

Frontiers in Psychology

Volumn 6, Issue , 2015, Pages

  Wolter, Ilka ^a,c   Braun, Edith ^b   Hannover, Bettina ^a  

^a FREIE UNIVERSITÄT BERLIN   (Germany)

^b UNIVERSITY OF KASSEL   (Germany)

^c Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (LG)   (Germany)

Author keywords

boys' underachievement; gender role attitude; gender stereotypes; precursors of reading skills; preschool teachers; reading related motivation; reading skills

Indexed keywords

EID: 85019314318     PISSN: None     EISSN: 16641078     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01267     Document Type: Article

References (73)

1. Aiken L. S. West S. G. Reno R. R. (1991). Multiple Regression: Testing and Interpreting Interactions. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
2. Athenstaedt U. (2000). Normative geschlechtsrollenorientierung: entwicklung und validierung eines fragebogens [Normative gender role attitudes: the development and validation of a new questionnaire]. Z. Differ. Diagn. Psychol. 21, 91–104. 10.1024//0170-1789.21.1.91
3. Bachmann K. Burock K. (2008). Der Zusammenhang Zwischen der Lernmotivation und den Sprachlichen und Mathematischen Kompetenzen von Jungen und Mädchen im Vorschulalter [The Relationship of Learning Motivation and Verbal and Mathematical Competence of Boys and Girls of Preschool Age]. Unpublished Diploma thesis, Freie Universität, Berlin.
4. Banse R. Gawronski B. Rebetez C. Gutt H. Morton J. (2010). The development of spontaneous gender stereotyping in childhood: relations to stereotype knowledge and stereotype flexibility. Dev. Sci. 13, 298–306. 10.1111/j.1467-7687.2009.00880.x20136926
5. Baron R. M. Kenny D. A. (1986). The moderator–mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 51, 1173–1182. 10.1037/0022-3514.51.6.11733806354
6. Below J. Skinner C. Fearrington J. Sorrell C. (2010). Gender differences in early literacy: analysis of kindergarten through fifth-grade dynamic indicators of basic early literacy skills probes. School Psychol. Rev. 39, 240–257.
7. Cahill B. Adams E. (1997). An exploratory study of early childhood teachers' attitudes toward gender roles. Sex Roles 36, 517–529. 10.1007/BF02766688
8. Camarata S. Woodcock R. (2006). Sex differences in processing speed: developmental effects in males and females. Intelligence 34, 231–252. 10.1016/j.intell.2005.12.001
9. Carlson D. (2011). Family structure and the intergenerational transmission of gender ideology. J. Fam. Issues 6, 709–734. 10.1177/0192513X10396662
10. Colley A. Comber C. (2003). School subject preferences: age and gender differences revisited. Educ. Stud. 29, 59–67. 10.1080/03055690303269
11. Cox K. E. Guthrie J. T. (2001). Motivational and cognitive contributions to students' amount of reading. Contemp. Educ. Psychol. 26, 116–131. 10.1006/ceps.1999.104411161643
12. Duncan G. Dowsett C. Claessens A. Magnuson K. Huston A. Klebanov P. et al. (2007). School readiness and later achievement. Dev. Psychol. 43, 1428–1446. 10.1037/0012-1649.43.6.142818020822
13. Dwyer C. (1974). Influence of children's sex role standards on reading and arithmetic achievement. J. Educ. Psychol. 66, 811–816. 10.1037/h0021522
14. Endendijk J. (2013). Gender stereotypes in the family context: mothers, fathers, and siblings. Sex Roles 9, 577–590. 10.1007/s11199-013-0265-4
15. Erden F. T. (2004). Early childhood teachers' attitudes toward gender roles and toward discipline. Hacettepe Univ. J. Educ. 27, 83–90.
16. Erden F. T. (2009). A course on gender equity in education: does it affect gender role attitudes of preservice teachers? Teach. Teach. Educ. 25, 409–414. 10.1016/j.tate.2008.11.001
17. Farré L. Vella F. (2013). The intergenerational transmission of gender role attitudes and its implications for female labour force participation. Economica 80, 219–247. 10.1111/ecca.12008
18. Frieze I. McHugh M. C. (1998). Measuring feminism and gender role attitudes. Psychol. Women Q. 22, 349–352. 10.1111/j.1471-6402.1998.tb00159.x21769612
19. Fröhlich L. P. Metz D. Petermann F. (2010). Förderung der phonologischen Bewusstheit und sprachlicher Kompetenzen: das Lobo-Kindergartenprogramm. Göttingen: Hogrefe Verlag.
20. Gambrell L. B. Gillis V. (2007). Assessing children's motivation for reading and writing, in Classroom Literacy Assessment: Making Sense of What Students Know and Do, eds Paratore J. McCormack R. (New York, NY: Guilford Press), 50–61.
21. Ganzeboom H. B. G. De Graaf P. M. Treiman D. J. (1992). A standard international socio-economic index of occupational status. Soc. Sci. Res. 21, 1–56. 10.1016/0049-089X(92)90017-B
22. Guay F. Chanal J. Ratelle C. F. Marsh H. W. Larose S. Boivin M. (2010). Intrinsic, identified, and controlled types of motivation for school subjects in young elementary school children. Br. J. Educ. Psychol. 80, 711–735. 10.1348/000709910X49908420447334
23. Guthrie J. T. Hoa A. W. Wigfield A. Tonks S. M. Humenick N. M. Littles E. (2007). Reading motivation and reading comprehension growth in the later elementary years. Contemp. Educ. Psychol. 32, 282–313. 10.1016/j.cedpsych.2006.05.0042485501
24. Hamilton D. Sherman S. Ruvolo C. (1990). Stereotype-based expectancies: effects on information processing and social behavior. J. Soc. Issues 46, 35–60. 10.1111/j.1540-4560.1990.tb01922.x
25. Hannover B. Kessels U. (2002). Monoedukativer anfangsunterricht in physik: auswirkungen auf motivation, selbstkonzept und kurswahlverhalten von gesamtschülerinnen und gesamtschülern [Physics in single-sex or mixed teaching groups. Impact on motivation, self-concept of abilities, and course enrollment of 8th grade comprehensive school students]. Z. Entwicklungspsychol. Pädagog. Psychol. 34, 201–215. 10.1026//0049-8637.34.4.201
26. Harwardt-Heinecke E. Milatz A. Ahnert L. (2014). Die herausbildung erster leistungsprofile nach schuleintritt. Zusammenhänge zu motivation, vorläuferkompetenzen und beziehungsqualitäten [Academic achievements post school entry as related to motivation, precursor competencies, and relationship-quality]. Psychol. Erzieh. Unterr. 61, 267–280. 10.2378/peu2014.art21d
27. Hess M. Ittel A. Sisler A. (2014). Gender-specific macro- and micro-level processes in the transmission of gender role orientation in adolescence: the role of fathers. Eur. J. Dev. Psychol. 11, 211–226. 10.1080/17405629.2013.879055
28. Hox J. (2002). Multilevel Analysis. Techniques and Applications. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
29. Hulme C. Snowling M. J. (2013). Learning to read: what we know and what we need to understand better. Child Dev. Perspect. 7, 1–5. 10.1111/cdep.12005
30. Jackson D. Tein J. (1998). Adolescents' conceptualization of adult roles: relationships with age, gender, work goals, and maternal employment. Sex Roles 38, 987–1008. 10.1023/A:1018826626335
31. Jacobs J. E. Davis-Kean P. Bleeker M. Eccles J. S. Malanchuk O. (2005). ‘I can, but I don't want to’: the impact of parents, interests, and activities on gender differences in math, in Gender Differences in Mathematics: An Integrative Psychological Approach, eds Gallagher A. M. Kaufman J. C. (New York, NY: Cambridge University Press), 246–263.
32. Jansen H. Mannhaupt G. Marx H. Skowronek H. (2002). Bielefelder Screening zur Früherkennung von Lese-Rechtschreibschwierigkeiten [BISC; Bielefelder Screening for Early Detection of Dyslexia], 2nd Edn. Göttingen: Hogrefe.
33. Kenny D. A. (1996). Models of non-independence in dyadic research. J. Soc. Pers. Relat. 13, 279–294. 10.1177/0265407596132007
34. Kingsbury M. (2012). Mothers' gender-role attitudes and their responses to young children's hypothetical display of shy and aggressive behaviors. Sex Roles 66, 506–517. 10.1007/s11199-012-0120-z
35. Klieme E. Artelt C. Hartig J. Jude N. Köller O. Prenzel M. et al. (2010). PISA 2009. Bilanz Nach einem Jahrzehnt. [PISA 2009. A Decade in Retrospect]. Münster: Waxmann.
36. Krampen G. (1983). Eine kurzform der skala zur messung normativer geschlechtsrollen-orientierungen [A short version of the sex role orientation scale]. Z. Soz. 12, 152–156.
37. Küspert P. Schneider W. (1998). Würzburger Leise Leseprobe (WLLP) [Wuerzburger Silent Reading-test]. Göttingen: Hogrefe.
38. Lasonen J. And O. (1991). Finnish Comprehensive Vocational Institute Teachers' Gender-Role Attitudes [e-book]. Ipswich, MA: ERIC. (Accessed February 13, 2015).
39. Lepola J. (2004). The role of gender and reading competence in the development of motivational orientations from kindergarten to grade 1. Early Educ. Dev. 15, 215–240. 10.1207/s15566935eed1502_5
40. Lucier-Greer M. Ketring S. A. Adler-Baeder F. Smith T. (2012). Malleability of gender role attitudes and gendered messages in couple and relationship education. Fam. Consum. Sci. Res. J. 41, 4–17. 10.1111/j.1552-3934.2012.02125.x
41. Lundberg I. Larsman P. Strid A. (2012). Development of phonological awareness during the preschool year: the influence of gender and socio-economic status. Read. Writ. 25, 305–320. 10.1007/s11145-010-9269-4
42. Lynn R. Mikk J. (2009). Sex differences in reading achievement. TRAMES 13, 3–13. 10.3176/tr.2009.1.01
43. Lytton H. Romney D. M. (1991). Parents' differential socialization of boys and girls: a metaanalysis. Psychol. Bull. 109, 267–297. 10.1037/0033-2909.109.2.267
44. MacKinnon D. P. (2008). Introduction to Statistical Mediation Analysis. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
45. Martin C. L. Ruble D. N. (2010). Patterns of gender development. Annu. Rev. Psychol. 61, 353–381. 10.1146/annurev.psych.093008.10051119575615
46. Martinot D. Bagès C. Désert M. (2012). French children's awareness of gender stereotypes about mathematics and reading: when girls improve their reputation in math. Sex Roles 66, 210–219. 10.1007/s11199-011-0032-3
47. McCoach D. B. O'Connell A. A. Reis S. M. Levitt H. A. (2006). Growing readers: a hierarchical linear model of children's reading growth during the first two years of school. J. Educ. Psychol. 98, 14–28. 10.1037/0022-0663.98.1.14
48. McGeown S. Goodwin H. Henderson N. Wright P. (2012). Gender differences in reading motivation: does sex or gender identity provide a better account? J. Res. Read. 35, 328–336. 10.1111/j.1467-9817.2010.01481.x17559996
49. Millard E. (1997). Differently literate: gender identity and the construction of the developing reader. Gend. Educ. 9, 31–48. 10.1080/09540259721439
50. Morgan P. L. Fuchs D. (2007). Is there a bidirectional relationship between children's reading skills and reading motivation? Except. Child. 73, 165. 10.1177/001440290707300203
51. Mullis I. Martin M. Foy P. Drucker K. (2012). PIRLS 2011 International Results in Reading. Chestnut Hill, MA: TIMSS and PIRLS International Study Center, Boston College.
52. Muthén L. K. Muthén B. O. (1998–2010). Mplus User's Guide, 6th Edn. Los Angeles, CA: Muthén Muthén.
53. Niklas F. Schneider W. (2012). Die anfänge geschlechtsspezifischer leistungsunterschiede in mathematischen und schriftsprachlichen kompetenzen [The beginning of gender-based performance differences in mathematics and linguistic competencies]. Z. Entwicklungspsychol. Pädagog. Psychol. 44, 123–138. 10.1026/0049-8637/a000064
54. Oakhill J. V. Cain K. (2012). The precursors of reading ability in young readers: evidence from a four-year longitudinal study. Sci. Stud. Read. 16, 91–121. 10.1080/10888438.2010.529219
55. Plante I. Théorét M. Favreau O. E. (2009). Student gender stereotypes: contrasting the perceived maleness and femaleness of mathematics and language. Educ. Psychol. 29, 385–405. 10.1080/01443410902971500
56. Pottorff D. D. Phelps-Zientarski D. Skovera M. E. (1996). Gender perceptions of elementary and middle school students about literacy at school and home. J. Res. Dev. Educ. 29, 203–211.
57. Retelsdorf J. Schwartz K. Asbrock F. (2015). Michael can't read!” Teachers' gender stereotypes and boys' reading self-concept. J. Educ. Psychol. 107, 186–194. 10.1037/a0037107
58. Ritchie S. Timothy B. (2013). Enduring links from childhood mathematics and reading achievement to adult socioeconomic status. Psychol. Sci. 20, 1–8. 10.1177/095679761246626823640065
59. Rouland K. Rowley S. Kurtz-Costes B. (2013). Self-views of African-American youth are related to the gender stereotypes and ability attributions of their parents. Self Identity 12, 382–399. 10.1080/15298868.2012.68236023878519
60. Schoon I. Eccles J. (2014). (Eds). Gender Differences in Aspirations and Attainment. A Life Course Perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
61. Simpkins S. D. Davis-Kean P. E. Eccles J. S. (2005). Parents' socializing behavior and children's participation in math, science, and computer out-of-school activities. Appl. Dev. Sci. 9, 14–30. 10.1207/s1532480xads0901_3
62. Sperling R. A. Sherwood T. I. Hood A. M. (2013). Relating motivation to read and emergent reading skills: a measurement validation study. Read. Psychol. 34, 461–485. 10.1080/02702711.2012.658143
63. Steffens M. C. Jelenec P. (2011). Separating implicit gender stereotypes regarding math and language: implicit ability stereotypes are self-serving for boys and men, but not for girls and women. Sex Roles 64, 324–335. 10.1007/s11199-010-9924-x
64. Swanson H. L. Trainin G. Necoechea D. M. Hammill D. D. (2003). Rapid naming, phonological awareness, and reading: a meta-analysis of the correlation evidence. Rev. Educ. Res. 73, 407–440. 10.3102/00346543073004407
65. Taboada A. Tonks S. M. Wigfield A. Guthrie J. T. (2009). Effects of motivational and cognitive variables on reading comprehension. Read. Writ. 22, 85–106. 10.1007/s11145-008-9133-y25506087
66. Tiedemann J. (2000). Parents' gender stereotypes and teachers' beliefs as predictors of children's concept of their mathematical ability in elementary school. J. Educ. Psychol. 92, 144–151. 10.1037/0022-0663.92.1.144
67. Togrol A. Y. Onur A. (2000). Education students' attitudes toward gender roles. Mediterr. J. Educ. Stud. 5, 103–113.
68. Townsend M. Konold T. R. (2010). Measuring early literacy skills: a latent variable investigation of the phonological awareness literacy screening for preschool. J. Psychoeduc. Assess. 28, 115–128. 10.1177/0734282909336277
69. Trautner H. M. Ruble D. N. Cyphers L. Kirsten B. Behrendt R. Hartmann P. (2005). Rigidity and flexibility of gender stereotypes in childhood: developmental or differential? Infant Child Dev. 14, 365–381. 10.1002/icd.399
70. Upadyaya K. Eccles J. (2014). Gender differences in teachers' perceptions and children's ability self-concepts, in Gender Differences in Aspirations and Attainment. A Life Course Perspective, eds Schoon I. Eccles J. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), 79–100.
71. Willetts-Bloom M. Nock S. (1994). The influence of maternal employment on gender role attitudes of men and women. Sex Roles 30, 371–389. 10.1007/BF014205993232579
72. Wolter I. Glüer M. Hannover B. (2014). Gender-typicality of activity offerings and child–teacher relationship closeness in German “Kindergarten.” Influences on the development of spelling competence as an indicator of early basic literacy in boys and girls. Learn. Individ. Dif. 31, 59–65. 10.1016/j.lindif.2013.12.008
73. Yeo L. S. Ong W. W. Ng C. M. (2014). The home literacy environment and preschool children's reading skills and interest. Early Educ. Dev. 25, 791–814. 10.1080/10409289.2014.86214721435070