Observing Sex Stereotypes and Interactions in the School Lab and Workshop

ABSTRACT Girls into Science and Technology (GIST) is an action research project both researching and seeking to reduce female under achievement in science and technology. Techniques of classroom observation were used as a device to increase teachers' awareness of the variable participation of girls and boys in science and craft lessons. With observer feedback, teachers managed to shift the balance of teacher‐pupil interaction towards greater equality. However, some teachers feel their efforts may be disadvantaging boys in the class. Observations also revealed that boys' confident assumption of the lion's share of both teacher's attention and the available resources pre‐empted girls' ability to establish a firm foothold in these 'masculine' subject areas. The work indicates that, while classroom patterns of sex differentiation are not unchangeable, considerable efforts may be required to achieve the balanced participation of girls, particularly in respect of those patterns of interaction initiated by pupils.